Should schools reopen?

Opening the schools too soon will just compound the disaster. It will make the "shutdown" period much longer and harsher than it needs to be, because some of our population are in a state of denial. And there will be many more deaths than there need to be.

Other countries, hit just as hard by the virus as we were, have managed to turn things around, at least apparently for now, and are able to reopen because they got the curve down to an acceptable level. We are opening schools, offices, stores, etc. while the curve is still going up.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
This is a terrible conundrum! Childrens' lives certainly shouldn't be risked by school openings but on the other hand, parents who must work and have smaller children may not have options as to where to leave them while they are at work. In my city many schools were overcrowded to begin with. That certainly isn't a safe environment. My DIL and ex-DIL both work in the school system. The latter is an administrator and she said the schools are slated to open in September. I think N.J.'s numbers are looking better so we'll see. In states where the numbers have surged (because they didn't take proper precautions to begin with) certainly shouldn't be opening schools.
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My son is an administrator...in a High School....He actually was working when this virus started, but at home....They are still trying to get
the school's opened in Sept. The kids are not babies in a High School....I'm sure the Principal, Teacher's and my son are doing everything
to be safe.... I did hear That Governor Murphy wants to get the kids to school....But he did say, if parents aren't with it they can have the
kids work at home....(But, many people have to go back to work)….I'm sure if they have High School kids, they likely will be OK....going
back to school....They need to have masks, they have to be distance...from another....(I know that will be hard for kids)….But they have to
get their learning in school....Some parents maybe wouldn't be able to school their kids...Some might....Some parents have to go to work...

I don't know if the younger kids will be able to do what the older kids can do....So that is a problem....We have kindergarten, then another to 5th grade
and then Middle School...Then the High School...
 
Butterfly said:
Our schools here were already overcrowded before the virus, and teachers were already underpaid. Many teachers here (especially older ones) have decided to either retire or just quit because they don't think it would be safe to return.

If I were a teacher I don't think I'd be going back this year, and if I had young children I don't think I'd be sending them back this year, either. I don't think there is any real, practical way to make children, especially the younger ones, abide by safety restrictions -- distancing, wearing masks, etc.
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Will you be learning your child....at home....It's not the same as going to school...
 
I think they need to go back to school. Wear masks, wash hands, social distancing is the new way of life and they need to learn this new way of life. My 2 year old great granddaughter had/has no problem wearing a mask, I’m sure a five year old can do as well.
 
peppermint said:
Will you be learning your child....at home....It's not the same as going to school...
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I'm old, I don't have young kids...My kids have kids....Anyway, My 17 year old granddaughter is so wanting to get back to school...It seems the High School are having the kids every other day to come to school....It's a very big school...
Grandaugther is in 2 sports and don't even know if they will participate....I feel for the kids''
They did go Viral with teacher's giving them assignments...

Thank you for thinking I had a young child.....I have a son 54 years old, a daughter 51 years old...
 
Aneeda72 said:
I think they need to go back to school. Wear masks, wash hands, social distancing is the new way of life and they need to learn this new way of life. My 2 year old great granddaughter had/has no problem wearing a mask, I’m sure a five year old can do as well.
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What about the teachers? I think they should have the right to have a say as to whether or not they want to risk their lives when they can do the same thing online.
 
JB in SC said:
No but working parents can’t stay at home for an entire school year. Can you go without a paycheck for a year?
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Agreed. i was commenting on the original post which referenced school, work and babysitting. Fortunately I never had to face a Covid situation when I was a single parent. Unfortunately I did have the same babysitting issue which I faced in order to go to work. I worked 2 jobs to make ends meet because my ex didn't pay his court mandated child support and was nowhere to be found to help with babysitting. I didn't "stay home for a year without a paycheck" because I needed a babysitter. I had to find a way to make it work and I did.
Same situation, different circumstances. We have all faced these things one way or another in our lives.
 
LindaB said:
Agreed. i was commenting on the original post which referenced school, work and babysitting. Fortunately I never had to face a Covid situation when I was a single parent. Unfortunately I did have the same babysitting issue which I faced in order to go to work. I worked 2 jobs to make ends meet because my ex didn't pay his court mandated child support and was nowhere to be found to help with babysitting. I didn't "stay home for a year without a paycheck" because I needed a babysitter. I had to find a way to make it work and I did.
Same situation, different circumstances. We have all faced these things one way or another in our lives.
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See that's the whole deal is there's no real solution here. Kids need to be educated...people gotta work...people gotta stay safe. I don't have an answer but maybe these folks need to start considering work at home jobs. Just a thought.
 
LindaB said:
Agreed. i was commenting on the original post which referenced school, work and babysitting. Fortunately I never had to face a Covid situation when I was a single parent. Unfortunately I did have the same babysitting issue which I faced in order to go to work. I worked 2 jobs to make ends meet because my ex didn't pay his court mandated child support and was nowhere to be found to help with babysitting. I didn't "stay home for a year without a paycheck" because I needed a babysitter. I had to find a way to make it work and I did.
Same situation, different circumstances. We have all faced these things one way or another in our lives.
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Understood, this is a much different than normal situation where alternatives are available even if they require working two jobs (if they were available). Let's suppose daycares are closed, what do we expect single or even two parent households to do if schools are closed for in person attendance?

I believe in being safe, my two grandkids (8 and 10) are attending daycare until school restarts. Both parents can occasionally work from home, but not on some indefinite basis. They are in the minority, many can't do that. The local school system is going to work out a schedule dividing classes by half on alternate days and working remotely on one day. A pragmatic approach to re-open with restrictions is important to keep the economy from collapsing, those saying otherwise are not being realistic or are wealthy enough to weather the crisis. Put 70 million out of work and the Great Depression will seem like a vacation.
 
The phased in approach has worked well in my state but there have been a handful of instances where a teacher or student has tested positive and the school has had to be closed temporarily for deep cleaning. After 2 weeks of students attending on alternate days plus 2 weeks of school holidays, all schools are now fully open.

Parents are not allowed to enter the schools. They are required to socially distance outside the schools because if parents congregate and mingle at the school gates the virus is more likely to be spread around.

Because my part of Sydney now has confirmed cases of community transmission, child care centres not longer permit parents to enter. They have to wait outside, observing the 6 foot distance from each other and a member of staff, wearing a mask, receives each child. At the end of the day the handover is reversed.

Hubby and I are no longer permitted to visit his 93 year old aunt in her nursing home but I am grateful that the staff are doing their best to keep corona out of the facility. There have been a couple of aged care facilities in Sydney where residents have become infected, with many deaths.
 
I don't believe children and teachers will be safe if schools open. I don't think children at a young age can tolerate wearing a mask all day, putting everyone at risk. My daughter works at a school and I worry about her getting exposed also. In my day if I couldn't work my husband would get a second job. I had a cousin that was a nurse years ago and when she had children she worked the night shift to be with her kids until her husband came home and then she left for work. There are ways to keep your kids safe and the teachers and school nurses also. We should all want to keep everyone as safe as possible.
 
Gov. Murphy is now giving parents the option of continuing remote classes as schools are set to reopen. If the COVID numbers rise significantly, I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps the schools closed. Some cities' schools are so overcrowded I don't see how social distancing will be possible. I've heard about staggering the days students attend. I'm wondering if, in addition to that, would turning auditoriums and cafeterias into makeshift classrooms help.
 
And now the virus seems to be surging again in many states. I would not like to be the person having to make the decision whether to reopen schools or not. How long will this go on? Nobody knows? If the schools reopen right now, what will be the cost?
 
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