Dear Parents,
There is a lot I wish you knew. In March, you saw me and my fellow educators as heroes for quickly converting our face to face lessons into distance learning. We rose to the challenge and did the best we could in a crisis with no skin in the game for students who were already passing. Now many of you seek to demonize us, call us lazy, say we need to get back to the physical classroom so your kids can get back to normal and so much more. What happened? Why are we villains instead of heroes?
As we approach the start of another school year, most of us are filled with anxiety, losing sleep and worrying about whether or not we will get sick. I have read some comments that make me sick to my stomach, by politicians, parents, and even fellow educators. Some of you want us back in the classroom with full class sizes of 36, no social distancing, regular sports and activities and no masks. But how is that safe? Last year I had five classes with an average of 34 students per class. I saw 170+ students per day. My campus has 3,000 students plus 150 staff. It is not safe to have indoor dining or gatherings of more than 10 inside. How is a school safe but a restaurant not?
Some things to think about with a traditional or even hybrid in person schedule. What if a teacher tests positive? What is going to happen if there are not enough substitute teachers? What if the teacher is out for 4-6 weeks, or longer? Is every student with whom that teacher had contact expected to quarantine? What if it is a student? Think about the fact that at high school the 36 students in my 1st period class go on to five more classes during the day and are exposed to hundreds of other students. How can we contact trace all the people who might have been exposed? If a school shuts down due to positive students or teachers, how long will it be closed for? What if it reopens and is promptly shut down again? Where is the stability in the constant unknown of when students will be at home versus on campus?
I have heard about wanting normal for kids. But do you realize that normal is not possible? There will be no working in collaborative groups, no small group discussions, no hanging out with friends during passing period, no hugs from teachers for the little kids and a lot of other things missing from a normal year. As a teacher, I will have to lecture instead of ask students to work together to analyze sources. Instead of being able to have paper copies, everything will be on the computer that they will be assigned. Teachers will stand at the front of the room in their own little space instead of circulating around the room trying to help individual students.
Now do you understand why so many teachers are pushing for online learning to start the school year, and insisting that schools not reopen until things are under control and we see a sharp decline in cases? We want to teach. But we want to be safe. Teachers are making out or updating wills in preparation for the school year. Teaching does not need to stop because we move online. My district has spent a lot of effort to create a robust online learning experience. Do not worry about your child falling behind because every other kid in America is in the same situation. Please stand with us in demanding that physical schools only reopen when it is completely safe to do so. That might be in October, but it might also be in January. Until then, we will show up and create lessons. We will find creative ways to develop a classroom atmosphere online.
We have an opportunity to rethink education for the better, where it can go beyond just the four walls of our classroom. Imagine how powerful it would be for my US History students to collaborate with other students from multiple different states. Maybe a history teacher and English teacher can partner up and design a lesson together. Instead of attacks and anger at teachers, lets work together as partners to help our students continue to learn.
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