Focus on Opening Schools, Not Bars

[ribrepin]

The way states lifted social distancing restrictions imposed to fight the coronavirus sadly demonstrates our priorities. Officials let bars, restaurants and gyms open, despite warnings from public health experts that these environments pose the greatest risk for spreading the disease.

Yet political leaders seem to have paid scant attention to safely reopening schools.

The consequences of those backward priorities — Covid-19 rampaging through states that reopened quickly — makes it even more vital that we extensively prepare to reopen classrooms as safely as possible this fall.

Research suggests that the sudden switch online instruction has cost some students a full year of academic progress. These harms disproportionately affect children in homes without computers and stable internet connections, deepening educational inequality and widening racial and economic divides. The disruption of learning can have lifetime effects on students’ income and health.
https://twnews.us/us-news/focus-on-opening-schools-not-bars

[Ohiogal]

1. Bars are where the money is made.

Not so much schools, at least public schools.

America priorities money over life, at least the current regime does.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. The Reopening Guide For Illinois...

...is 63 pages.
I went over it last night, seeing what might be the situation with substitutes.
It's a LOT of detail regarding separation, sanitization, gathering control, violation reporting, etc.
63 pages!
And, references to other specific documents detailing items.

[BigmanPigman]

3. The problem is that this takes money and the US

and the GOP doesn't like to spend money...even if it benefits people in the long run. Hell, they can't even get a national mask mandate for adults.

Taiwan was proactive and when they saw the virus they got tons of masks and hand sanitizers in production and planned on how to teach safely. It worked...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/taiwan-covid-19-lessons-1.5505031

[brush]

5. Is it even possible? Do we think children are going to be disciplined...

all the time to keep their masks on, to maintain social distancing, to wash their hands, etc?

This doesn't seem possible.

We as a nation are truly screwed. trump totally bungled the virus response and still won't wear a mask, and we still don't have a national covid strategy/apparatus in place.

[Quixote1818]

4. Teachers should be provided the very top of the line protective gear. Best masks, shields etc. nt