Read on Twitter
The following things can be true at the same time:
A) Many children are absorbing severe harm from remote schooling -- academically, socioemotionally, and to their physical well-being
B) Schools, when community transmission is high, do contribute some to COVID spread
(1/8)
A) Many children are absorbing severe harm from remote schooling -- academically, socioemotionally, and to their physical well-being
B) Schools, when community transmission is high, do contribute some to COVID spread
(1/8)
C) Schools, when community transmission is high, can pose a moderately higher risk to staff who are in-person
D) Schools, when community transmission is low/moderate and precautions are followed, contribute little to spread and pose little additional risk to staff
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D) Schools, when community transmission is low/moderate and precautions are followed, contribute little to spread and pose little additional risk to staff
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E) Schools, when community transmission is high, have major staffing problems that reduce educational quality
F) Hybrid/remote models also contribute to community spread of COVID because many children are in less regulated environments and/or go to tertiary care locations
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F) Hybrid/remote models also contribute to community spread of COVID because many children are in less regulated environments and/or go to tertiary care locations
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G) The best way to safely reopen all schools is to defeat COVID
H) We cannot wait until COVID is defeated to use existing opportunities to maximize education and care for children, since harm is actively occurring daily; we have 'lost' track of hundreds of thousands of kids
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H) We cannot wait until COVID is defeated to use existing opportunities to maximize education and care for children, since harm is actively occurring daily; we have 'lost' track of hundreds of thousands of kids
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I) School was *highly* inequitable before COVID, particularly for students of color; some students enjoy remote/hybrid learning; we shouldn't just go back to before
J) We can't reimagine schooling until we return to baseline; can't build a new house while old one is on fire.
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J) We can't reimagine schooling until we return to baseline; can't build a new house while old one is on fire.
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K) Schools should not have to perform so many different social services
L) While we fight for a just system that enables all families and children to thrive, schools DO serve these roles and that must be baked into our thinking.
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L) While we fight for a just system that enables all families and children to thrive, schools DO serve these roles and that must be baked into our thinking.
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M) Learning standards are somewhat arbitrary
N) Learning -- a process by which the brain changes in ways that build skills and functional knowledge -- is a real thing.
O) Our current education system, antiquated as it may be, is built as a ladder
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N) Learning -- a process by which the brain changes in ways that build skills and functional knowledge -- is a real thing.
O) Our current education system, antiquated as it may be, is built as a ladder
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I could go on. My main point is this: Nothing about the schools debate is simple. Stop pretending like it is. These are questions of risk and tensions and reasonable people can reasonably disagree. Start there, and we can have more productive conversations.