Lots of news today about how safe schools are, how teachers need to get back in school buildings ASAP, how terrible a toll this is taking on children, and more. Let’s break some of it down in a :

Let’s start with this article. The news is making the rounds on TV and in print media. But there’s more here than the headline! https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/world/cdc-schools-reopening.html

Teachers have been saying all along that schools can be safe. That’s not the issue. The issue is are schools safe right now? Unfortunately, the answer is no in many districts.

I’m intrigued by the quoted portion that references a “preponderance of available evidence” indicating schools are safe. We are not routinely testing students or staff in my state.

What is the definition of in school transmission? As far as I can tell, it’s not consistent across the country. In my state it doesn’t count cases tied to school sports or cases in which contact tracers failed to prove whether students/teachers caught the virus in school.

This is a great example of an ideal world vs reality. In an ideal world, we’d see high mask compliance and consistent social distancing in schools. We’d see consistent cohorting + families that limit exposure outside school. We’d close bars/restaurants/gyms. We’d pause sports.

In reality, social distancing is difficult (at best) in most schools. Cohorting is impossible at the high school level. Families, for a variety of reasons, are not limiting exposure outside of school. In many states bars/restaurants/gyms are open. Sports are all in.

Teachers want to be in buildings but too many facilities’ problems have been ignored for too long. Teachers have put up with substandard working conditions for decades. Here’s an example of what teachers in Montclair have been dealing with for decades. https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/11/25/montclair-school-district-ventilation-problems-detailed-in-report/?fbclid=IwAR0ih581t6g6Z0g2E1d8-d7gPYRcAUi5Zmu-17tDI2K3cHheAZy1M2exofQ

That’s one district. Districts all over NJ are using windows (if their buildings have windows!) as ventilation. Today it was 38°. Friday it will be 27°. We are dealing with an airborne illness and schools have terrible ventilation. The children in school are wearing coats.

The public continues to imagine “school” as a return to normal, but it’s far from normal. In order to maintain even 3 ft of social distancing schools will need to drastically cut class sizes. For most schools this means a hybrid schedule.

This opinion piece was particularly enraging. I’ll screenshot for those who can’t access it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/25/teachers-are-vital-public-servants-time-them-start-acting-like-it/

Let’s start with this. I don’t doubt that there are students who feel isolated, but one if the reasons we can’t get this pandemic under control is because so few people are isolated. And hybrid schooling, the most realistic in person option, is not social.

I’m so disappointed in the NYTimes article about Clark County they cane out this weekend. It’s already being cited all over the place with no nuance.

I spoke with a educator in this district who said many staff members were disappointed in the superintendent and the info he shared with the reporter. Clark County has been struggling with student suicide for over a decade. It’s not just a result of the pandemic.

Variance is vital when looking at statistics related to suicide. This thread is an important read. https://twitter.com/tylerblack32/status/1353428208553664513

Teachers are not first responders. We are not nurses. And... spies? Police and firefighters are first responders and deserve protection. In NJ, they are prioritized (ahead of educators) for vaccination. Nurses deserve safe working conditions. All occupations do.

Teachers are working right now. Whether remote, hybrid, or fully in person we are working. Many teachers are working after being denied accommodations. Many are working even though their buildings aren’t safe. Many are working even though students’ families are exposing them.

We can help students reach their full potential once the pandemic is under control and teachers are vaccinated. But after decades of being asked to step between a bullet and their students, teachers are drawing the line. We deserve safe working conditions.

Remote learning is not ideal but for most students it’s sufficient during a global pandemic. For some students it is actually ideal, and that’s something we will have to address once this is over.

If teachers are indispensable please start treating our profession with respect. Continuously expecting us to put our lives on the line is unfair.

Teachers are exhausted. Many of us are reinventing this profession on a daily basis to keep students engaged. None of this is ideal, but until we can feel safe in our buildings the community needs to step up. Schools alone can not be responsible for raising the next generation

Want to move towards reopening school buildings? Convince state leaders to prioritize teachers for vaccination.

The White House Chief of Staff gets it: it takes money to make schools safe during a pandemic. https://twitter.com/whcos/status/1354248315974660096

Adding this thread for more context on the CDC study. https://twitter.com/thereadingzone/status/1354487354942234626?s=20