Read on Twitter
The Tribune features an essay by a parent this morning, Nicholas Conant, who explains his frustration with @ChiPubSchools' chaotic efforts to provide hybrid instruction by making a common comparison to the city's Catholic and private schools.
While he says such schools "have operated safely," this definition of safety presumes a tolerance for some spread of COVID-19. https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-commentary-parents-leave-cps-20210129-54pbsekiyre7blmmrc3f2pjrzu-story.html
In November, the Archdiocese's chief of human resources told WBEZ that the number of cases in their schools had been low and --- remarkably --- that the Archdiocese wasn't actually keeping track.
The Chicago Public Schools has cited multiple public health experts who assure us that schools are safe because "in-school coronavirus transmission levels are lower than that of the general community."
What these views all have in common is an understanding that COVID-19 is transmitted in school. This is neither surprising nor difficult to substantiate.
In the last two weeks, CPS has reported at least 87 "actionable" COVID cases in the context of extremely limited in-person offerings. https://www.cps.edu/school-reopening-2020/
The second-largest school district in the state (Elgin) has reported over 1,000 cases in its schools in the last year --- despite the fact that in-person instruction only just resumed this month. https://www.u-46.org/Page/17549
When Conant praises his friends' Catholic schools, he is praising a model that valorizes parents' ability to make choices about their risk tolerance for COVID transmission.
At the same time, he appears comfortable that his choice prevents teachers from exercising the same discretion about their own health and safety --- and that of their families.
What he really likes about Catholic schools is the submissiveness of their non-union labor force.
When advocates of in-person instruction insist that schools are "safe," what they mean is that they expect that the inevitable COVID transmission will impact someone else's family and not their own.
But if the ability to choose is important to Conant and his child, surely it is important and valuable for teachers and their families?
