Beech Tree News Network

Discussions about reopening schools and the merits of face-to-face instruction versus virtual instruction have been hot topics recently. Unfortunately, the United States’ COVID-19 death toll – about 163,500 – has surpassed that of many acts of war: the 9/11 terrorist attacks (3,000), the Vietnam War (58,200), and the Korean War (36,600). Of course, education is important, but safety is critical as well. Deciding what to do in the midst of a pandemic is tough.  

Wondering how others felt about school, I asked friends and family, “Do you think face-to-face school should begin? Would you feel better about virtual school?” Their responses are below:

-Face-to-face all the way!

-I am not sending the boys to school. I feel like our numbers should be much lower for school to start. I think virtual is the way to go right now.

-I have no good answer to that one.

-I don’t think face-to-face school is safe, but I don’t learn very well with virtual. It’s a torn argument for me.

-I absolutely believe it’s safer for students, staff, and the community to be all online for at least the fall semester. Fall sports should also be canceled. This pandemic is temporary, and although students learn best face-to-face, we need to do what is safest for the time being and not what is most convenient. We have so many more cases now than we did when we felt it was unsafe to go face-to-face in March. It just doesn’t make sense to go back at this point.

-I don’t have children going to school; but if I did, I would be concerned. It would have to be a personal decision because children are different. If my child had medical issues, then I would want to go virtual for sure. If the masks, cleaning, and social distancing are done properly, then the children would probably be okay as long as the parents would keep them home when they are sick. I have mixed opinions on what should be done. I am sure it is a very scary decision for the parents to make.

-I do think most children should go back to school. Those with health conditions should do school virtually. Young educators should be ok. Older educators and those with health conditions should teach virtually through zoom with the school using young adults as proctors. Just my opinion.

-We are doing virtual for at least the first nine weeks not only for the health of my boys, but also because of being around Uncle John and my dad. I just feel it’s better to be home. I know the schools are doing all they can to make it safe, but there is only so much they can do.

-Yes, I think face-to-face instruction should begin as long as precautions are taken.

-I think we should do virtual school first semester and re-evaluate for the second half. Grandkids want to go back to see friends, and I worry that virtual instruction is subpar and they will suffer as a result for years to come. Hard decisions, and I really feel for teachers. It will be like doing your job in a war zone.

-I think K-5 could go with precautions. They stay in the same room all day, etc. But I think even offering virtual or in person, as we are in my school district, still results in issues with social distancing. We’ve pulled out 44 teachers to do virtual instruction which means the remaining classroom numbers will increase. If we had used reading coaches, related arts teachers, etc., to do the virtual instruction and left our regular classroom teachers in their assigned classrooms, social distancing would have been more feasible. There is no good answer. We are asking all school staff to do the impossible. Personally, I would choose virtual for grades 6 through 12 and in-person for grades K-5. Regardless of the plan, we are heading for difficult situations – just saying.

-Tough question! No doubt in my mind students would learn more face-to-face. It breaks my heart to hear of teachers who are making their wills. Some are resigning which exacerbates the teacher shortage. Atrocious that teachers are asked to sanitize their rooms between class changes. (How quickly can that really be done?) Good idea, in my opinion, for districts to check on life insurance for employees. So scary!

-Face-to-face.

-I think everyone should have the option to send their children to school face-to-face or virtual – whatever the parents are most comfortable with.

-Yes, face-to-face instruction should begin. We need to get back to work and to school. There is no zero-risk way to live.

-I’m glad I don’t have to make that decision. I have heard all the arguments and I truly believe that virtual is the way to start out. Check the numbers in a month and see if you can go face-to-face. It’s a mess, no good answers. Everyone has a different situation.

-Conflicting feelings! Covid-19 is still very rampant, especially in larger cities. I hate putting so many children, teachers and others who work in the school system at risk. I believe children learn better in a classroom setting. My own grandchildren say being in the classroom is lots better. Virtual can work, but there are distractions even in the best of settings. The children who don’t have access to virtual instruction would really have a hard time. Special-needs children may not have the help they need. It’s such a complex situation.

-I don’t have ‘a dog in this fight’ – no children and retired. Children go to a building then go back to their communities – I think that puts our children and communities at risk. Parents have the option to choose, but employees don’t. It will only take one employee to test positive for a potential lawsuit because school systems have mandated employees return to work. Education is about learning. There will be too many distractions dealing with Covid-19 precautions to adequately educate the children.

-No, I believe the state should be under a certain percentage as recommended by KEA before in-person instruction resumes. Our school district is going virtual for at least the first three weeks.

-It’s all going to spread again anyway.

-Virtual school has advantages and disadvantages. The same can be said for on-ground education. For younger students, the value of socialization skills and cooperative lessons are essentials for development. For older students, those concepts are important for developing and reinforcing team experiences and community actions. Some of these lessons can be achieved virtually, others simply cannot. Should face-to-face school begin again? First, is the danger of infection and cross contamination decreased or on the rise? Second, is the loss of life and “herd” loss an acceptable risk? I believe we have to answer those questions before we can make a decision about physically going to school.

-I would feel much better about 100% virtual instruction, despite the struggles it will cause instructionally. There are no good instructional outcomes right now; it’s best to not even compare them. Safety for students and staff should be the priority.

Plato said, “If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/education-quotes_7), and the front cover of the UofL Magazine (Summer 2020) said, “Normal is no more. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we learn and live, and spring of 2020 will forever have a footnote. This was the semester that adapting became our new way of life.” We cannot neglect education, but we must adapt to ensure the safety of as many as possible.