So today President Trump tweeted that schools should open.
Okay, so I take issue with what’s been said in his tweet. As per usual, there is a hint of truth with a larger dash of fake news and divisiveness. Oh, and then there’s the insecure bully at the end.
Let’s break some of this down, shall we? First of all, Europe had leadership that took the virus seriously. They shut down, wore masks, listened to science. With the exception to Sweden who conducted their own experiment and didn’t do those things and relied on Herd Immunity. As a result of Sweden not modifying class sizes or other larger changes, several teachers have died as a result of Covid-19 (article). Secondly, the US hasn’t had leadership to direct us through this and as a result folks think that they will die because the CO2 from our masks will kill us. Medical professionals are still scratching their heads over that one. What I’m trying to say is that science is hard for some, including Trump. Next, we look at the idea that the Democrats are using this as political gain. WHAT???? Which leads to the next point of divisiveness. Who is trying to use this for political gain? If you said Trump and the GOP (they allow him to get away with this nonsense), then you get a gold star! ⭐️
Back to the issue at hand: opening schools. Let’s get somethings straight. Teachers, parents, kids, administrators, everyone wants schools to open. However, most of us acknowledge that this is a virus with no cure, vaccine, and known long term effects. I’m all for science; I just don’t want to be involved in an involuntary science experiment. One that could leave me dead!
Remember in March when teachers were hailed as heroes? Where the nation couldn’t believe that we rolled with the closures and changed everything overnight? I miss those days. You promised us anything we wanted in the fall. You said we should get raises. Everyone got our of our way and we got sh!t done! So instead of politicians and administrators telling us how we should get back to school, why not let educators deal with it. We have clearly proven that we can do a far better job (again, see Spring 2020).
If you truly appreciate teachers, like you all claim you do, then do it the right way. You can appreciate us by giving us Covid-19 or by listening to us and funding schools properly. Oh, and get rid of state testing. There will be little learning going on. Our students, and teachers, are dealing with trauma. We need to deal with that before any real learning can happen. So what’s it going to be? Covid or true appreciation? The choice seems simple.
And one final thought: dead teachers can’t teach.
Nowa Techie 