This past virtual learning was not successful in my town and surrounding towns. I can say one of my children only met with her teacher for 15 minutes virtually weekly. Maybe if it was more successful we would have more faith in it.
We will not survive as a economy if we continue to be shut down. Businesses around me are already closing, people are losing their jobs. The shutdown was initiated to give hospitals time to get the appropriate equipment and get ready to care for a mass number of ill patients. It was not to be a long term shut down. We cannot remain closed until a vaccine. I'm a healthcare worker and have continued to work. Can people still get sick? Of course, but with proper equipment, good hand washing this disease can be slowed down. I know first hand how hospitals have been trying their best. We can't close down we need to continue to care for the sick. Grocery stores can't close down since people need food to survive. Schools are just as essential. Students need to learn and grow. Their future can be impacted immensely if they don't get a proper education. Why is a education not considered essential? How can children learn if they don't have internet, or their parents don't speak english, or they don't have a chromebook, or if they are on a IEP? There are many barriers to virtual learning. All I'm saying is a one size fits all is not the best approach. Some towns/cities have low numbers of cases, smaller class rooms, yet are still not opening as the states are all being lumped together versus individualized. New students graduating as teachers are not getting jobs, but need to pay their student loans. This continue thinking of closing everything until a vaccine is crippling our economy.
You stated that it isn't safe for essential workers and are giving the few examples of those that have gotten sick. Yet so many have worked without getting sick or dying. I know every life is worth living, but if I go by your thinking everyone should stay home, no essential worker should work. Sick people have no where to go or anyone to take care of them. If you agree essential people should still work and help these people. Then aren't teachers essential. They have always stated they were essential so now why in a pandemic does that change. People want to argue that teachers are at greater risk due to having so many kids in a classroom. Daycares have been opening, caring for essential workers childrens. Parents of these children worked with Covid patients and then brought their children into a confined space. Yet look at the numbers and you will see daycares have remained relatively safe and haven't increase the numbers of Covid cases.
We can't wait til there is a vaccine to continue living. We need to adjust and follow guidelines. People follow guidelines for wearing masks in public spaces and will confront someone who doesn't follow the guidelines. The CDC and American Pediatrics guideline both state it's safe for children to return to school.
