What We Have Learned So Far From Schools That Have Reopened

So here are some of the things we have learned so far from schools that have reopened doors.

Lessons from schools that have reopened doors.

For the first time since the sudden closure of schools across the United States due to the coronavirus infection, the class is back in session in four states.

• American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association reports a 90% increase in COVID-19 cases among children.
• According to CNN, 230 cases of COVID have already emerged from some reopened schools.
• North Paulding temporarily closed the campus because six students and three teachers tested positive.
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Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Indiana are home to school districts that have resumed classes in the past two weeks. Again change is unrestricted.

However, the nation is paying close attention to what other states and municipalities are considering when and how to reopen. While some large districts (such as Chicago Public Schools) have already announced that they will continue virtual learning in the future, others hope to return to normalcy by September.

So here are some of the things we have learned so far from schools that have reopened doors.

Increase in reported COVID cases

Over the past four weeks, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association reports a 90% increase in COVID-19 cases among children. Returning to class for the session is not the only reason it is a contributor because many schools have already developed clusters of the virus.

According to CNN, 230 cases of COVID have already emerged from some reopened schools. It also includes North Paulding High School, where a student went viral and took a photo, showing unarmed students holding a centrepiece in a narrow hall.

Soon, North Paulding temporarily closed the campus because six students and three teachers tested positive for the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, in Mississippi, state health officer Dr Thomas Dobbs said COVID cases have been reported among students and teachers in at least 22 schools.

The Red flag

Another red flag was that many schools had to temporarily switch to all virtual learning even after reopening. North Paulding High School in Georgia, along with Woodstock High School and Ottawa High School, temporarily switched to distance learning after each of the 14 Govt cases were confirmed.

Later, more than 1,100 students and staff from a dozen schools in Cherokee County, GA, were asked to be isolated for two weeks. Schools Superintendent Dr Brian Hightower said the district “did not hesitate to isolate students and staff with potential exposure.”

In a letter to parents, he stressed that even students who have shown but do not show symptoms should isolate themselves, “because all positive events can lead to infection of others.”

Even districts that believe all of this will get all students back to school in September would be wise to keep their virtual learning infrastructure in place. Students will be inside and outside their school buildings as the virus exposure seems inevitable. 

Without the option of distance learning, schools cannot ensure that all exposed parties can be isolated promptly.

New practices

Even schools that expect all students and staff to return will be different than they were before the COVID age. Most schools will require you to wear some type of mask, however, it will vary by district.

School buses carry fewer students to allow distance in the community, and desks and chairs in classrooms are spaced for the same purpose.

Of course, none of this comes naturally to students or teachers. As the cases mentioned above clearly demonstrate, there is a steep learning curve and will continue.

So, there is nothing “normal” about making a big trip back from schools that have already started personal instruction. We all need to be constantly patient as we adjust to a changing world.