Not sure why I can't just let it go, but the school BUILDING re-opening debate (school never closed it just looked different this Spring) is driving me crazy. I can see both sides, but folks who are stating that schools should be opening if stores are open need to do a bit more research. First off the social distancing and mask issue is a thing that I feel has gotten quite a bit of talk. I want to bring up a few more points that make schools different than stores. You aren't stuck in Target with the same people for 7 hours a day. Also if kids are confined to one room, think about how Target is in November and December. That's about the ratio of people per space we are dealing with in a classroom. The stores are providing cleaning supplies to their employees (They didn't need to make a "back to work list" and pray people purchased things to keep their area clean). No more community materials. For the kids who's families can't afford materials, where do they get their things from? What happens to specials (gym, art, music), and elective studies? Special education services. If they can't be delivered, do we move to full inclusion, or a full resource room model? Wonder what IDEA and PACER have to say about that? When shopping the majority of the people you are interacting with are adults. Adults cover their coughs and sneezes, maintain distance, don't get up in your face to tell you a secret, and I would sure hope could make it to a bathroom if they were to vomit. This isn't true in a school. I get sneezed and coughed on daily. I feel kiddos hot breath All. The. Time as they lean in to give a hug or tell me I'm their favorite. How many cashiers would walk out if this happened to them, and rightfully so. In the six years of teaching I have dealt with spit, boogers, urine, poop, blood, and vomit. Sped folks we already know we deal with bodily fluids daily. Hope we can get enough masks and gloves. I don't know what the answer is, but please do not compare schools to stores.
