(07-09-2020, 08:31 PM)jj82284 Wrote: The DOE provides a measure of funding to most if not all public schools.  The president is proposing that we use that funding to leverage reluctant schools to open in the fall.  This shouldn't even be a question.  Schools are open all across Europe.  Schools are open in Wuhan China.  Children are at the absolute bottom of the risk profile for this pathogen, and because of the way that the virus interacts with their immune system, even if they are infected they don't generally pass the virus along to adults.  The Science says that the risks associated with keeping the schools closed, both in terms of student performance, and negative externalities of isolation, greatly outweighs the risk of COVID 19.

I also saw that the American Academy of Pediatrics are recommending that children go back to school. They have said that the risks for kids getting infected and spreading this disease to others is lower than other groups, in addition to make some recommendations about how to deal with them attending school. (Including only being 3ft apart instead of 6ft which is recommended for most other groups). 

https://www.ktnv.com/news/coronavirus/am...-to-school

I also saw that Nashville has decided to do all virtual learning for the time being. A lot of people are understandably upset about that, and they are bringing up a lot of points on how that could hurt children. Including children who have single parents that work, both parents that work that don't really have much time to help them with their online learning. Parents who will need to find childcare, if the kids stay at home, children with special needs that benefit from being in school, poorer children who depend on school meals, kids in abusive home situations etc...

There really are a lot of negative things that can come from forcing kids to do all virtual learning. Some children could also end up being left behind academically with this type of learning. Some kids do learn better in the classrooms and I did see a chart somewhere that said that some kids (I think in Tennessee (maybe Nashville) were actually falling behind since they've started to do remote learning. It's a rough situation all the way around.

I believe that taking all things into consideration kids in general should be allowed to go back to school. Even if some guidelines need to be put in place. There are situations where a kid may need to stay at home, like maybe those that lives with a compromised parent/grandparents. (Any at risk faculty/school staff can have the option to stay at home.) But overall I think that most of kids would be okay and overall better off if they go back to school.

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