Teaching is already an incredibly difficult profession; it’s difficult to imagine how stressful it would be to manage a classroom in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As pressure mounts for schools to reopen in the coming weeks, concern among the public is growing. According to a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll, the majority of Americans say they’re uncomfortable with the idea of reopening K-12 schools this fall.
The Trump administration has been aggressively pushing states to reopen schools, even threatening to withhold funding if they don’t. The Senate GOP-sponsored HEALS Act, introduced last week, proposes $105 billion in federal funding to help schools adapt to teaching during the pandemic, but $45 billion of that is tied to in-person instruction.
Some fear that Trump is prioritizing optics and the economy above safety. While in-class instruction is incredibly vital for children’s development, the safety and well-being of teachers and staff need to be a top priority.
The federal government has already bungled their response to COVID-19 on multiple fronts. Hopefully, this won’t be yet another disaster.
