(Part 2) Mt. Zion's Learning Plan: Will it work?

In part 1 of this blog post, I discussed the problems with allowing parent-choice blended learning and the lack of teacher time for remote instruction, but these are just the tip of this dangerous iceberg. We also need to be willing to cooperate to ensure the safety of our students. 

First and foremost, during this pandemic, we all need a willingness to adapt. Parents, students, teachers, and administrators know that plans are constantly being changed, especially during the past months of daily updates from Governor Pritzker, new phases of restriction, and altered regulations for churches, businesses, and restaurants. To say that a plan is unchangeable is an insult to us all. We know that JFL and the IESA changed their fall plans for sports, and Springfield, Bloomington, and Taylorville school districts all chucked their original in-person plans for full remote learning this week. Even the MTZ plan was changed to allow for an open campus at the High School which appears to have been added without any mention of this idea to the planning committee. And change doesn't have to take very long if the administration is on board, as we all know Mt. Zion's Spring "Learn at Home" plan changed within a matter of days to allow teachers to use video instruction with students, a beneficial tool that was originally banned. Every plan, even our own US Constitution, has options for amending as situations change. The "it is what it is" response is a deflection of responsibility and administrative duties. Besides, no one believes that teachers or the union would voluntarily approve a plan with these requirements! 

So, let's move on to the issue of safety.  Mid-pandemic everyone has forgotten that violence has been increasing in our schools and even our own neighborhoods. Shootings at block parties, looting, riots, and child trafficking spatter the news between the Covid-19 updates. In fact, teachers closed and locked classroom doors at all times last school year. They learned first aid, carried classroom keys with them, kept windows closed, and conducted active shooter drills. Even visitors had to produce a photo ID to enter the buildings. But, luckily, Covid-19 came along and completely eliminated these safety concerns. (insert eye roll) Now the virus is a greater threat to safety and classrooms, so the rules have changed. Teachers can now open windows and doors to improve ventilation since we aren't social distancing properly. If you want to enter the buildings, I guess you can walk right in, folks! There is nothing but a screen to stop you. Funny, isn't it, that we aren't worried about clear backpacks, gun violence, or what students will do when they leave mid-day and head to Fletcher Park between classes. None of this matters as long as students are at school.

And, I know that some of you are tired of the hype about masks and social distancing. So am I. And I want to believe that it is all a farce to hijack our freedoms. But, I can't wrap my head around this contradiction:

• In Decatur, mayor Julie Wolfe has said that businesses can be shut down if they don't follow the guidelines for masking and social distancing. So, large Xs are on every other table in restaurants.
• Our school board is permitting students to sit within 2 feet of each other all day long, 5 days a week with no repercussions at all.

The thinking must be that we all deal with flu season every year, so let's just go on with business as usual. Deaths from Covid-19 in Macon County as of today are only at 23 total or 0.022% of the population. But, we know that cases are spiking. With the current numbers, though, only one of our students, teachers, or district employees will probably die from COVID. That's great odds! But remember that these children live in families who will also be put at risk. Families who are caring for aging parents, newborns, and people with health concerns. So the question becomes, is it worth it to change the plan and protect that one person? Maybe not, unless that one child, parent, or grandparent is yours. 

But, don't misunderstand me. School is very important! Research says that our most at-risk kids especially need the stability and support of our schools for their physical and mental health. Some lack meals, a place to escape from abuse, and emotional support. Suicides among our children are on the rise since the pandemic began, too. I mean, did you put on weight sitting around during the pandemic? Anyone feel anxious or depressed? Are you struggling with fear? Our children are, too. I want "normal" for my daughter, and as the only child at home, she thinks we are pretty boring these days. So here is a novel suggestion to solve this problem: Cooperation. 

This whole situation reminds me of a 5th-grade history lesson about King George and the English Colonies. The colonists had concerns about taxation without representation, but the King taxed the colonists anyway. Now don't misunderstand, King George had sent troops to protect the colonists during the French and Indian War and he needed money to pay for these expenses. He had a good reason and the right to impose these taxes. But, he ignored the concerns of the colonists. Instead of working together with his countrymen in the New World, he dug in his heals and added one tax after another. If you lean on me I will push back on you was the thinking, and the Intolerable Acts ensued. When I taught this lesson, I always asked my students this question, "What actually caused the Revolutionary War?" And a few 5th graders every year were discerning enough to realize that pride and power ruled the day. In fact, King George called the colonists "unruly teenagers" who needed discipline. This lack of concern and respect cost England the New World.

But the value of studying history is the lessons we learn. A little compromise, a little compassion, and a little willingness to negotiate could have prevented an uprising for King George and so many deaths.  We all need that same respect, understanding, and willingness to work together now more than ever. So, don't you think it is time to sit down with the "soldiers" on the front lines, students, medical professionals, and administrators and actually seek out solutions to these problems.

So I challenge you to make this your rally cry by letter, phone call, or email! Work together now and compromise! Too much is at stake for a war.