Should kids return to school? Pediatricians say yes, but teachers aren’t so sure

Fall isn’t far off, and with it will come the new school year and questions of how safe it will be to return to in-person classes as coronavirus cases mount in multiple states.

But the American Association of Pediatrics released a statement saying it would be best to send kids back to school, NPR reported.

“The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020,” the AAP said on its website. “Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation.”

The AAP represents pediatricians across the country, CNN reported. Its recent recommendation is based on the belief that the disadvantages listed above outweigh the risks presented by the coronavirus pandemic, according to AAP.

“Although children and adolescents play a major role in amplifying influenza outbreaks, to date, this does not appear to be the case with SARS-CoV-2,” the AAP said. “Although many questions remain, the preponderance of evidence indicates that children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

Joseph G. Allen, an assistant professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post expressing similar beliefs.

“When people ask me whether schools are safe during the coronavirus pandemic, I ask the same question: Would I let my kids go back to school in the fall? The answer is yes,” Allen wrote.

Allen cites a phenomenon called “virtual dropouts” as one of the greater disadvantages to keeping kids out of the classroom. In May, 20% of Boston high school students did not log into classes and only half of elementary-level students in Philadelphia had daily contact with educators, Allen wrote.

“Even those with access to computers who do check in are not learning in the same way,” Allen said. “This will increase our country’s education gap and exacerbate racial and social inequalities - with impacts that will persist for years.”

Although health experts feel the benefits of returning to in-person classes outweigh the costs, educators and teachers’ unions don’t share those sentiments.

“Back in the classroom is not safe and it’s becoming less safe everyday as you see the numbers spike,” Ross Moore, president of the El Paso American Federation of Teachers, told KFOX. “Nobody wants back more than a teacher, but we want to do it safely.”

A survey of 1,907 educators, including teachers, principals and district leaders, conducted by the EdWeek Research Center showed that 65% believe school buildings should stay closed in order to slow the spread of coronavirus. Educators working with younger students were less supportive of reopening schools than those who work with high school students, according to EdWeek.

While there’s less concern about students getting and spreading COVID-19, one in three educators surveyed by EdWeek said they have pre-existing conditions that put them at higher risk of suffering serious illness if they contract the coronavirus. Educators are also concerned about their loved ones, as 69% of them reported people they interact with often have conditions that put them at greater risk, EdWeek said.

“I’m really concerned about my health, I’m concerned about my students’ health,” Cassandra George, a middle school teacher in Michigan, told EdWeek. “I just feel like opening schools back up has to be a really well-thought-out process.”

Each state is tasked with developing their own reopening plans in the fall, EdWeek said. Connecticut schools are committed to fully reopening schools this fall, according to WFSB.

The state released guidelines for reopening, including mandating masks on buses and in classrooms, vigorous inspections of building ventilation systems, and rooms designated for students who begin showing symptoms, WFSB reported. The largest teachers union in the state says the plan is asking for a lot without providing much guidance on how to pay for or execute the changes, according to WFSB.

“It appears to say these are important things to consider, you figure out how to do them, and by the way, we know your resources are limited, but figure it out anyway,” Jeff Leake, president of the Connecticut Education Association, told WFSB.

This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Should kids return to school? Pediatricians say yes, but teachers aren’t so sure."