Back to school in March sounds good — if Stanislaus districts do this

As families and teachers prepare to return to middle and high schools for in-person instruction, it’s imperative not to adopt a “business as usual” attitude.

Things have changed — drastically — since that Friday the 13th of March 2020, the last day most classes were held in Stanislaus County. The deadly coronavirus has made distance learning the norm since then, with brief exceptions for some in the fall.

Keeping kids home to prevent COVID-19 explosions on campuses was necessary back then, just as preparing to return to school is the right call now. Learning in person beats learning on a computer for most students. As the federal Centers for Disease Control said Friday, “It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services.”

Most Stanislaus school districts, in consultation with public health officials and the county Office of Education, are gearing up for a return to middle and high schools, and for elementary classes that have not yet resumed, about March 15 with hybrid models featuring in-class instruction two days each week for each student. At this point, no district should be dragging its feet; state and federal health experts say it is time, and can be done safely if people follow the rules.

Which brings us back to our initial point, that we simply can’t ignore all that’s happened in the past 12 months. Science and a year of experience tell us that disaster will strike again if we let our guard down and act as if everything has returned to normal, because it hasn’t.

A year ago, many districts crammed as many kids into a classroom as they could. Now, space buffers are essential.

A year ago, virtually no one wore masks to school. Now, everyone will.

Teachers, parents and all other adults must set the right example by modeling correct face-covering behavior. Kids know hypocrisy when they see it, and they also recognize an honest effort to keep the rules. They are more likely to respond well when they know teachers and administrators care about them, and nothing says “I don’t really care about you” like a teacher (or any leader) with no mask.

Modesto, Stanislaus communities share responsibility

Everyone in the community shares a collective responsibility for the rising generation, and our actions speak much louder than words.

Some teachers are understandably reluctant to return to class, especially if their personal health is compromised, making them more vulnerable to the highly contagious virus. They are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

They are fortunate to work in a county whose leaders have been as aggressive as any in California when it comes to COVID-preventing shots, although supplies have been limited. The day is fast approaching when school staff members and agricultural workers will be invited to vaccination clinics, Stanislaus leaders say, while those 65 or older should already have their shots, or should get them now.

Remaining weeks in the spring semester using the hybrid learning model — two days in school, three learning from home — can be viewed as a trial transition period for the fall, when kids might return to campus full time, and to sports and other extra-curricular activities — if we do everything right now.

This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 4:00 AM.