The Academy Of Pediatrics Are Warning Against Reopening Schools for In-Person Learning

Y’all I am tired. I am so tired of all this information out there about schools reopening. Can we just skip this school year and start fresh next year? Ugh.

I just read the latest news about The Academy Of Pediatrics (AAP) Are Warning Against Reopening Schools for In-Person Learning.

Here’s the thing – I’ve agreed with them from the very beginning but that doesn’t change how exhausting this all is.

A statement issued on Friday by the AAP has new warnings for lawmakers and community leaders looking to reopen schools asking that they must follow “science” and “evidence, not politics.”

Now don’t get this wrong – the AAP is all for reopening schools and they believe it is important for children to be in a public, in-school learning. However, they want it done the right way and within a way that will protect children and school staff (which is how it should be).

“We recognize that children learn best when physically present in the classroom. But children get much more than academics at school. They also learn social and emotional skills at school, get healthy meals and exercise, mental health support and other services that cannot be easily replicated online. Schools also play a critical role in addressing racial and social inequity. Our nation’s response to COVID-19 has laid bare inequities and consequences for children that must be addressed. This pandemic is especially hard on families who rely on school lunches, have children with disabilities, or lack access to Internet or health care.”

AAP

The statement went onto to say:

“Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools. Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics. We should leave it to health experts to tell us when the time is best to open up school buildings, and listen to educators and administrators to shape how we do it.”

AAP

So again, the key here is that they want schools reopened but it sounds like they want it done in a safe manner and when the pandemic has slowed down not when it’s at a peak like it is now.

This just seems like basic common sense. I am not sure how any of us can feel safe with our children heading back knowing they will be exposed to the virus at some point.

“Reopening schools in a way that maximizes safety, learning, and the well-being of children, teachers, and staff will clearly require substantial new investments in our schools and campuses. We call on Congress and the administration to provide the federal resources needed to ensure that inadequate funding does not stand in the way of safely educating and caring for children in our schools. Withholding funding from schools that do not open in person fulltime would be a misguided approach, putting already financially strapped schools in an impossible position that would threaten the health of students and teachers.

AAP

All they want is a safe way to open schools and funding to help place precautions into each school. Seems more than reasonable to me.

The bottom line here is, these are doctors. Doctors that have studied infectious diseases especially among children and they are warning us that now may not be the time to throw our kids back into school.

I for one thing we should listen to the experts and leave the politics out of it, don’t you?

You can read the entire statement issued by the AAP here.