Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
3.2K
Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread
Interview With Author
As the back-to-school date in the US is coming closer, schools are weighing the risks of reopening amid the recent surge of Covid-19 cases. And while many school districts are playing it safe with virtual learning to start, others are letting parents decide.
Cultural analyst and blogger Melissa Hillman has joined in the debate and laid out a not-so-unlikely scenario we may see if schools reopen on her Twitter account. And honestly, things are not looking good. From a shortage of teachers and union strikes to deaths that could have been easily avoided, these are sobering points to think through before it gets too late.
More info: Twitter | Instagram | BitterGertrude.com
RELATED:
Melissa has listed all the things we could see if schools get reopened in this scenario on Twitter
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Bored Panda reached out to Melissa, a writer and educator who has spent over 25 years in the classroom as a university lecturer and the last seven years as a private high school teacher. Melissa, who created this viral thread, agreed to elaborate on the risks of letting students and teachers back to school.
First of all, Melissa explained that one of the first things any new K-12 teacher learns is that you’ll be sick more often than you’ve ever been in your life: “Schools are notorious petri dishes.”
She added: “It’s just common sense that we are much more likely to see the kinds of infection clusters we’ve seen from churches, weddings, parties, and other gatherings.”
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Melissa also believes that “You can’t safely reopen schools when a third of your parents are not following the basic directives that keep the local community safe.”
At this point, she said that she has been hearing from teachers all over the country that they’ve been asked to prepare for distance learning and hybrid classes “with no more support than that single sentence.”
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Melissa said that she or any experienced teacher could have made a workable, low-cost, nationwide plan for reopening in times of pandemic.
All of this could have been done “with a team of 10 classroom teachers and access to the CDC, as long as they represented a variety of regions, at least two were SpEd, and at least half were of color.”
Unfortunately, Melissa claims that “teachers are the last people anyone listens to when creating ed policy.”
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
Image credits: bittergertrude
With coronavirus cases spiking, many major school districts are refusing to open their doors to the public until cases start to drop. However, these plans can change any time based on the rapidly changing situation of the pandemic.
As of July 20, CNN reports that virtual learning through online classes will be employed in these districts: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. Meanwhile, New York, Chicago, Miami-Dade, New Orleans, and Greenville County, South Carolina are leaving the decision on returning to school or attending classes online to parents.
Other countries around the world are also wrestling with whether to reopen schools after 60% of schools across 186 territories were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. After a month of lockdown, Denmark was the first to open school doors to its pupils on April 15.
In South Korea, schools have taken a cautionary approach to reopening with mandatory mask policies, temperature checks at entrances, and frequent hand-washing. Israeli children returned to school on May 3, but by June 3, 2,026 students, teachers, and staff tested positive for coronavirus and the schools were shut down again.
More people joined the thread to comment on whether reopening schools is worth the risk
Image credits: susanwitt56
Image credits: Pondering_Star
Image credits: Aron_Brizzy
Image credits: AnotherPaulRyan
Image credits: polyannatweets
Image credits: oilibhia
Image credits: DCMomma1
Image credits: RoseMarch1
Image credits: Aron_Brizzy
Image credits: LeaSamoht
Image credits: bbethbbb
Image credits: katpower714
What do you think ?
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
While Covid-19 is a global problem it seems that due to the total incompetence of the current US administration, the US suffers more and longer of the pandemic and all the side effects. It's an outrage that the Greedy Old Parasites stand by and let the delusional, senile, megalomaniac narcissist continue to kill people and make a mess of an entire nation by their refusal to impeach him. Everyone trying to deny that Tweety the tangerine toddler has lost all his marbles must be equally insane.
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
Wil, we're federated, not parliamentarian. Don't just blame the top. The rot is down to the local level.
Load More Replies...
Brandy Johnston 4 years ago
Who's going to pay the parents to sit home and teach their children. What do u do when a child doesn't have a tablet or computer to use. Libraries are still closed here. I live in a fairly poor city where some children don't have access to the internet. Some parents can't afford it. Food is also a big issue. A lot of children rely on meals at school, they may not be getting at home? Many children are being abused at home Who's going to report abuse if the child is home all the time with the abuser. It may worsen if a child is there ALL day and night. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors. It's terrifying. Parents may have to quit their jobs to stay home with their kids and be their teacher. Who's paying the rent and utilities, food? Either way it's a cluster f**k.
lenka 4 years ago
All of these are very good points. But we should be looking at the root cause of these problems. It's not as simple as making the schools stay open. if the US had a proper social support system in place these risks would all be significantly less than they currently are. Look at the countries with safety nets - they have all fared significantly better, at least in part because people are not afraid of starving or becoming homeless due to lockdown. Planning on having schools closed also means that proper arrangements can be made. In the Netherlands for eg. special arrangements were made for kids at risk and children of essential workers (healthcare, emergency services and supermarkets). The US really needs to get its act together and start working as a team.
Load More Replies...
Don Hummy 4 years ago
My wife is a teacher here in Canada. The problem is the same. However, there is an issue that should be addressed in all of this. First, just FYI, I believe that teachers should be paid well and taken care of, as you want good teachers teaching your child ( you don't want leftovers who couldn't find jobs elsewhere being the ones spending all day with your kids teaching them). BUT....The teachers and their union have previously bullied their way into many contracts all the while saying "it's for the kids". It has happened so many times, that the excuse isn't valid anymore. Now, that they really have a REAL issue, many people don't care to hear their sob story anymore. It's basically "The boy who cried wolf" scenario in real life. It's unfortunate, but if teachers chose their battles better instead of always saying it's for the children (while hiding many really nice items into the contracts), people would be more inclined to listen.
WhatsUpKittyCat? (I wuv dogs too) 4 years ago
@N G , in the UK teachers have been suffering pay cuts for thirty years, they would like to get some more money so that they have enough to actually LIVE OFF FOR GODS' SAKE, and you might have noticed that during that 'vacation' they A. Most likely don't have enough money to pay for a holiday, and B. Need to plan the next years' teaching, plus do the reports.
Load More Replies...
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
While Covid-19 is a global problem it seems that due to the total incompetence of the current US administration, the US suffers more and longer of the pandemic and all the side effects. It's an outrage that the Greedy Old Parasites stand by and let the delusional, senile, megalomaniac narcissist continue to kill people and make a mess of an entire nation by their refusal to impeach him. Everyone trying to deny that Tweety the tangerine toddler has lost all his marbles must be equally insane.
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
Wil, we're federated, not parliamentarian. Don't just blame the top. The rot is down to the local level.
Load More Replies... Brandy Johnston 4 years ago
Who's going to pay the parents to sit home and teach their children. What do u do when a child doesn't have a tablet or computer to use. Libraries are still closed here. I live in a fairly poor city where some children don't have access to the internet. Some parents can't afford it. Food is also a big issue. A lot of children rely on meals at school, they may not be getting at home? Many children are being abused at home Who's going to report abuse if the child is home all the time with the abuser. It may worsen if a child is there ALL day and night. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors. It's terrifying. Parents may have to quit their jobs to stay home with their kids and be their teacher. Who's paying the rent and utilities, food? Either way it's a cluster f**k.
lenka 4 years ago
All of these are very good points. But we should be looking at the root cause of these problems. It's not as simple as making the schools stay open. if the US had a proper social support system in place these risks would all be significantly less than they currently are. Look at the countries with safety nets - they have all fared significantly better, at least in part because people are not afraid of starving or becoming homeless due to lockdown. Planning on having schools closed also means that proper arrangements can be made. In the Netherlands for eg. special arrangements were made for kids at risk and children of essential workers (healthcare, emergency services and supermarkets). The US really needs to get its act together and start working as a team.
Load More Replies... Don Hummy 4 years ago
My wife is a teacher here in Canada. The problem is the same. However, there is an issue that should be addressed in all of this. First, just FYI, I believe that teachers should be paid well and taken care of, as you want good teachers teaching your child ( you don't want leftovers who couldn't find jobs elsewhere being the ones spending all day with your kids teaching them). BUT....The teachers and their union have previously bullied their way into many contracts all the while saying "it's for the kids". It has happened so many times, that the excuse isn't valid anymore. Now, that they really have a REAL issue, many people don't care to hear their sob story anymore. It's basically "The boy who cried wolf" scenario in real life. It's unfortunate, but if teachers chose their battles better instead of always saying it's for the children (while hiding many really nice items into the contracts), people would be more inclined to listen.
WhatsUpKittyCat? (I wuv dogs too) 4 years ago
@N G , in the UK teachers have been suffering pay cuts for thirty years, they would like to get some more money so that they have enough to actually LIVE OFF FOR GODS' SAKE, and you might have noticed that during that 'vacation' they A. Most likely don't have enough money to pay for a holiday, and B. Need to plan the next years' teaching, plus do the reports.
Load More Replies...
Related on Bored Panda
175
100