Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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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

Melissa has listed all the things we could see if schools get reopened in this scenario on Twitter

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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.”

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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.”

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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.”

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: bittergertrude

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: susanwitt56

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: Pondering_Star

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: Aron_Brizzy

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: AnotherPaulRyan

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: polyannatweets

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: DCMomma1

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: RoseMarch1

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: Aron_Brizzy

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

Image credits: LeaSamoht

Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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Teacher Posts What Will Happen When Schools Reopen In An Alarming Twitter Thread

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Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

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As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

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What do you think ?

POST

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.

36points

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.

6points

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Brandy Johnston 4 years ago

Must be. Have you seen literally EVERY OTHER country in the world. Wear a mask. You have to wear a shirt wear a mask. And because the toddler idiot in the White House refuses to, some of our dumbest citizens think it's their constitutional right. Where tf is that written. Thou shall not wear a mask in a pandemic. Come on dude

0points

Lisa Chambers 4 years ago

Um, no. But thanks for your submission.

0points

Truth Monster 4 years ago

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Tres D 4 years ago

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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.

15points

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.

25points

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Tabitha L 4 years ago

Schools are providing laptops or tablets to all students. Schools are also providing take out lunch (and sometimes breakfast) for students. Schools are also keeping the wifi on so people can sit in the parking lots and use it. Schools are doing what they can. I don't think it is fair to ask schools to solve every problem in society.

16points

Hiker Chick 4 years ago

All true. That's why parents and teachers are so incredibly frustrated with the lack of planning. My teacher friends are terrified of getting sick. My friends with little kids are ready to be able to go back to the office. If my kids were still young, I'm fortunate that I could keep them home with live-in grandparents. I would not have sent them to school, but not everyone has safe options.

8points

Lara Mig 4 years ago

Well, they'll all be doing that anyway when the child brings COVID home to their parents from school. At which point, the parents will not be able to work or teach the child, and they will have no money for food. I decided to skip that step and I'm staying home with my child while we are all healthy and COVID-free.

4points

Lola 4 years ago

Sure, you make a couple of valid points, but it’s not enough to trump the fact that people will die. When it comes to preventing death, doing remote learning is a no brainer. The educators’ job is to teach, not worry about feeding children or policing them. The problem with education in this country, is that many people see schools as a daycare for their child. Teachers are not babysitters.

3points

Anna Repp 4 years ago

That's exactly what the OP is saying - we need to plan now for distant learning and create a solid plan. Not like it happened in spring, when there was no preparation & no warning. We are wasting precious time now arguing whether schools need to reopen. Instead the government officials on all levels should firmly say "NO" to in-school learning and focus on solving all the issues you mention along with many others. Maybe delay the start of the school year, but do it right now, and save lives. If this is not done, as the OP points out, we'll be back in square one by the end of September and all the problems you mention will kick in.

1point

elfin 4 years ago

These are excellent points, but none are worth expanding a pandemic that is already out of control.

1point

K.Kobayashi 4 years ago

Congress is currently drafting a >$1 trillion stimulus bill, call your representatives and let them know parents need financial help.

1point

WhatsUpKittyCat? (I wuv dogs too) 4 years ago

Whilst you make good points about all the reasons to go to school, I have to argue that who is going to replace the teachers when they all catch covid off the children? It's sacrificial. We don't have the time, money nor want that. But yet it still goes ahead. Of course, children will certainly benefit from the reopening of schools, but we still need to take into account all the 'key' workers who are being made, most likely against their own will, to teach children who could potentially carry a virus that may kill them. My own mother's a teacher, and has DBTs, so getting Covid could seriously harm, or worse kill, her. But she is still expected to begin work in September. We should think from both points of view. From the parents', and from the teachers'.

0points

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.

10points

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.

0points

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