@manetho06 Hello educators and parents. I am sure we are all tired of having to watch our children struggle with virtual learning, thinking they are not progressing academically and socially since March of 2020, mostly due to the Alpha variant of Covid-19. Yes, this was a tragedy for our children’s desire was to be educated in their desired method-in person.
However, we are now faced with a more transmissible variant called Delta with Lambda looming and yet, we have relaxed our safety measures simply because of we are tired. Well, January 6th is not the only lie that some people are telling. People, we are experiencing the “Big Lie”. Sending our children back to school for in person instruction without the same safety measures we experienced in January of 2021 to June 2021. this is unconscionable. During that time, we only dealt with the alpha variant but now with a more deadly virus we are scaling back are safety measures, why? Why are we only wearing masks, and not socially distancing, limiting the number of kids in a school-especially in the cafeteria and gym- with the variant being more deadly? Again, didn’t the CDC say this is more transmissible?
Furthermore, school systems in the south are shutting down, quarantining children yet, they have only been open for two weeks. Our districts in the DMV are much larger. Could one hypothesize that the complexities and dense population of children in these school districts will result in more sick children? It is possible! Some parents really have the chance to take care and educate their children at home, but you are tired of them interrupting your random breakfast dates at Starbucks, possibly only using the quote “they need to be with their friends” because it interferes with your daily life and opportunities to breathe. School is not a babysitting service. We had these children, and it is our job to protect them no matter the cost. Additionally, what happens if their friends are not vaccinated? Do you really know all of their friend’s vaccination status?
Cobb county had 4126 new cases as of August 14thand they are back in school. What will it look like once DC, Maryland and Virginia schools go back? Gwinnet County confirmed 253 cases in just a week of opening. I know people may say that it is happening in the south where they lack strong mask mandates and mitigation strategies. We only have mask mandates but parents who are complaining about mask and wanting to eat lunch outside. For the first three days of school the largest school district in Georgia, Gwinnett County had less than 1% of cases, but what does the trend look like after two weeks with a pace of every three days. Proportionately 2-3% and after a month that triples in number of cases. Again, the “Big Lie” is that we can go back to in person learning without the social distancing, reduction of students in a school and limited or no mask wearing. Where is the leadership?
What are we going to do when 18-20 kindergartners walk into a classroom and over half of them have their masks below their mouth much less not covering their noses? Remember children touch each other all day and get into each other’s face. It is developmentally appropriate. Again, are we willing to “pivot” and use those opportunities for children who were viable learners in the virtual realm only to give that up because a school district wants to maintain the status quo? What are you going to do if we have an outbreak? We should have taken the opportunity to increase our capacity to educate, innovate and create curriculum that meets the need of all children and staff.
We are boring, we cannot innovate, do not want to chance the possibility of change because we are afraid that someone will do it better making the public schools obsolete. School districts always talk about equity and equality. Where is the social justice in changing how we educate children and keep them safe differently than we have before? The school district that takes a leap of faith and determine they have something for everyone will be the one that has a leader, which recognizes and embraces true opportunities to support and educate all children in all forms. Again, we are living this “Big Lie” that all 800-3000 students can enter a school building with just a mask and our babies will be safe. Are you willing to take this chance with your child? My child who is not able to be vaccinated is not participating in this science experiment. Currently Maryland has a positive rate of 4.54% and unfortunately, children under the age of 12 cannot get vaccinated. Montgomery County has a rate of 2.9%, Frederick County 5.66%, Prince George’s County at 6.4%. This data further demonstrates that the “Big Lie” is fueled by our inability to understand why vaccination is crucial along with other measures of mitigation. Is it possible that vaccine hesitation and mask wearing will fuel our demise to keep students safe? Remember school has not opened yet! Nationally, only 25% of children ages 12-15 have been vaccinated and 33% have received one shot. For Prince George’s County 74% of students ages 12-17 have received one dosage with Montgomery County at 93% respectively. Still our positivity rates are climbing, and we have not place hundreds of children in schools nor has these children been around other teens and children that are not vaccinated.
Vaccination hesitation increases as children get younger. Forbes recently published an article on August 2, 2021, examining data from a poll suggesting that parents are likely to wait and see what happens with other students before allowing their child to receive the vaccine. Whereas other parents will not allow their children to receive the vaccine unless the school mandates it. Sixty-nine percent of parents polled said they were not going to give their child the vaccine. The lines are much murkier when it comes to race as African American are more unlikely to participate in the vaccination option. Thirty-four percent of parents polled believe there is a bigger risk to their children being vaccinated than the Covid-19 and are willing to take a chance. Those risk factors include fertility and side effects unknown to children.
I am not saying we should live in fear, but the mitigation options we used with a less transmissible variant should be used this year with a more deadly one. State departments of education in both, Virginia, Maryland and DC are pushing this narrative for full in person. Are they prepared to see an increase in the number of educators who have had enough? We already have a national shortage of teachers throughout the country. Maryland currently has an attrition rate of 7.6% meaning teachers are leaving at rate that is negatively impacted based on the number of students entering our public school system. Additionally, parents are selecting multiple forms of providing education to their students, not relying on the public school system, seeking private, charter, independent and home schooling. Who is going to use that doctorate in Educational Leadership, Curriculum Instruction, Educational Psychology, Math and Reading Education to demonstrate sound direction, true leadership in creating a well intentional program that meets the needs of all students? Covid is not going anywhere if we continue to promote the “Big Lie” of mitigation and schools do not learn to “pivot”!
Dwayne Ham, Sr., Ed.D.
School Counselor
However, we are now faced with a more transmissible variant called Delta with Lambda looming and yet, we have relaxed our safety measures simply because of we are tired. Well, January 6th is not the only lie that some people are telling. People, we are experiencing the “Big Lie”. Sending our children back to school for in person instruction without the same safety measures we experienced in January of 2021 to June 2021. this is unconscionable. During that time, we only dealt with the alpha variant but now with a more deadly virus we are scaling back are safety measures, why? Why are we only wearing masks, and not socially distancing, limiting the number of kids in a school-especially in the cafeteria and gym- with the variant being more deadly? Again, didn’t the CDC say this is more transmissible?
Furthermore, school systems in the south are shutting down, quarantining children yet, they have only been open for two weeks. Our districts in the DMV are much larger. Could one hypothesize that the complexities and dense population of children in these school districts will result in more sick children? It is possible! Some parents really have the chance to take care and educate their children at home, but you are tired of them interrupting your random breakfast dates at Starbucks, possibly only using the quote “they need to be with their friends” because it interferes with your daily life and opportunities to breathe. School is not a babysitting service. We had these children, and it is our job to protect them no matter the cost. Additionally, what happens if their friends are not vaccinated? Do you really know all of their friend’s vaccination status?
Cobb county had 4126 new cases as of August 14thand they are back in school. What will it look like once DC, Maryland and Virginia schools go back? Gwinnet County confirmed 253 cases in just a week of opening. I know people may say that it is happening in the south where they lack strong mask mandates and mitigation strategies. We only have mask mandates but parents who are complaining about mask and wanting to eat lunch outside. For the first three days of school the largest school district in Georgia, Gwinnett County had less than 1% of cases, but what does the trend look like after two weeks with a pace of every three days. Proportionately 2-3% and after a month that triples in number of cases. Again, the “Big Lie” is that we can go back to in person learning without the social distancing, reduction of students in a school and limited or no mask wearing. Where is the leadership?
What are we going to do when 18-20 kindergartners walk into a classroom and over half of them have their masks below their mouth much less not covering their noses? Remember children touch each other all day and get into each other’s face. It is developmentally appropriate. Again, are we willing to “pivot” and use those opportunities for children who were viable learners in the virtual realm only to give that up because a school district wants to maintain the status quo? What are you going to do if we have an outbreak? We should have taken the opportunity to increase our capacity to educate, innovate and create curriculum that meets the need of all children and staff.
We are boring, we cannot innovate, do not want to chance the possibility of change because we are afraid that someone will do it better making the public schools obsolete. School districts always talk about equity and equality. Where is the social justice in changing how we educate children and keep them safe differently than we have before? The school district that takes a leap of faith and determine they have something for everyone will be the one that has a leader, which recognizes and embraces true opportunities to support and educate all children in all forms. Again, we are living this “Big Lie” that all 800-3000 students can enter a school building with just a mask and our babies will be safe. Are you willing to take this chance with your child? My child who is not able to be vaccinated is not participating in this science experiment. Currently Maryland has a positive rate of 4.54% and unfortunately, children under the age of 12 cannot get vaccinated. Montgomery County has a rate of 2.9%, Frederick County 5.66%, Prince George’s County at 6.4%. This data further demonstrates that the “Big Lie” is fueled by our inability to understand why vaccination is crucial along with other measures of mitigation. Is it possible that vaccine hesitation and mask wearing will fuel our demise to keep students safe? Remember school has not opened yet! Nationally, only 25% of children ages 12-15 have been vaccinated and 33% have received one shot. For Prince George’s County 74% of students ages 12-17 have received one dosage with Montgomery County at 93% respectively. Still our positivity rates are climbing, and we have not place hundreds of children in schools nor has these children been around other teens and children that are not vaccinated.
Vaccination hesitation increases as children get younger. Forbes recently published an article on August 2, 2021, examining data from a poll suggesting that parents are likely to wait and see what happens with other students before allowing their child to receive the vaccine. Whereas other parents will not allow their children to receive the vaccine unless the school mandates it. Sixty-nine percent of parents polled said they were not going to give their child the vaccine. The lines are much murkier when it comes to race as African American are more unlikely to participate in the vaccination option. Thirty-four percent of parents polled believe there is a bigger risk to their children being vaccinated than the Covid-19 and are willing to take a chance. Those risk factors include fertility and side effects unknown to children.
I am not saying we should live in fear, but the mitigation options we used with a less transmissible variant should be used this year with a more deadly one. State departments of education in both, Virginia, Maryland and DC are pushing this narrative for full in person. Are they prepared to see an increase in the number of educators who have had enough? We already have a national shortage of teachers throughout the country. Maryland currently has an attrition rate of 7.6% meaning teachers are leaving at rate that is negatively impacted based on the number of students entering our public school system. Additionally, parents are selecting multiple forms of providing education to their students, not relying on the public school system, seeking private, charter, independent and home schooling. Who is going to use that doctorate in Educational Leadership, Curriculum Instruction, Educational Psychology, Math and Reading Education to demonstrate sound direction, true leadership in creating a well intentional program that meets the needs of all students? Covid is not going anywhere if we continue to promote the “Big Lie” of mitigation and schools do not learn to “pivot”!
Dwayne Ham, Sr., Ed.D.
School Counselor