At a time when many parents hoped for a smooth return to school, alarming closures due to a surge in COVID-19 cases are disrupting lives in Republican-led states like Alabama and Tennessee.
These recent decisions to revert to remote learning have left more than a thousand children without in-person education just days into the new academic year. The closures at Johnson-Abernathy-Graetz High School in Montgomery and Stigall Elementary in western Tennessee have brought back memories of the detrimental impacts inflicted by pandemic-era policies.
Despite what some may argue, the evidence has accumulated that remote learning has severe negative consequences for children’s educational and social development. A study from reputable institutions, including Harvard and Stanford, found that students who were subjected to prolonged remote learning fell, on average, more than half a grade behind in math compared to their in-person counterparts.
The closures come even as recent data indicates that hospitalizations and ICU admissions remain significantly lower than during previous COVID-19 waves. With only 4.4 hospitalizations per 100,000 people recorded, and where over 30% positivity rates once loomed large, today’s statistics reflect a vastly different reality.
Parents in these communities are rightly concerned. Jessica Williamson, a mother of a first grader, voiced her frustration, stating, "Everyone is like, 'Covid is back, Covid is back.'" The chaos unleashed upon families due to unexpected closures demonstrates the fragility of policies that prioritize remote learning over tangible classroom experiences.
Despite the uptick in cases being reported, historical context shows that these numbers pale in comparison to waves that resulted in mass hysteria and heavy-handed policies. Much of the population now possesses immunity built from prior infections or vaccinations, making the panic response increasingly questionable.
In contrast to calls for immediate lockdowns and restrictive measures, there is a growing sentiment among parents and educators that children should be allowed to learn and grow in an environment that nurtures their development. Any attempt to revert back to ineffective policies of the past deserves scrutiny, especially given the wealth of research on the detrimental effects of remote learning.
As the new school year unfolds, families are praying for stability and a return to normalcy, urging school districts to prioritize students' welfare and reject the fleeting fear of more COVID-19 disruptions. The children of Alabama and Tennessee deserve better than a stop-and-start approach to their education, and so do the parents who are left to navigate the fallout.
In a landscape shaped by fear, we must remember that safeguarding our children's future should take precedence over knee-jerk reactions to rising case numbers.
Sources:
dailymail.co.uktime.comreuters.com