Push to Reopen Schools Could Leave out Millions of Students
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Aruba’s underwater Monday wonderland February 1, 2021 T: 582-7800 www.arubatoday.com facebook.com/arubatoday instagram.com/arubatoday Page 8 Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper Push to reopen schools could leave out millions of students By GEOFF MULVIHILL, ADRI- teachers unions are stand- AN SAINZ and MICHAEL ing in the way of bringing KUNZELMAN back students. The unions Associated Press insist they are acting to pro- President Joe Biden says he tect teachers and students wants most schools serv- and their families. ing kindergarten through In a call Thursday evening eighth grade to reopen by with teachers unions, Dr. late April, but even if that Anthony Fauci, the federal happens, it is likely to leave government’s top infec- out millions of students, tious disease expert, said many of them minorities in the reopening of K-8 class- urban areas. rooms nationally might not "We're going to see kids fall be possible on Biden’s time further and further behind, frame. He cited concern particularly low-income over new variants of the students of color," said Sha- virus that allow it to spread var Jeffries, president of more quickly and may be Democrats for Education more resistant to vaccines. Reform. "There's potential- Biden is asking for $130 bil- ly a generational level of lion for schools to address harm that students have concerns by unions and suffered from being out of school officials as part of a school for so long." broader coronavirus relief Like some other officials package that faces an un- In this Jan. 11, 2021 file photo, pre-kindergarten teacher Sarah McCarthy works with a student at and education advo- certain fate in Congress. Dawes Elementary in Chicago. cates, Jeffries said powerful Continued on next page Associated Press A2 MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2021 UP FRONT Continued from Front hot spot for contamination; dangerous." She said the If his reopening goal is re- and more parents have coronavirus is not predict- alized, millions of students front-line jobs that could able and that dangers are might still have to keep expose them, and, in turn, heightened with the spread learning from home, possi- their children, to the virus. of new mutations. Infection bly for the rest of the school But he said the major ob- risks increase when people year. stacle to reopening city gather indoors for long pe- California was an epicen- schools is political. "The riods. ter of infection in the first teachers unions tend to be Randi Weingarten, presi- part of January, and public pretty obstinately opposed dent of the American Fed- health officials say many of to going back to school," eration of Teachers, said the state's districts are in ar- Jeffries said. it could be safe to return eas where transmission re- In Chicago, only prekin- to schools in the spring se- mains too high to reopen. dergartners have been in mester with rigorous testing But a statewide group school so far. This week, the programs in place and the In this Oct. 6, 2020, file photo, Christine Free teaches a remote called Open Schools Cali- Chicago Teachers Union option for students and ed- music class during the coronavirus outbreak at the Osborn fornia is pushing for reopen- School in Rye, N.Y. voted to teach online only ucators to remain online if ing as soon as public health Associated Press in a showdown with the they choose to. standards are met. district over plans to bring "Teachers know how impor- "I think that data will bear third of students in a sam- clude Clark County, Ne- students to school starting tant in-person instruction out that the children who ple of 1,200 U.S. school dis- vada, which includes Las Feb. 1. The union has au- is, but we have to make it have been most disad- tricts were in schools where Vegas; Kansas City, Mis- thorized a strike if school safe. Testing and vaccina- vantaged are going to be classes had been held ex- souri; Boston and the big officials retaliate, but nego- tion, as well as masking and low-income children, Black clusively online since last Ohio school systems. tiations are continuing. distancing, are crucial, as and brown children, chil- March — many of them in Younger students in New Claiborne Wade, 31, has are accommodations for dren with special educa- cities. By last week, more York City already have the three children in the Chica- educators at risk," she said tion, learning differences, than half of students were option to attend school in- go Public Schools system, in a statement last week. homeless and foster youth," enrolled in schools where person. Mayor Bill de Bla- ages 10, 9 and 7. Wade be- Keith Benson, president of said Megan Bacigalupi, a in-person learning was at sio said Friday that he ex- lieves the district is not quite the Camden Education As- mother of students in the least an option, according pects middle school and ready to reopen schools, sociation, which represents Oakland public schools to Burbio, a data service high school students back and he favors distance teachers in a New Jersey and one of the organizers. tracking school-opening in some capacity later this learning for now. city with a long history of It's hard to tally exactly how policies. school year. Even so, he said minor- poverty, crime and high many schools are open in For the first time since shut- Jeffries acknowledges that ity students in large urban dropout rates, said condi- person now because of the tering schools in March, At- there are reasons it's hard- districts have fewer re- tions are different in the city size and diffuse nature of lanta began returning the er to open schools in cit- sources for online learning. than outside it. The schools the nation's school system youngest and special edu- ies: They're more densely He's seen students from there plan to keep build- — and because districts' cation students to some in- populated, meaning the more affluent schools get ings closed until at least approaches change fre- person learning last week. virus can spread faster; a laptop and a tablet, and April. quently. Other districts planning to more people rely on public even a desk, while his kids "What keeps someone safe By early January, about a reopen by early March in- transportation, a potential only have a laptop to work in a suburban area is not with. Having both a laptop the same thing that would and tablet helps because keep folks safe here," Ben- the students can see their son said, adding that while teacher on one screen and remote learning is not ide- follow along with instruc- al, he believes students will tion materials on another, be able to catch up even- he said. tually. "It's been going on for years, Dr. Lavanya Sithanandam, even before the pandemic a pediatrician who practic- hit," he said. "We've always es in the Maryland suburbs been at the bottom of the of Washington, said she totem pole, in receiving re- has seen a record number sources that we need." of children and teenagers Public health officials in- with mental health issues creasingly say that virus since online learning be- transmissions in schools are gan in her area more than low, so long as measures 10 months ago. such as mask-wearing and "Initially, many physicians, social distancing are in including myself, were very place — even if teachers hesitant about kids return- and other school staff have ing to school," she said. "But not received vaccinations. as the data evolved, many On Jan. 21, Maryland Gov. of us have realized that Larry Hogan, a Republican, school reopening is incred- declared: "There is no pub- ibly important." lic health reason for school Most of her patients are boards to be keeping stu- children from lower-income dents out of school. None." minority families. She said This past week, Maryland students she sees from pri- State Education Associa- vate schools where classes tion President Cheryl Bost are being held in person wrote to Hogan, saying tend to fare better than his statement "would be their public school peers in laughable if it were not so terms of mental health.q A3 U.S. NEWS MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2021 GOP lawmakers urge Biden to meet with them on virus relief By AAMER MADHANI ately commit to a Biden WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten meeting with the lawmak- Republican senators on ers. Sunday proposed spend- But Cedric Richmond, a se- ing about one-third of nior Biden adviser, said the what President Joe Biden president "is very willing to is seeking in coronavirus meet with anyone to ad- aid and urged him to ne- vance the agenda." When gotiate rather than try to asked about the senators' ram through his $1.9 trillion plan, Richmond said, "this package solely on Demo- is about seriousness of pur- cratic votes.In challenging pose." Biden to fulfill his pledge Deese indicated the White of unity, the group said in House could be open to ne- a letter that their counter- gotiating on further limiting proposal will include $160 who would receive stimu- billion for vaccines, testing, lus checks. Portman sug- treatment and personal gested the checks should protective equipment and go to individuals who make will call for more targeted no more than $50,000 per relief than Biden's plan to year and families capped issue $1,400 stimulus checks at $100,000 per year. for most Americans. Under the Biden plan, In this Jan.