It Isn’t All-or-Nothing
Dear Superintendent O’Malley,
My name is Hugh Pressley, and I am a new teacher in your district. I’m a husband, a father, a Navy veteran, and a PhD student. I am writing to thank you for your leadership, and to implore you to continue to “choose better, think longer,” and “innovate” on behalf of the students, parents, and staff at Florence 1 Schools.
COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for this generation of K-12 stakeholders. In addition to taking proper precautions to keep everyone safe, school leaders have had to create new ways to keep students educated amidst an ongoing pandemic. As a teacher, I’ve had to grapple with the dilemma of wanting to teach my students face-to-face, and wanting to keep my students and family corona-free. Opinions and solutions about the best course forward seem to follow political lines, and have created division during a time where unity is more important than ever.
On the one hand, parts of Governor McMaster’s plan — face-to-face learning 5 days a week with an option for full-time virtual learning — make sense. While South Carolina continues to see more than 1,000 new COVID cases daily and is approaching 100,000 since March, the CDC has made clear the following about the virus:
Death rates among school-aged children are much lower than among adults.
Based on current data, the rate of infection among younger school children, and from students to teachers, has been low, especially if proper precautions are followed. There have also been few reports of children being the primary source of COVID-19 transmission among family members.
The available evidence provides reason to believe that in-person schooling is in the best interest of students, particularly in the context of appropriate mitigation measures similar to those implemented at essential workplaces.
The harms attributed to closed schools on the social, emotional, and behavioral health, economic well-being, and academic achievement of children, in both the short- and long-term, are well-known and significant.
Further, the lack of in-person educational options disproportionately harms low-income and minority children and those living with disabilities. These students are far less likely to have access to private instruction and care and far more likely to rely on key school-supported resources like food programs, special education services, counseling, and after-school programs to meet basic developmental needs.
Aside from a child’s home, no other setting has more influence on a child’s health and well-being than their school. The in-person school environment provides educational instruction; supports the development of social and emotional skills; creates a safe environment for learning; addresses nutritional needs; and facilitates physical activity.
Additionally, with many parents forced to work during the pandemic, virtual learning is not an option for those that have elementary or middle-school-aged children who can not be left at home alone. Having an option for face-to-face instruction takes into consideration the science involved with transmission rates, and the common sense involved with the dangers of a one-size-fits-all solution to education, even during a pandemic.
On the other hand, sending students back to school does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition, which is why your hybrid option for Florence 1 Schools — along with a full-time virtual option — makes the most sense. Your plan to create cohorts of students that alternate daily between face-to-face and virtual learning gives students a chance to receive a quality education while keeping class sizes low and allowing for proper social distancing and manageable safety protocols for everyone involved. And your willingness to stick to the plan regardless of whether the state rejects it shows that you are committed to providing parents the most comprehensive educational options for their children given the current conditions.
When I joined the Navy 17 years ago, I did so knowing the risks that came with military life. Although I went on 7 deterrent patrols during my time as a sailor aboard the USS Maryland, I never got used to the popping sounds of the hull every time we went to test depth. I knew that at any moment, the pressure of the Atlantic Ocean could be too much for the boat to handle, and that my life could end in an instant. But I trusted that the sailors, engineers, and leaders that came before me had done enough to keep me safe, and I knew that the job I had was bigger than me and worth the possible deleterious outcomes.
I’ve taken the same approach with my new career as an educator. Even before the pandemic, I signed up to become a teacher knowing the hazards and the grind that came with the profession. Although I did not foresee having to teach through a pandemic, I am willing to do what I have must to ensure that all students get an equitable educational experience, even if it means that I might be risking my own life (and possibly the lives of those closest to me). I trust that leaders like yourself, Dr. O’Malley, have my best interests in mind, and that you, the governor, the state superintendent, and my administrators at West Florence High School will do whatever it takes to ensure our safety.
So, Dr. O’Malley, thank you again for the innovative ways you have championed for K-12 stakeholders during this pandemic. I urge all students, teachers, parents, and administrators to look at Florence 1 Schools as an example of how a community can come together to make sound choices for their residents. And I urge all students, teachers, parents, and administrators to assess how COVID has affected their communities, and to make the best (and safest) choice for themselves while respecting the choices of others.
Best,
Hugh Pressley
Hugh Pressley teaches AP Research and English 4 at West Florence High School in South Carolina and is a PhD student at Texas Tech University. You can reach him at hpressley@icloud.com.