Reopening school?

 

Last time I talked about that scripture that I depend on, which I always reverse in my mind: “I don’t know the meaning of all things, but I know God loves his children” (also paraphrased)—from Nephi. I think about this when it comes time to make Hard Decisions to which there is no obvious right or wrong answer. That is: what is the most loving thing to do?

 

So on this question of school reopening, I find myself pondering this. What is the most loving thing to do? The thing that makes this decision so hard is that all choices are loving to SOMEONE and less loving to others. We have to consider the physical health of teachers, students, and the vulnerable relatives of teachers and students. But we also have to consider the health of the economy (people need to get back to work and so might see school as necessary childcare). And, not unimportant, the emotional (and sometimes physical) health of students who might fall behind if left to do homeschool on their own, and students who might be being abused or neglected at home, as well as students who might experience anxiety in the masked-and-distanced environment at school.

 

So . . . what’s the most loving solution?

 

I don’t know. But I had an idea this morning:

 

What if we kept the schools “closed,” but opened some areas in each school for students to do their on-line school away from home? It would be staffed differently than regular school—with tutors and fewer teachers, so that most teachers would be free to spend their precious time on designing and delivering their on-line curriculum. But it would allow some students to be away from home. There could be separate areas—one for kids who just need space and resources to complete the regular on-line curriculum. And some smaller areas (one per grade?) in which the students who really need to be taught live for various reasons could be taught that way.

I know there are all sorts of problems with this idea. Who gets to decide who comes to the school? Would the school be open for the entire hours it usually is—and, if so, what do you do with bored students who get done with their on-line work early? I know it’s a mess. But aren’t all the ideas messy?