July, 9 2020.
Lives are Expendable
Catching the Virus
"There's no question that children are going to catch the virus. The question is whether or not it's going to tax our health resources, or it's going to be something that's going to cause someone else to get sick. And I think we can control for both those things without requiring every child in the state of North Carolina to either distance learn or show up every third day." These remarks were made by Senator Phil Berger who is the North Carolina Senate President Pro Temp to WRAL after he chose to table a bill that focused on the opening of public schools in North Carolina. Essentially he is saying that children will get the virus if they go back to school, but it is not determined if they will pass it to others in the school building. His comment is absolutely and categorically wrong. If and when a child contracts COVID-19 he/she/them will absolutely pass the virus to other classmates as well as staff members at the school. According to the CDC, "the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading very easily and sustainably between people" (cdc.gov 2020); therefore, the callous remarks made by Senator Berger are categorically incorrect. Children will get sick, teachers will get sick, administrators will get sick, bus drivers will get sick, the custodial staff will get sick, but let us throw everyone back into school because our "health resources" will not be taxed when all these people are stricken with COVID-19 and/or other viruses that float around a school during any given year. Once again, Senator Berger is wrong in his assumption that health resources will not be taxed due to a rise in cases. According to Engel-Smith of NorthCarolinaHealthNews.org, if the virus continues to spike as it did in June and early July the hospitals in North Carolina's major metro areas will be highly taxed. Therefore to assume and even state that the state's health resources will be able to handle the onslaught of new cases when children and adults are thrust together in close quarters is absolutely untrue. The hidden message in Senator Berger's rhetoric is that a recovering and thriving economy is more important than the human lives who enter a public school.
A Sound, Basic Education
In order to supply a sound and basic education to the students of North Carolina's K-12 public
education system, which is a provision required by the state constitution, "state leaders say they need lawmakers to provide an additional $427 million this year" (NewsandObserver.com 2020). $427 million is what is required for just the basics in North Carolina. It does not take into account the extra funding that will be needed to supply staff and students with personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and other essentials that will be needed to maintain a clean environment in each school. This increase in funding also does not take into consideration how each school will be afforded a nurse who could possibly be overrun with varying levels of illness and a counselor who may need to console students who have lost loved ones during this pandemic. When faced with how North Carolina will meet its constitutional obligation, which has been argued and proven necessary by the North Carolina Supreme Court in the Leandro case, Senator Berger's response is "we cannot spend money we don't have" (NewsandObserver.com 2020), and this is for simply the basic requirement. Berger has also stated when asked about the Leandro case that "Our constitution does not provide for judges to appropriate dollars. We've said on multiple occasions that if judges want to get into the field of appropriating, they need to run for the legislature" (NewsandObserver.com 2020) This callous statement continues to show Berger's disdain for the public education system and passing the blame onto a Supreme Court judge whose only fault is writing an opinion that upholds the education funding requirement written into the state constitution even when funding is tight.
It is true that the economy in North Carolina has taken a beating due to "Stay at Home" orders and other measures enacted by Governor Cooper that shut down businesses during the month of March and some of April, but the old adage of "you must do more with less" has permeated through the North Carolina educational system for over a decade. Now it is faced with returning to in-person instruction while cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in the state with limited funds to provide for a "sound basic education" and no funds to provide for an education that is safe from an invisible threat that does not discriminate.
For the Greater Good
"A Calling"
Many Christian denominations refer to the choice to enter the pulpit as a calling. Ministers are called by God to be the leading teacher and counselor for their parishioners during times of crisis, throughout the liturgical year, and during times of joy. This religiously laced verbiage is also what some use when referring to educators. In many speeches that espouses the value of educators, the speaker often references how educators are called into an altruistic profession, much like a minister, because something inside of them said that they must minister and educate children for the greater good of society. This calling has led many teachers to use their bodies as human shields. This calling has forced many educators to live off of social food assistance for their families because their salary barely covers the monthly bills. This calling has created a fear of authority and challenging leadership because doing so might cost them their job and would exorcise the profession they love so dearly. Politicians feed on this fear. This requirement to return to in-person school effective August 17 is counting on this fear. At what time do teachers rise up collectively and say, "No more." The health of children and teachers should no longer be used as pawns in a political game that threatens to strip funding if the demands of a complete return are not met. No calling should be worth sacrificing your health each and every day you go to your chosen profession.
What Do I Miss?
While this post may be seen as screaming into the wind and callous, I must state one absolute truth: I do miss seeing my students each day, I miss seeing lightbulb moments in the classroom, I miss being able to cultivate relationships that only occur in person, I miss my athletes and coaching them toward success. I miss all the positive interactions that occur within a given school day. BUT, my family, both comprised of educators, has been cautious during this pandemic. We have sheltered in place, we have limited our social interaction, we have done what the CDC and state officials have said are effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19. Therefore the question must be asked, "If NC is still in Phase Two of Reopening which limits the gathering of people to no more than ten people indoors, how can one teacher with a class of thirty plus students in a poorly ventilated room be allowed at this point?" Again, I miss my students and my student-athletes and I do think I was called into education; I accepted a full scholarship when I was eighteen that was contingent on teaching four years in the North Carolina public school system. I have fulfilled that obligation at least thrice over and there are many things about education that can be frustrating and lead to fear, but I have always been able to soldier on until now. This year I fear going back to work. I fear that school staff and students are being forced into a social and biological experiment that could have dreadful consequences, which is why I, and others, believe that, based on the rising numbers in North Carolina, the state and local school boards should not fully open schools despite what law current law states, regardless of Senator Berger's sentiments. The time for true civil-disobedience has arisen. Hopefully, as I scream into the wind, someone hears; and, hopefully, we can all one day in the near future safely return to school without the looming fear the exists each day during this pandemic; until then, I pray that my students stay safe, stay healthy, and that the leaders listen to science and work to keep everyone safe and assured.
