When It Comes To Reopening Schools, 'The Devil's In The Details,' Educators Say
Jeanne Norris is a teacher, the wife of a teacher and the mother of an 8-year-old in St. Louis. She'd love to send her son back to school in August. But, she says, "I feel like my government and my fellow citizens have put me in a position where it's not really in the best interests of our family."
Norris has a long list of reasons why. She says she has personally taught in buildings where ventilation systems are outdated and malfunctioning, and even soap for handwashing is in short supply.
In June, Missouri cut K-12 education funding by more than $100 million, amid the pandemic-induced recession. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities anticipates state budget shortfalls of 25% this fiscal year as a result of that recession. Education leaders have said schools may need more than $200 billion in new federal education funding to stop these gaps and meet the new need. The House passed a bill in May with $58 billion for school districts, and the Republican-controlled Senate has not yet acted on it, though the president has recently weighed in heavily in favor of reopening schools.
Jeanne Norris says she's disappointed by her state's response to the virus, and she's worried about the risk to her son's teachers too.
"You know, a third of teachers are over the age of 50, I believe. ... You want to talk about social-emotional impacts? Thinking about my child experiencing somebody die because of coronavirus? Sounds like a pretty heavy burden to bear."
Dozens of teachers, parents and district leaders around the country told NPR that the back-to-school season — that beloved annual ritual-- has fogged over with CONTINUE READING: When It Comes To Reopening Schools, 'The Devil's In The Details,' Educators Say | 89.3 KPCC