{"id":14485,"date":"2020-07-28T11:00:34","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T15:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=14485"},"modified":"2020-07-27T17:46:52","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T21:46:52","slug":"coronavirus-back-to-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/coronavirus-back-to-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Should your kids go back to school during COVID-19?"},"content":{"rendered":"

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: As experts learn more about the novel coronavirus, news and information changes. For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the<\/span><\/i> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Summer is still blazing across the nation, but parents of school-aged children are focused more on the impending school year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the back-to-school season this year will look very different. And parents everywhere are wrestling with hard choices that they have to make for the physical safety and emotional well-being of their children and their families.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

School closures and coronavirus<\/span><\/h2>\n

School closures spread like wildfire in the spring, as the coronavirus began to infect people across the country. Many stayed closed for the rest of the school year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, months later, the U.S. has logged almost 4 million COVID-19 infections, and<\/span> new cases<\/span><\/a> are on the rise in many states. As a result, many school leaders are agonizing about whether to reopen their schools.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it safe to reopen schools?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many have looked to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for guidance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

School reopening plans must look different for every community<\/b>, according to the AAP. The decision will be based on COVID-19 infection rates and the capacity to protect people against exposure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReturning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers, and staff,\u201d the AAP said in a<\/span> joint statement<\/span><\/a> with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), and the School Superintendents Association (AASA). \u201cScience should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <\/span><\/a>has also issued a statement that encourages opening schools in areas of low community transmission. On its <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>, the CDC offers guidance and tools for parents and caregivers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many school leaders believe they cannot safely reopen their schools yet<\/b>. Consequently, those schools will be opting for online\u2014or remote learning\u2014programs. Meanwhile, other schools are planning to reopen for in-person learning, albeit with some safety precautions in place. The debate to reopen has also <\/span>deepened the division<\/span><\/a> between some private and public schools, as private schools plan to reopen during coronavirus and public schools plan for e-learning. Some schools and school districts are letting parents choose the option that\u2019s right for their child. But the choice is not easy to make.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Should you keep your child home?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many parents are agonizing about whether to send their children back to school or to keep them home for an online remote learning program. There is <\/span>some evidence<\/span><\/a> that remote learning is less effective\u2014especially for students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged and don\u2019t have access to resources. Remote learning requires time and resources not every family has. Not to mention, the impact of an entire school year without face-to-face interaction with teachers and friends is unknown. Not to mention that teachers and schools aren\u2019t equipped for or trained in online teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n

The choice is even more fraught for parents of children with <\/span>chronic health issues<\/span><\/a> or with special needs requiring accommodations that may be difficult to achieve outside the structure of the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mary Ellen Conley, BSN, RN, a former school nurse and chair of the Community Relations Committee for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American (AAFA) explains that parents may be weighing these concerns:<\/span><\/p>\n