At long last, Massachusetts public school students appear to be headed back to classrooms next month. This is a positive sign that we are winning the year-long war against COVID-19 and finally freeing students from the isolation, family stress and potential mental-health damage medical experts have linked to prolonged remote learning.
Teachers must play a lead role in the return to schools if resumption of classroom learning is going to succeed. With vaccination rates rising and social distancing and mask-wearing protocols almost a societal norm by now, we think it is safe for students and teachers alike to resume school learning.
Massachusetts on Thursday made all kindergarten-12th grade teachers and other school employees eligible to sign up to get the vaccine. Our page one story today reflects that.
School administrators and teachers should look to parochial and private schools that successfully instituted in-person learning models last fall and incorporate those schools’ formulas for success into public school resumption plans.
St. Mary’s High School in Lynn has succeeded in providing an in-school education this year and last fall, said Head of School Dr. John F. Dolan, because students have “self-policed” by wearing masks and adhering to other COVID-19 protection protocols.
“My advice is that if teachers place their faith in kids, they will be rewarded. Kids want to be in school,” Dolan said.
Teachers must have a voice in structuring how classroom instruction resumes. But they cannot be obstructive. Teachers must be innovative and willing to embrace the spirit of compromise when it comes to making classroom learning succeed.
It’s fair to say that efforts to return students to public schools during the past several months were hampered, if not doomed, by the continuing specter of COVID-19 case numbers and the pandemic’s horrible death toll.
But a multi-front battle being waged with vaccines is beating back the virus’ tide and the time has come to give students at least three solid months of classroom education before summer break begins.
Every day and every week lost to COVID-19, because teachers and administrators cannot agree on a plan, hurts students. Protections against the virus are available to keep students and teachers safe in school. It’s time for teachers to stand again at the head of their classes.
