Will it be safe to go back to school?

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

Teachers are preparing to be on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic when students head back to class this year.

The state Department of Education and Department of Health have offered advice to districts on how to safely reopen for in-person instruction, but local districts will decide whether to teach in person, online or a mix of both.

Many districts have polled students and parents on their preferences.

While families struggle with what is best for their children’s education, teachers are waiting for guidance on what their classrooms might look like this year.

With more questions than answers and restrictions rapidly changing, teachers are trying to prepare for all scenarios.

While opinions may differ on the best way to ensure safety and maintain the standard of teaching, Mon Valley teachers say they want what is best for their students.

Kathy McNatt Moranelli, an educator in the Mon Valley for 25 years, said she is “ready to scream.”

The virus, she believes, has divided the country, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has mishandled the pandemic by not seeking input from teachers and students.

“The CDC has made recommendations without having any data to base it on,” she said. “We have not been in school since March 13 and no one knows the long-term effects of this virus.

“I think since it is 2020, virtual learning is a good short-term answer, but if no data was gathered from teachers and students actually being together, how are they able to make this determination?”

Moranelli said it’s time to take politics out of the equation when it comes to the safety of students and staff.

“This has become political and it’s time to be human and realistic about this issue,” she said.

While Moranelli is unclear about how her kindergarten classroom may look, she knows it will not be a normal school year.

“I do not think the parents are understanding it will not be back to normal, from classroom seating to bus rides and lunchtime and recess,” she said. “I think younger students entering kindergarten could be uneasy with meeting a new teacher wearing a mask, and a lot of time will be used for complying to restrictions that takes away from learning time.”

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