Let's follow the NYC Public Schools lead - Reopen without hybrid/online option please

After 12 months + of remote learning I think that most of us, meaning teachers, students, parents, administrators got pretty good at it making it work. Of course it's not ideal, of course it didn't the best situation for everyone, and of course we would rather be in person. But overall it was working quite well...

Then in the Spring, as Covid cases began to drop, and as a certain degree of fatigue set in/pressure mounted, schools reopened. That should have been a joyous moment. And for a brief period in time it was. We basically had our "back to school" joy and renewal of friendships that normally occurs in late Summer happening in 6 months later instead. But soon enough the reality of the situation set in. We were not getting the full benefit of in person instruction as many students opted to stay home (most for valid personal reasons) and we had dismantled the procedures and protocols that had been set in place over the course of the school year.

As the school year is drawing to a close, many of us are still in the dark as to how the new school year will look like. Will it be fully in person? Will it be hybrid? Enough already. Make the only decision which is the right decision. Reopen the damned schools fully. I have to applaud the NYC Public School decision that was announced yesterday (see headline above). Back to school in person, with no remote option available. This is great news and the only way to go in order to make a successful go of the 2021-2022 school year.

Over 50% of US adults are now vaccinated. With another 3 months to go before school resumes, anyone who has still not gotten the jab by then will be doing it out of choice rather than out of lack of availability. More and more universities are making it a requirement for students and staff. I am not sure if that will be the case at the secondary school level, but it seems to me that it is only a matter of time before it does become so. I would actually recommend listening to Noah Feldman's excellent podcast, Deep Background and his episode on Should Vaccines Be a Choice (https://www.pushkin.fm/episode/should-vaccination-be-a-choice/). The quick answer is no. The longer answer can be heard at the link above. He also has an interesting take on how the Supreme Court would view vaccination requirements... I won't give away the punch line and will let you listen to what he has to say.

In conclusion, for the sake of students, for the sake of parents, for the sake of teachers, make the only sensible choice. Open schools in the fall for in person instruction. By all means take all of the safe precautions possible. But do not offer a remote option. Teaching is already a difficult job. Teaching after a year decimated by Covid will already be extremely difficult. Why add another layer of complexity and virtually (pun intended) guarantee a sub optimal result?

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