Kids and Teachers Are Going to Need Therapy if Schools Follow the CDC’s Recommendations for Classrooms
Paula Bolyard, PJ Media – May 24, 2020
h/t Clyde Shelton on A♠
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new safety guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the event schools reopen in the fall. The recommendations—they’re just that… for now—have teachers and parents alike wondering how such restrictions could be implemented and asking who came up with such unworkable plans. Here’s a brief summary of the suggested rules:
- Wear masks if over the age of two
- Discourage sharing of items or supplies that can’t be easily cleaned between uses
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces between uses
- Develop a schedule for increased, routine cleaning and disinfection
- All belongings separated into individual cubbies or labeled containers
- Avoid sharing electronic devices, toys, games, or learning aids
- Desks should be 6-feet apart and all facing the same direction
- One child per seat on school buses and skip rows between riders
- Install sneeze guards or partitions where 6-feet-apart won’t work
- One-way routes in hallways
- Tape on sidewalks and walls to ensure kids stay 6 feet apart
- Close shared spaces like cafeterias and playgrounds
- Physical barriers or screens between sinks in bathrooms
- Children either bring their own meals or serve individually plated meals in the classroom
- Kids eat lunch in classrooms
- Virtual events in lieu of field trips
- The same children stay with the same staff all-day
- Avoid switching groups or teachers
- Stagger student arrival and departure times to limit crowds of kids
- Limit non-essential volunteers and visitors
- If possible, daily health and temperature checks
…If followed to the letter, the CDC recommendations will be a nightmare for teachers and staff to implement and enforce, and will no doubt add to the stress and frustration they’re feeling after having their students ripped away from them mid-year. And while the CDC guidelines are just recommendations at this point, it’s likely that some school districts, and maybe even some government and local officials, will insist on implementing them.…
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