The Village: Revisited

What a time to be alive? Right. I know each and every day we are here most of us are grateful. Especially now. 

An enemy like none of us have ever seen has come into our midst and NO ONE knows what to do or how to get rid of it.  Its not a country. Its not a war. Its a particle that is 120 nm known as COVID19. 

We are in a pandemic people. 

To date it has killed over 600 THOUSAND people worldwide in less than a year.

Most of us have been locked away and cautious for MONTHS and its seems like its getting worse. 

These are facts you already know, so what is my point?

Its the end of July. I am an educator. 

This is time of year when people like me all over the country are preparing to go back to work with great anticipation, Pinterest ideas and full of gusto ready to see our students. 

I live in one of the hot spots, Jacksonville, Florida.  The center of a grueling debate of what to do about school openings. The commissioner of Florida's Department of Education has made an executive order (which I dont even think he can actually do legally) to mandate brick and mortar schools be open five days a week.  In a pandemic. In a state seething with the coronavirus. In the United States of America. Reasons given have been the need to support the minority and low income communities who have to work and depend on subsidized meals supplied by the schools.

Now in Florida (or the USA for that matter), when has this group of people ever been the reason for any concern on any issue? That's a whole other situation and post so I digress. 

So many educators, community members and parents have passionately voiced their opinions about their concerns and rage about returning to schools which left our school leaders with an impossible choice.  After many meetings and many public comments, the board and superintendent made their decision. Parents have 3 options and a delayed start:

1. Duval Homeroom

2. Hybrid (Virtual/Face to Face)

3. 5 day Face to Face

[For the complete plan: https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2020/07/23/duval-schools-reopening-plan-phases-students-back-after-rnc-keeps-virtual-options/ ]

The opinions are flying. Many are not pretty. 

Unlike many others, I sympathize with the choice that was made.I know there are countless variables like funding and laws that I dont know or understand. There is also a silent majority who are relying on schools being open. Decisions of employers and the government at the local, state and federal levels; people are choosing finances over safety.

Viruses dont just disappear. I have a degree in biochemistry and I've studied science for most of my education.  That's not how it works people. Immunity from antibodies are in question and the symptoms and affected groups are changing daily. 

We do know that those that have pre existing conditions and are of African decent are more susceptible.  Yet the decision to go back to school five days a week is to ensure children of those very communities are serviced?  This can't be life people. Make it make sense. Black Lives Matter, remember?

I love being an educator. I actually love and miss my students DEARLY. I want to wake up to a world where I can go back into school buildings with ease and change the lives of children through my teaching in the field of science.  

I love my job. 

But I dont want to die.

I dont want my colleagues to die. 

I dont want my students to die. 

I also dont want to complain without opening dialogue about solutions. 

I had a conversation with my best friend about what would have been done if we were kids and this was our parents.  We were fortunate enough to have a strong village. I believe with all my heart between our parents and my childhood church that they would've ensured we were educated and safe regardless of government mandates and school board decisions. 

[Cue Michael Jackson's They Dont Care About Us]

My old pastor and members of that dynamic community would've made rotation schedules, provisions for meals and would've banded together like VOLTRON to make it work while our parents worked. 

Where is the village?

Perhaps its not gone.

I dont live in that community anymore and many of those people have gone their separate ways or are no longer here but maybe we can make it happen right here in Duval. 

What if churches and community partners came together to make provisions to have virtual hubs for students to be social distanced and learning virtually?  What if those areas could be used to reduce class sizes to help slow the spread of this horrible disease?

Its not a perfect solution but its worth discussing.

Who would supervise?

Who would clean?

Will people be paid for their services?

Could we use paraprofessionals or other school employees to do it?

I dont know but someone does. We are better together. 

We have to mobilize and stop this "my four and no more" attitude. 

They have already deemed you as replaceable. They have counted the cost of some of us dying and they are comfortable enough with that to move forward.  

I am not in fear. Thats not my way but many are and my heart hurts for them. 

I am cautious. I am concerned. I want a better plan.  We deserve it.

Yet if they dont come up with one. We may have to come up with ways ourselves.

The community I come from has been having to do that since we were forced here.

Bring the village back!

Teachers are not your babysitters.  

We are parents, we have parents, we are siblings, friends and activists. 

We are educators and we make this world WORK. 

Sincerely Submitted,

A Concerned Educator