So, How's That Whole "Going Back To School In-Person" Working Out for America?

By Jodi Smith | Social Media | August 25, 2020 |

By Jodi Smith | Social Media | August 25, 2020 |

In-person schooling began for a lot of districts around the country, as well as college campuses, in the last couple of weeks. My kid’s school is offering parents a choice and she will start the year off strictly online. I felt bad about doing this to her, robbing her of interaction with her peers for another unknown amount of time. Then I checked Twitter and saw that I really made the right decision, especially since I’m in Ohio.

It isn’t so much the “being in class with other students while wearing masks” as it is “congregating after practices and at parties without masks” that’s the problem. Although, the amount of touching and weird things kids do with their masks is probably going to come into play very soon.

SCHOOL OPENING OUTBREAK: Ohio State University issued interim suspensions to 228 students, becoming the latest university to discipline students for violating guidelines to stem the spread of coronavirus on campus.https://t.co/HwQVUtzO7I

— Cleavon MD (@Cleavon_MD) August 25, 2020

Six days after classes began, the University of Alabama has experienced an "unacceptable rise" in coronavirus cases, the university's president says https://t.co/3samuaszz2

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) August 25, 2020

Oxford, Ohio - “Miami University learned that as of Monday, 27 student-athletes from various teams tested positive for COVID-19, the county health district said in a statement. Many had attended an off-campus social gathering, over a week ago.”https://t.co/Il6jkF7WkH

— Steven Harp (@StevenHarp_) August 25, 2020

I mean:

Florida not to be outdone by Georgia colleges opening. University of North Georgia pic.twitter.com/kvdemgo8KV

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) August 17, 2020

Think schools are "safe" from #COVID19, even with ''precautions'' ?

In USA, Georgia College reopened.

They have since had 370 cases.

THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY.

It is unknown how many second- and third- tier cases have been caused.https://t.co/76LLT9nr4t pic.twitter.com/Jw3sc2dK5R

— John O'Connell (@jdpoc) August 24, 2020

Texas colleges already seeing COVID-19 cases as classes begin https://t.co/ehaKIF1cUy

— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) August 25, 2020

Last week, Mississippi had COVID outbreaks in schools in roughly half the counties in the state.

This week, the state health director says there are now outbreaks in schools in 71 out of the state’s 82 counties.

This really isn’t working. https://t.co/6EqoULHAFV

— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) August 18, 2020

It’s all so overwhelming in a sea of unmitigated trashfire to have to decide between sending children and young adults back to schools due to state laws making it mandatory or the inability of parents to work from home. There is no happy answer. The kids staying home are losing out on interaction with the kind of learning environment that most of them thrive in while others can’t even get online at all. The kids and young adults that go to in-person classes are hoping that everyone takes precautions and must worry about catching something, taking it home to their families or dorm, and spreading it around.

It’s a no-win situation when we know that, even if it is a low number of deaths from infection, there is no way to tell how someone will react to contracting the virus. Even if there are no harmful side effects, the long-term repercussions of COVID-19 remain a mystery until more time has passed. Damn, this isn’t even getting into the teachers and their forgotten roles within the schools and colleges.

While most people argue that kids are more likely to come out of the virus fine, it tends to ignore the teachers and professors that have pre-existing conditions that may be exacerbated by the virus. It ignores their families at home, hoping their loved one doesn’t bring the virus home to them. I don’t want my husband to die, y’all. I want us all to be safe. Is that so much to ask?