Hundreds of thousands of students were forced to return to remote learning on Thursday, as unions shut 4,783 schools - a record for the past year - and some states and cities took drastic measures to keep their children in education.
Of the 98,000 schools in the U.S., 4783 were not offering in-person learning on one or more days during the week beginning January 2, according to the Burbio tracker.
The number includes 653 Chicago schools that canceled classes on Thursday after 73 percent of Chicago Teachers' Union members voted to suspend in-person teaching - to the fury of the mayor, Lori Lightfoot.
Classes will be cancelled for a third straight day in Chicago on Friday, it was announced on Thursday evening, as the stalemate continued.
Chicago on Thursday announced schools would be closed for the third day in a row. The Jahn School of Fine Arts is pictured empty after Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third-largest school district, said it would cancel classes since the teachers' union voted in favor of a return to remote learning
A sign taped to the front door of Pulaski International School of Chicago on Wednesday reads: School Closed
Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey also saw large numbers of schools close, as the Omicron surge left classrooms without teachers.
The closures came as the latest data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that, in the last 12 months, only 823 people under the age of 18 have died from COVID-19 nationwide.
Among school age children, from five to 18, the figure was just 573.
Political leaders in some areas were aggressively pushing back against the closures.
New York City's new mayor, Eric Adams, insisted that his school district - the largest in the nation, with almost a million students - would remain open.
The governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, announced on Tuesday that parents would be given up to $7,000 to help their children stay in school, with the money available for private education if desired.
Ducey, a Republican, said that his 'Open for Learning Recovery Benefit' program would assist parents who face 'financial and educational barriers due to unexpected school closures.'
Doug Ducey, the governor of Arizona, on Thursday appeared on Fox News to explain the $7,000 for parents
It can be used for things like child care and online tutoring, in addition to enrollment in private schools.
'We're making sure in-person learning remains an option for all Arizona families and students. That's why we're taking preemptive action and launching the Open for Learning Recovery Benefit,' he tweeted on Tuesday.
'With the new Open for Learning Recovery Benefit program, if a school closes for even one day, students and families who meet the income requirements will have access to instruction that best meets their needs.
'It funds up to $7,000 for needs related to approved child care, school-coordinated transportation, online tutoring and school tuition.
'We will continue to work with families, public health experts and school leaders to ensure our kids can stay in the classroom and parents have a choice – always.'
On Thursday, Ducey told Fox News: 'Arizona kids are going to stay in their classroom and we are not going to let the union thugs play Chicago-like games in Arizona.
'So when they made that threat, and they reached out to try to shut down our schools, we are going to give parents the financial flexibility to take their child to the school of their choice, if a school shuts down for even one day.
'So we want to empower our families.'
Ducey's initiative was applauded by fellow Republicans Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, and Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida.
'Governor Ducey's announcement that Arizona will give the education money to parents if their school is closed is the most creative response yet to the teachers union putting children last. Chicago should follow his lead,' said Gingrich.
Bush tweeted: 'Good move, Governor Ducey!'
The school closures have infuriated parents, especially coming after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its quarantine recommendations.
The CDC shortened the quarantine period for people with COVID-19 from 10 days to five days, but only if someone is asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving - meaning they are without fever for 24 hours.
The end of quarantine must be followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others, to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.
Furthermore, children who have been exposed to COVID are now, according to the CDC update, allowed to remain in class provided they test negative.
The school closures come as pediatricians warn of the lasting damage done to a child's health by not being in school.
'Young people have endured so much throughout this pandemic and while much of the attention is often placed on its physical health consequences, we cannot overlook the escalating mental health crisis facing our patients,' said Dr Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in October.
In 2020, the percentage of emergency department visits for mental health emergencies rose by 24 percent for children between the ages of 5 and 11, and 31 percent for those 12 to 17, compared with 2019.
Furthermore, closing schools for COVID-19 could cost about $700 billion in lost revenue and productivity, according to a Barrons analysis - representing 3.5 percent of GDP.
Post a Comment