Geez. People don’t want to admit that SARS2 infections could very well be playing a much bigger role here.
My kids started last school year with it. One of my kids wasn’t fully vaccinated when we got it and his immune system wasn’t up to speed when he caught other stuff floating around a few weeks later.
He missed A LOT of school that first half of the year.
And don’t get me started on the doctor appointments I’ve needed to reschedule to in-school hours because DOCTORS have gotten sick at a rate I’ve never seen before.
Then there are the after-affects that can and do happen after the acute illness is over: brain fog, dysautonomia, fatigue.
It’s real. It happens to kids. It affects attendance.
And speaking from personal experience, Long COVID can affect how much reading and mathing you’re capable of.
Yet we aren’t doing squat to keep kids from getting sick. Or teachers. Long COVID affects more women of child-bearing age -- which most educators are.
The MAGA parents and administrators who are driving quality teachers away with their book bans and accusations is playing a huge role. “Leaders” are jumping on this bandwagon because blaming teachers, “lockdowns,” and masks is easier than accepting reality and doing the work to demand money for cleaner air or enforce suggested mitigation strategies.
There is a lot that needs fixing. But we need to acknowledge some hard truths and reality, and too many people on EVERY side would rather keep their heads in the sand and blame someone, or something, else.
A faction of people insisted we had to “live with” COVID -- but without mitigation.
That’s enabling a massive disabling event.
COVID changed the scene and kids, once again, are paying the price of the selfishness and shortsightedness of adults.
Geez. People don’t want to admit that SARS2 infections could very well be playing a much bigger role here.
My kids started last school year with it. One of my kids wasn’t fully vaccinated when we got it and his immune system wasn’t up to speed when he caught other stuff floating around a few weeks later.
He missed A LOT of school that first half of the year.
And don’t get me started on the doctor appointments I’ve needed to reschedule to in-school hours because DOCTORS have gotten sick at a rate I’ve never seen before.
Then there are the after-affects that can and do happen after the acute illness is over: brain fog, dysautonomia, fatigue.
It’s real. It happens to kids. It affects attendance.
And speaking from personal experience, Long COVID can affect how much reading and mathing you’re capable of.
Yet we aren’t doing squat to keep kids from getting sick. Or teachers. Long COVID affects more women of child-bearing age -- which most educators are.
The MAGA parents and administrators who are driving quality teachers away with their book bans and accusations is playing a huge role. “Leaders” are jumping on this bandwagon because blaming teachers, “lockdowns,” and masks is easier than accepting reality and doing the work to demand money for cleaner air or enforce suggested mitigation strategies.
There is a lot that needs fixing. But we need to acknowledge some hard truths and reality, and too many people on EVERY side would rather keep their heads in the sand and blame someone, or something, else.
A faction of people insisted we had to “live with” COVID -- but without mitigation.
That’s enabling a massive disabling event.
COVID changed the scene and kids, once again, are paying the price of the selfishness and shortsightedness of adults.
Good article, Marty. Please spell out some of your abbreviations at first use. TTFN