The teachers must agree to open schools

We support them, and their issues, but the time is now

I understand this is going to be unpopular with some people. I am going there anyhow.

California public school teachers should go back to the classrooms so schools can open right away.

Sorry.

First off, let’s agree that public school teachers are underpaid, under-appreciated and under-supported. It is a tough, but tender, job and finding the right people, who do it and love it, is a gift.

No one doubts the commitment or the motivation. But the reality is California will not have in-school classes unless the teachers agree. And right now, that’s a hard no.

Of course, we can sympathize. They don’t want to jeopardize their health by going back with the pandemic still raging. You may have seen one of the signs at a protest: “I can’t teach from the grave.”

Among the bargaining chips, the large and powerful California Teachers Association is insisting that every teacher get a COVID vaccine before coming back to school.

I’d be all for that. And for putting teachers at the front of the line. But the reality is that there isn’t enough vaccine. They’re working on it, but it could be weeks or months before every teacher gets one.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who admittedly has political reasons to get schools open, nevertheless is correct when he says time is critical.

“If we wait for the perfect,” he said, “we might as well pack it up.”

(Disappointingly, Newsom missed the opportunity to say “We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Always a favorite among Gavin-watchers.)

Remarkably (at least to the author) this newsletter comes out once a week. And all you have to do is click this button and it will be delivered, free. What’s the downside?

But he’s right. Newsom is targeting this month to open schools. Any later and any credibility of a school year is lost. And he’s proposed a $2 billion “incentive” to opening. The time is now.

So, am I really saying teachers should go back, even if they haven’t been vaccinated?

I am.

After all, that’s what everyone else is doing. Supermarket checkers, pharmacy cashiers and public transit drivers all all working — while taking all prudent precautions of course.

I’d even argue that, with open dining now allowed, working in a restaurant may put you in more danger than a classroom. Waiters are dealing with a crowd of strangers at every meal, some of whom may not remember to put their mask back on when you deliver food to their table.

Recently, I had a long dental appointment. The dentist and assistant were leaning into my unmasked face. Of course, they had masks and shields, but that’s what you do.

Also, there’s science. Schools that have opened have not shown spikes in infection. A Centers for Disease Control study found, "There has been little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission.”

A study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics tracked 11 school districts and nearly 100,000 students and staff for 90 days. It found only 32 infections “acquired within schools (and) no instances of child-to-adult transmission . . . within the schools.”

Obviously, opening schools would mean strict adherence to Coronavirus protocols. But that’s what people are doing, all over the country.

Sharing a newsletter used to be such a pain. You had to find a group of monks to copy it on parchment, then attach it to a hawk to fly to your friend’s house. Much easier — just hit the button. For free.

Granted, it probably is exasperating for teachers to hear parents griping about having their kids at home. And no, you’re not a baby-sitting service.

But there are layers to this. Families make plans based on where their kids are. Knowing that schools were open would restore a bit of community life. It’s not selfish to want your child in school while you are at work. That’s how things were supposed to work.

It is also critical for students. All this time we’ve been telling kids to get off the video screen and experience life. And now, in these critical, formative years, we’re telling them to sit inside and interact virtually. It’s not good for anyone’s health, mental or physical.

Finally, one more factor. On the theory that one should never let a crisis go to waste, various teacher organizations are holding out for a wish list of changes and funding for things like class sizes, staffing levels and yes, even higher pay.

There were even reports that the California Teachers Association is saying teachers might not go back to some areas where infection levels are high, even if all of them were vaccinated. Which seems like a bridge too far.

But we get it. That’s how you negotiate. You get leverage and you use it to force concessions. And again, my guess is I’d support most of those proposals.

But now is the time to pull it back. Get what you can and then accept our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude when you go back to school.

I’ve been there. I taught English for four years, three in middle school and a year in high school. Thirty-five students a class, five classes a day and 20 minutes for lunch. It is the hardest job I ever had.

So yeah, I get how it might seem rich to some teachers — you ignore us, don’t pay us and don’t fund us, but now you want us to step up for the team?

Yep.

Contact C.W. Nevius at cwnevius@gmail.com. Suggestions and compliments gladly accepted. Criticism not so much. Twitter: @cwnevius