This is a petition to every Governor, especially Governor Andrew Cuomo, to reopen all schools in the fall.

We are already hearing whispers that schools may not open in the fall due to COVID-19, and this is unacceptable as the students continue to be short-changed. Unfortunately, too many people believe distance education is a viable alternative, and as a full-time Associate Professor with 15 years of teaching experience, I can tell you that distance education is not education. In fact, it is a scam of epic proportions.

Continued school closures will have a detrimental impact on students, parents, and faculty, but students will be the ones to suffer the most. If we are being honest, distance education does not mean students are learning. We witnessed this in the spring, and many students will enter the Fall school year at a clear disadvantage because most fell behind with distance education. It became overwhelming for students, parents, and teachers. In some cases, students gave up. In other cases, parents were completing the student's work.

As someone that teaches in both the in-person classroom environment and the online environment, I can tell you from personal experience that the critical components to education, particularly learning and the ability to think critically, are nonexistent in online platforms. Not only are students learning less, but they are also forgetting much of what they have learned. Even top-tier students are falling behind. Also, there is virtually no real interaction between faculty members and students. Because of this limited interaction, parents have to become full-time teachers even though many parents have not been trained as educators.

Keeping schools closed will have a disastrous impact on the student body, both in K-12 and Higher Education.

• First, parents may not have the education levels necessary to teach their children as they may be unfamiliar with the subject material.
• Second, a growing number of students come from single parent households. These students will be at particular risk because the parent has enough going on just trying to put food on the table. They may not have the ability to stay on top of their child(ren). Distance education requires an extraordinary amount of self-discipline that many children and young adults lack.
• Thirdly, students in lower socioeconomic areas are at the greatest risk because they may not have English speaking parents. They may not have the technological capabilities. Most importantly, they may not have the family structure conducive to safe academic environment. These parents are unable to afford private tutors.
• Fourth, even middle-class households face challenges. Most homes have one computer. What happens when a parent has 2-4 children in school? What happens if parents also has to work remotely?
• Fifth, parents with special needs children are at a severe disadvantaged because they are not trained or equipped with the necessary tools to teach their children. This is one of the most vulnerable communities, and we risk pushing these students back to a point where they may never be able to catch-up.
• Sixth, most students between the ages of 11-21 lack the self-discipline required in distance education, and that’s one of the biggest challenges. Distance education requires an extraordinary amount of self-discipline. That’s why when it was first rolled out many years ago, it was geared towards those seeking graduate degrees or professional development. It was geared towards those that already have careers and have self-discipline.
• Finally, many assume that children come from safe homes. The fact is that schools serve as a safe place. Teachers are one of the first people to become aware of child abuse. If schools remain closed, how many children will be locked down with their perpetrators where rampant abuse will occur on a nonstop basis?

As faculty members, we guide, mentor, and push our students to explore thoughts and ideas. We challenge them to open their minds, to ask questions, and to back up their arguments with evidence. We encourage them to think critically. They are not robots and they shouldn’t be trained as such. No technology in the world can replace the passion students and teachers have for the subject material.

As trained teachers, we learn to recognize body language. We learn to understand our students. When the semester ends, our relationship with many students continues as they are constantly coming back for advice and guidance. I have students from over ten years ago that will still reach out to me with questions they have about a topic, an issue or a problem.

Over the years, the challenges with students and education have become more widespread, and that’s in a normal environment. As smartphones, social media, and technology have advanced and become the norm, students have grown more socially inept. Many are unable to and are noticeably uncomfortable in social situations, and the levels of anxiety and depression amongst our youth have increased dramatically according to studies by the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. Factor in the school closures in the Spring, and many parents have witnessed a change in their child(ren) behavior. Anxiety and depression are increasing due to a lack of social interaction with their peers.

We are creating conditions where our children are being negatively impacted by the continued closures. Isolating children, and being home day in and day out produces a very unhealthy environment.

We are constantly told to limit screen time for our children. That too much screen time is really unhealthy. Now we expect our children to be on the computer for 6-8 hours a day. How is that healthy for the children? We are told we have to believe in science. Well, the science is in. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that the goal of all State and local governments should be “having students physically present in school.” A study in Iceland did not find one instance where a child 10 years old or younger transmitted COVID to an adult. Another study in Australia found transmission rates within a school at .23%. The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health has warned about continued school closures. And there is a myriad of other studies by reputable universities and organizations that say the same thing.

So, which is it? Do you believe in Science or only the Science that supports a particular narrative?

The reality is we can reopen schools and ensure safety. I have a background in emergency management as well. All my training and experience has allowed me to understand that risk can never be eliminated, but it can be mitigated with effective strategies. Desks can be socially distanced. Masks should not be required of the children, and teachers should not have to wear a mask if standing at the front of the classroom. However, teachers should have a mask ready to go when they are closely interacting with a student(s).

We can also implement strategies where classes can be taught outside as long as weather permits, and the school is in a safe environment. All students can be required to have sanitizer. And schools should have to undergo a thorough cleaning every few days. If hotspots emerge, schools can take further safety measures. In addition, for students, parents, faculty members and administrators that are high-risk, exemptions can be put in place and alternatives can be developed for those individuals. If a parent is uncomfortable sending their child to school, they should have the option to homeschool, and alternatives can be developed for them as well.

Teachers, administrators, unions, and school support staff should all be supporting this because the push for distance education began long before COVID-19. There are powerful forces within the technology industry that are attempting to usurp the power away from educators. Governor Cuomo has already expressed his willingness to allow the tech industry to take over the education system. Understand that nearly all the officials making these decisions have never managed a classroom environment, and most do not understand the faculty-student dynamic.

The longer the schools remain closed, the risk of teaching, as a profession, increases. The longer the schools remain closed, the more many will say that the old way of teaching is obsolete, and many governments will be tempted to do away with the in-person classroom environment because of the amount of money it will save the governments. This is a threat of epic proportions and everyone needs to pushback.

Our education system was suffering long before COVID-19, and reforms were already necessary given the results of student performance. We need to reform education as a whole, but that is a different topic for a different day. However, the longer the schools remain closed, the more likely the education system will never recover.

While technology is an important part of our lives, I don’t think it should be at the forefront of education. Technology can’t replace the importance of the teacher-student relationship. Technology can’t replace the social relationships and connections the students build throughout their academic careers. Technology cannot replace the passion of students and faculty, nor can it replace the clubs, the awards, and many other things that only an in-person educational experience can bring.

If schools remain closed, then why do I have to pay school taxes. Taxes are part of an unspoken contract that government will take our money and provide basic services like education. If parents have to become the full-time educators, then we should be receiving a 70% reduction of our property taxes and a reduction in our state income tax. If parents are doing the job of the state and local governments, then they should be paid for it through tax reductions.