Thread by @freddieoconnell

Last week, our family decided, with full participation of our 9yo in the discussion, to return to school in person as soon as @MetroSchools offers it for 4th grade.

Why? A few reasons.

Principally, in a household with an evidence-based pediatrician, we’re attentive to the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation:

services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-…

The part in bold is this: “the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”

But read the rest. For instance, “The AAP strongly recommends that school districts promote racial/ethnic and social justice by promoting the well-being of all children in any school-reopening plan, particularly children living in marginalized communities.”

And: “To address these disparities, federal, state, and local governments should allocate resources to provide equitable access to educational supports.”

Another big reason, is that our 9yo’s teacher really wants to do in-person learning. As a teacher, she thinks it’s the most effective type of instruction.

And, ultimately, our 9yo wants to return. She’s understandably anxious. She’s not looking forward to wearing a mask all day. And she’s worried about contracting or spreading #COVID19. These are reasonable concerns.

But we have confidence in @EakinEagles and @MetroSchools to #OpenSafely.