The school district that I live in did not plan out how many Internet hotspots and laptops to get students in need, even though parents (or guardians) needed to fill out three forms expressing interest in one or both of them, and that counted actually showing up to their child’s school to fill out an additional form. Because of this, and the fact that some students were not able to complete assignments because they did not have one or both of these items, the district decided to open their doors a week earlier than they had originally intended to for those who wanted to send their students back to school for in-person instruction. The superintendent here has practically been chomping at the bit to fling the school doors back open and resume instruction, and he’s actually had to be prevented from doing so by executive order from the governor and order from a judge within days of planning to do so. Needless to say, I do not trust this district or the decisions that they make about children at all because they have made it abundantly clear that their primary motivation is securing federal funding by having their doors open, even — especially — during a global pandemic that has claimed the lives that it has. The district says that interested parents can continue to have their child participate in virtual learning if they want, but that doesn’t make the whole thing any better.

The fact that they are, and have been, desperate to fling their doors open during a global pandemic is what bothers me about all of this. This is how desperate this district is about securing access to federal funds…

And this is how desperate this country is as a whole to “get kids back to school” and “get back to work”.