NEW ORLEANS — In roughly three weeks, many schools in the metro area are set to reopen and that’s causing different concerns for parents, politicians and teachers.
The concerns mostly depend on how they view the dangers of COVID-19.
President Trump has threatened to defund schools that will not reopen during the pandemic. He’s had a more relaxed view on COVID-19. Without diving into politics, Amanda McDaniels says the media has stirred up a lot of undue concern around the issue
“I believe schools need to resume as normal, with options of distance learning for other families that need that option,” McDaniels said.
Her son attends Patrick F. Taylor Academy in Jefferson Parish. She doesn’t believe students should be required to wear face masks when they go back to school.
“If I feel like it’s safer for my child not to wear a mask, then I should have the choice because I’m his parent,” McDaniels said.
Mary Howell has three children in Jefferson Parish Public Schools and feels very differently than McDaniels.
“I’m feeling very nervous about it, very concerned,” Howell said.
Howell says with COVID cases on the rise in Louisiana, the idea of having school in three weeks seems rushed and a bit reckless.
“The city cases are picking up again. If it were up to me, they should wait a while longer and do schooling online,” Howell said.
The Louisiana Federation of Teachers is now calling on administrators to mandate, not just recommend face masks when schools get back into session. It also conducted a survey and more than 13,000 members said they are worried about their safety in returning to schools that don’t have proper safety protocols.
We recently spoke with some teachers in New Orleans about the return to school. They say they want to be back in class with their students, but it has to be under the right conditions.
“There is such a level of uncertainty for everybody in the community,” said Talisha Bryan.
“There's nothing more that I'd love than to be in the classroom, see my kids, and be there to help facilitate their learning but I really don't think it's safe and healthy," Spring Mercadel said.
While many conservatives think otherwise, there are parents and teachers who are apprehensive about having hundreds of kids in one location. School leaders have less than three weeks to calm those fears.
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