Parents and teachers are in agreement: They expect to see schools reopen this fall, and they’re apprehensive about the idea.
USA Today Tuesday published results from two parallel polls on public education and the coronavirus pandemic:
- Fifty-nine percent of parents said they will pursue keeping their kids out of a traditional classroom, either by enrolling their kids in online courses or by home-schooling. Parents from lower income households and parents of color were more likely to embrace these alternatives.
- Meanwhile, nearly 20 percent of teachers said they were unlikely to teach in the fall. For teachers over the age of 55, that number approached the 25 percent mark.
- About four in 10 parents and teachers say classrooms should not reopen before a coronavirus vaccine is available.
Still, parents and teachers seemed to be in agreement on two possible solutions, USA Today reported. By roughly two-thirds majorities, parents and teachers supported a blended school model, splitting time between in-class instruction and distance learning. By similar majorities, both groups also supported allowing teachers at highest risk of developing COVID-19 to teach online.
