JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AASA, the school superintendents association, issued a joint statement Friday on the safe return of students, teachers and staff to school this fall.
Our organizations are committed to doing everything we can so that all students have the opportunity to safely resume in-person learning,” according to the statement. “Educators and pediatricians share the goal of children returning safely to school this fall.”
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A spokesperson for the pediatrics association said schools provide children with healthy meals and exercise and contribute to their mental health -- important aspects of their lives that pediatricians say can’t be replicated online.
Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday sounded a similar theme.
“It’s absolutely essential that we get our kids back into classrooms for in-person learning. We can’t let our kids fall behind academically,” Pence said.
Pediatricians added that science should drive the decision making on safely reopening schools, urging public health agencies to make recommendations based on evidence and not politics.
The group also wrote: “In schools in areas with high levels of COVID-19 community spread, schools should not be compelled to reopen against the judgment of local experts. A one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for return to school decisions.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics said schools provide another need of children, saying: “Schools also play a critical role in addressing racial and social inequality. The pandemic is also especially hard on families who rely on school lunches, have children with disability or lack access to the internet or health care.”
The group of pediatricians also says the pandemic has reminded many of us of something that we may or may not have taken for granted; that educators are invaluable in children’s lives and that schools offer a wide array of health and educational benefits.