After completing my 37th year as an educator, there are two universal truths. First, everyone is an educational expert, no matter how experienced, inexperienced, or genuinely knowledgeable of the education system. Second, the words “global pandemic” did not (until this year) appear in any teacher-training manual or classes. Nevertheless, many educational experts call for schools to “fully open” and be “fully operational” as soon as August. There are thousands of educators in the region who want to be back with their students on a regular basis. After all, what we live for is teaching our students! That said, no educator is interested in running into a classroom or school without some serious considerations given to basic questions of safety for everyone.

Also read: POINT | Reopening schools best serves our kids

One of the changes in education in my career has been the move toward increasing student and staff safety within the schools. The number of tragic assaults in schools has led to serious changes in how schools are now protected. Many schools have armed security guards, cameras; students and staff need to have identifications on them at all times; there are metal detectors and closed campuses. Those are just a few of the safety changes brought about in the last 20 years. Why would we not take seriously the concerns for the safety of our school communities amid COVID-19?

Our students are part of several communities within our region. Those communities begin in the homes, where parents, siblings and extended family members all live together. In addition to schools, many students are members of faith organizations, scouts, athletic teams, bands, dance and drama ensembles, and other private and public groups. It is not just the schools that are affected by decisions to “fully open” – those decisions will reverberate within many different aspects of our region and communities. Are the educational experts willing to place the entire community at risk for spreading the disease just to “fully open” the schools?

Many unknown issues carry potential consequences. What happens if one teacher in a classroom contracts COVID? Is the entire class then quarantined for 14 days to check for transmission? If so, how will those students be taught? What happens if an outbreak occurs in a school cafeteria setting? Is the entire school then closed? How will contact tracing occur? What happens if…the questions go on and on.

I strongly urge that the elected leaders and the educational experts consider the wide-ranging impact on all of our communities in opening the schools. Every care needs to be given to keeping our students, staff and community safe. It may mean that school does not look like it did at the start of the 2019-20 school year – but then again, school looks very different than it did when I started teaching in 1983-84. Everyone in the community needs to be ready to help our students if it means that most everyone should wear a mask, wash and sanitize their hands, and be flexible in scheduling; then so be it. Educators have long adapted to the needs of the community, but that does not mean that we are willing to place ourselves or our students at risk.

We are willing and ready to do our part – but we need the community to do its part and support a safe reopening. That would mean educator voices should be heeded; safety protections need to be provided; equitable access to an educational program for students and families needs to be adopted, and there must be community engagement and transparency regarding COVID-19. The safety of the entire community is at stake.

Anton Schulzki is a longtime social studies educator. The views presented here are his own and do not represent the views of organizations of which he a member.