@ISIDEWITHQuestionsDomestic PolicyStarted 4yrs agoActive 1mo ago

Should the state government order schools to provide online only classes in order to combat coronavirus?

In July 2020 many US School districts were ordered to be closed for in-person instruction for the Fall 2020 semester. The closures were mandated by Governors and Mayors who responded to concerns from public school teacher unions. Proponents of school closings argue that cities that closed schools earlier and longer during the Spanish Influenza pandemic in 1918 had much lower mortality rate. They also argue that schools do not have the financial resources to adapt to safety guidelines recommended by the CDC. Opponents of school closures argue that people under 24 years of age make up approximately % .0015 of all Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. They also argue that in the U.S. every year an average of 190 children die of the flu, 436 from suicide, 625 from homicide, and 4,114 from unintentional deaths such as drowning.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 207 Colorado voters.

54%
Yes
46%
No
49%
Yes
40%
No
5%
Yes, and provide free internet access to low income families
3%
No, let each school decide
0%
Yes, but not to exceed 90 days
3%
No, unless there is an uncontrollable outbreak
0%
Yes, we cannot put teachers at risk

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 207 Colorado voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 207 Colorado voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Colorado voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @84ZWD6L  from Pennsylvania  answered…1yr1Y

No, school districts should invest in infrastructure to safely allow schools to remain open with enough resources and testing to address any kids or family members who get infected

 @7PTCG38  from Wisconsin  answered…1yr1Y

Yes, but let each individual state decide based upon their rates of contracted cases and hospitalizations

 @8FW8S77 from Arizona  answered…4yrs4Y

i believe that we should close schools until there is a for sure way of keeping kids and teachers safe

 @8FS3LQK from Pennsylvania  answered…4yrs4Y

With or without the virus, the state should provide an online option for K-12 schools to make it easier for parents to home school their children.

 @8FRXXGB from Colorado  answered…4yrs4Y

Online classes until adequate measures can be taken to protect and provide ppe for students and teachers. Provide internet access to low income families

 @8FRGZJL from South Carolina  answered…4yrs4Y

No, it is under everybody's discretion whether to attend a live class or not. There should be an option for both.

 @8FRGPH9 from Utah  answered…4yrs4Y

Depends on each state and county’s issue and state of emergency

 @8FR8P7D from North Carolina  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes if the percentage in the area they live in is above 5%.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…9mos9MO

School Closures Did Not Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

Today, there is broad acknowledgment among many public health and education experts that extended school closures did not significantly stop the spread of Covid, while the academic harms for children have been large and long-lasting.In districts where students spent most of the 2020-21 school year learning remotely, they fell more than half a grade behind in math on average, while in districts that spent most of the year in person they lost just over a third of a grade.“There’s fairly good consensus that, in general, as a society, we probably kept kids out of school longer than we should have,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, a pediatric infectious disease specialist who helped write guidance for the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommended in June 2020 that schools reopen with safety measures in place.There were no easy decisions at the time. Officials had to weigh the risks of an emerging virus against the academic and mental health consequences of closing schools. And even schools that reopened quickly, by the fall of 2020, have seen lasting effects.But as experts plan for the next public health emergency, whatever it may be, a growing body of research shows that pandemic school closures came at a steep cost to students.But the combination — poverty and remote learning — was particularly harmful. For each week spent remote, students in poor districts experienced steeper losses in math than peers in richer districts.That is notable, because poor districts were also more likely to stay remote for longer.Some of the country’s largest poor districts are in Democratic-leaning cities that took a more cautious approach to the virus. Poor areas, and Black and Hispanic communities, also suffered higher Covid death rates, making many families and teachers in those districts hesitant to return.

▲  2422 replies1 agree1 disagree

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Active 4 days ago

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…7mos7MO

Should the government incentivize the construction of affordable housing?

No

▲  378 replies3 disagree