Knox County Schools opened the doors once again on Thursday,
February 21. For three days, students and teachers received an unofficial
vacation as custodial staffs slaved away in efforts to scrub away the flu that
had afflicted scores of folks.
Without a doubt, many parents were incensed that schools
closed. They were inconvenienced with that decision. Arriving to work became an
almost impossible task for some. One parent had to stay home to watch over
younger children. To complicate the problem, most daycare centers run on the
same schedule as the schools. Moms and dads decided who would stay with
children, or they divided the chore so that neither lost too many days of
personal leave.
The complaints of parents is normal; however, they might
need to understand the problems that arise at such times. The most obvious is
the one that deals with the illness itself. Students arrive at school not
feeling particularly well. Within a few hours, they are fever-ridden; some
sneeze and cough, acts that spread the virus across surfaces. Perhaps the
outbreak would have been held in check if more parents made sure children
received flu vaccines, but these days, immunizations are too often viewed as
“suggestions” instead of necessities.
Another reason for shutting the doors of schools involves
teachers. When teachers are ill, they have no business going to work. No
instructor can effectively run a class when she is ill. Besides, ill teachers
also spread “bugs.” A sick adult is asking for trouble when he sits in a class
and runs the risk that a serious problem arises. Sapped of strength, the
individual finds actively intervening in bad
At the same time, a shortage of teachers sometimes leads to
classes being combined. Not much teaching can be achieved when one person is
overseeing his students, as well as those of another teacher. Of course,
jamming even more students together in a room only increases the chances of
spreading the flu.
Another determining factor concerns substitute teachers.
They, too, fall ill to the viruses that invade a school. Those people are the
last line of defense. When a shortage of subs hits and scads of teachers are
ill, no one is available to cover any classes.
With all of those things working together, the only action for
schools to take is the closing of buildings. Doing so causes problems for
parents. At the same time, however, teachers are pressured to cover materials
that are included in year-end testing. They fret that student scores will be
lowered because they haven’t learned materials, and teachers also know that
their own performance evaluations are influenced by their students’ scores.
Students might like the break, but they also miss out on
participation in school sports and other activities. When schools are closed,
things associated with the school are supposed to be suspended. At the same
time, it takes little time for students to grow bored by being stuck at home.
They are social creatures and enjoy the interactions with friends, but that is
interrupted when the doors are closed.
I feel for parents who have to hustle to find ways to make
their lives run smoothly, both at home and at work. I was lucky to have taught
school and to have been on the same schedule as my children. Let’s hope that
moms and dads understand the decisions of schools when they close in order to
safeguard their children.
Now it appears that the floods around Knoxville will cause
more inconveniences for families. However, this time, many folks will stay home
together since the waters are so high they can’t leave their subdivisions. All
can take deep breaths and try to make the best of an unusual situation. Try to
enjoy the together and know that this, too, shall pass.
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