>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HAVE A GOOD ONE, MY FRIEND.
>> SPEAKING OF ARIZONA, THE
GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA WANTS SCHOOL
DISTRICTS TO REOPEN IN TWO
WEEKS, BUT A SMALL COMMUNITY, A
LITTLE OVER 100 MILES EAST OF
PHOENIX, HAS ALREADY LOST ONE
TEACHER TO CORONAVIRUS.
LOPEZ BIRD WAS TEACHING SUMMER
SCHOOL WHEN SHE GOT SICK.
SHE DIED ON JUNE 26th.
TWO OTHER TEACHERS GOT SICK AND
FOUR OTHER STAFF MEMBERS HAVE
THE VIRUS AND SIX MORE BEING
TESTED.
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THAT
DISTRICT SAID OPENING HIS
DISTRICT SAFELY IN TWO WEEKS IS
A FANTASY.
AND THAT SUPERINTENDENT JOINS ME
NOW.
IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON.
I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT AN INSANE
TIME THIS IS FOR YOU.
I WANT TO JUST READ WHAT YOU
SAID IN THIS OP-ED AND GET YOUR
REACTION TO WHERE YOUR HEAD IS
AT RIGHT NOW AS YOU ARE LOOKING
AT TWO WEEKS UNTIL SCHOOL IS
STARTING.
>> EVERY TIME I START TO PLAY
OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ON
AUGUST 17th, I GET SICK TO MY
STOMACH.
MORE THAN A QUARTER OF OUR
STUDENTS LIVE WITH GRANDPARENTS.
THERE IS NO WAY IT CAN BE SAFE.
DO YOU STILL FEEL THAT WAY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I HAVEN’T CHANGED MY FEELINGS ON
THAT.
I BELIEVE IF YOU BRING IN A
LARGE GROUP OF STUDENTS INTO A
CLASSROOM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS
JUST NO WAY THAT YOU’RE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM SAFE, AT
LEAST IN MY FEELING.
WE CANNOT EVEN KEEP THREE ADULT
TEACHERS THAT WERE DOING
EVERYTHING TO, YOU KNOW, TO THE
MASS
MASKS AND WIPING DOWN EVERYTHING
AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO KEEP ALL
THREE OF THEM SAFE.
HOW DO WE EXPECT THAT TO KEEP
KIDS IN A CLASSROOM?
I KNOW THEY MAY NOT TRANSMIT IT
AS MUCH, BUT I DON’T THINK WE
REALLY KNOW ENOUGH TO MAKE ME
FEEL COMFORTABLY THAT WE
WOULDN’T BE PUTTING AT RISK THE
GRANDPARENTS, AS I SAID IN
THERE.
AND THAT REALLY WORRIES ME
BECAUSE THESE FAMILIES ARE SO
CLOSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, YOU
KNOW, THE MULTIGENERATION
FAMILIES.
I CAN’T IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, THEM
GOING HOME AND GETTING THEIR
FAMILIES SICK, LIKE KIM’S
FAMILY.
ALL OF THEM CONTRACTED THE
VIRUS.
SO THAT’S WHAT I LOSE SLEEP
OVER, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT WORRY
THAT IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE
TO ME AT ALL, AS MANY TIMES AS I
PLAY IT OUT I JUST DON’T
UNDERSTAND WHAT OTHERS ARE
MISSING, YOU KNOW, THAT THINK
THAT THAT WOULD BE SAFE.
>> YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY -- YOU
TALKED ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT AND
THE FACT THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE
OF CHILDREN IN YOUR DISTRICT
QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED
LUNCH.
>> RIGHT.
>> THESE ARE KIDS THAT REALLY DO
NEED SCHOOL.
I MEAN, ALL KIDS NEED SCHOOL,
BUT YOU HAVE A FAIRLY
UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITY YOU
ARE SERVING.
I WONDER WHAT YOU THINK OF THE
ARGUMENT THAT THERE IS GOING TO
BE SOME RISKS BUT SCHOOL IS JUST
SO IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY FOR
CHILDREN WHO ARE FROM LOWER
INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST
GOT TO DO IT.
>> YOU KNOW, I HEAR THAT
ARGUMENT, AND I -- I DON’T KNOW
HOW TEACHING WITH A TEACHER
SCARED TO DEATH IN FRONT OF
PLEXIGLASS AND THE KIDS SPREAD
OUT SIX FEET AND THEY’RE SCARED
HOW THAT’S GOING TO BE.
I THINK THERE IS STILL GOING TO
BE A GAP THERE.
AND I THINK IF WE’RE NOW
PROVIDING QUALITY DISTANCE
LEARNING, THAT MEANS LIKE WE’RE
TALKING RIGHT NOW, WE THINK THAT
WITH THE TRAINING, AND THAT’S
HOW KIDS ARE GOING TO BE
LEARNING IN THE FUTURE, SO I’M
TRYING TO FIND THE SILVER LINING
IN THERE THAT USING THOSE TOOLS
ARE GOING TO MAKE THEM 21st
CENTURY LEARNERS.
I KNOW THE LITTLE ONES ARE THE
MOST CHALLENGES.
>> YES.
>> BUT THIS IS OUR WORLD WAR II.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE
HAVE TO DO TO, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP
OUR FAMILIES SAFE.
I CANNOT LOSE ANOTHER TEACHER,
STAFF MEMBER, A GRANDMA, A
GRANDPA.
THAT’S WHAT WORRIES ME MOST,
THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN
AGAIN.
AND WE’RE NOT OVER LOSING KIM.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD ZOOM
GRIEVANCE COUNSELING, AND THAT
JUST DOESN’T DO IT AND EVERYONE
IS STILL HURTING.
>> YEAH.
I CAN IMAGINE HOW DEVASTATING
THAT HAS BEEN FOR YOU AND FOR
ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN YOUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT OBVIOUSLY TO