BUT OTHERS SAY THE RISK OF COVID
OUTWEIGHS THE BENEFITS.
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS
MORNING IS SENSITIVE.
THE GREAT DEBATE OVER WHETHER TO
SEND KIDS BACK TO IN-PERSON
SCHOOL.
CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA, IT’S NOT
EVEN REQUEST AA QUESTION.
>> IT IS A PRIORITY TO BRING
NORMALCY TO OUR CHILDREN AND
FAMILY.
>> Reporter: SINCE THE DISTRICT
SWITCHED TO REMOTE LEARNING LAST
MARCH, THEY’VE HAD 19 STUDENTS
TAKE THEIR OWN LIVES.
>> WE LOST ANOTHER KID SATURDAY.
>> Reporter: THIS SATURDAY?
I’M SO SORRY.
THE YOUNGEST, A THIRD GRADER,
JUST 9 YEARS OLD.
WITH VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR NEARLY
A YEAR, JARA SAYS STUDENTS HAVE
SLIPPED ACADEMICALLY, LOST TIME
WITH FRIENDS, AND HAVE NO
FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH
TEACHERS OR STAFF WHO CAN HELP
THEM IN CRISIS.
IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHY SOMEONE
TAKES THEIR LIFE, BUT DO YOU
PERSONALLY THINK THERE IS A LINK
BETWEEN VIRTUAL SCHOOLING AND
THE NUMBER OF SUICIDES YOU’VE
HAD?
>> I THINK THERE’S A FACTOR
INVOLVED IN THIS, YES.
I BELIEVE SO.
>> Reporter: IN WHAT SENSE?
>> I THINK THAT -- I THINK THE
ISOLATION.
I THINK THE KIDS REACHING OUT,
THEY DON’T HAVE THAT VEHICLE IN
SCHOOL RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THERE IS A FACTOR.
ANECDOTALLY, I BELIEVE THERE IS.
>> Reporter: LILY VIA SAYS HER
ANXIETY GOT WORSE AFTER
IN-PERSON CLASSES STOPPED NEARLY
A YEAR AGO.
>> ALWAYS HAD SOMEONE PHYSICALLY
NEXT TO ME.
I’D ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE I COULD
PHYSICALLY TALK TO WITHOUT
HAVING TO DIAL THEIR NUMBER OR
TEXT THEM THROUGH SNAPCHAT.
NOW, I’M JUST WITH MY CAT IN MY
ROOM.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL A LOT
OF UNCERTAINTY RIGHT NOW?
IS THAT PART OF THE ANXIETY?
>> YES.
I’M IN MY SUNJUNIOR YEAR.
I’M PLANNING TO TAKE THE
S.A.T.s.
I’M DOING COLLEGE SEARCHES.
RIGHT NOW, I’M NOT LEARNING.
I’M NOT RETAINING ANY
INFORMATION.
>> Reporter: ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
42% OF STUDENTS ARE ATTENDING
SCHOOLS THAT ARE VIRTUAL ONLY.
CHICAGO WANTS TO OPEN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING
NEXT WEEK, BUT THE CITY’S
TEACHERS UNION IS REFUSING TO
RETURN.
FOR YOU, THE BENEFITS OF GETTING
KIDS IN THE BUILDING, WHAT THEY
MIGHT GET FROM IT, DOESN’T
OUTWEIGH THE DANGERS?
>> AT THIS POINT, IT DOES NOT.
>> Reporter: LORI TORRES IS A
MOTHER OF THREE, AND VIRTUAL
LEARNING HASN’T BEEN EASY.
SHE’S ALSO A SPANISH TEACHER FOR
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH
GRADE.
>> IF WE MOVE QUICKLY, ARE WE
PREPARED FOR THE DAMAGE IT COULD
CAUSE?
ARE WE PREPARED FOR HOW MANY
KIDS WILL GET SICK?
ARE WE PREPARED FOR HOW MANY
TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS WILL
GET SICK?
BECAUSE IT WILL HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: THE CITY POINTS TO
A STUDY OF CHICAGO CATHOLIC
SCHOOL STUDENTS BACK IN THE
CLASSROOM, THAT FOUND IN-PERSON
LEARNING POSES A LOW RISK OF
COVID TRANSMISSION.
EVEN LOWER THAN THE RISK IN THE
BROADER COMMUNITY.
THE UNION SAYS THE CATHOLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM IS MUCH DIFFERENT
THAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND THEY SAY SINCE PRE-K AND
KIDS WITH DISABILITIES WENT BACK
TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THERE HAVE
ALREADY BEEN POSITIVE CASES AT
MORE THAN 60 FACILITIES.
PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS ASKED ABOUT
THE SITUATION IN CHICAGO MONDAY.
>> THE TEACHERS I KNOW, THEY
WANT TO WORK.
THEY JUST WANT TO WORK IN A SAFE
ENVIRONMENT AND AS SAFE AS WE
CAN RATIONALLY MAKE IT.
WE CAN DO THAT.
>> Reporter: TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS WAITING FOR ANSWERS, AS
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE
NATION ARE TESTED BY A
RELENTLESS PANDEMIC.
A LOT OF TEACHERS ARE ALSO
ASKING FOR VACCINATIONS BEFORE
THEY HEAD BACK INSIDE A SCHOOL.
LORI TORRES TOLD ME SHE’D FEEL A
LOT MORE COMFORTABLE AND
SUPPORTIVE IF SHE HAD BOTH
SHOTS.
SAVANNAH?
>> KATE, I MEAN, THERE’S A LOT
OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT
SCHOOLS -- IF THEY REALLY ARE
SUPER SPREADERS, HOW MUCH KIDS
ARE SPREADING IT AT SCHOOL, HOW
MUCH DANGER THE TEACHERS ARE IN.
>> Reporter: YEAH.
IT’S TRICKY.
THERE IS SOME EARLY DATA FROM
SOME DISTRICTS THAT INDICATE
SCHOOLS ARE NOT SUPER SPREADERS.
A LARGE STUDY BY BROWN
UNIVERSITY LOOKED AT 47
DISTRICTS IN SEPTEMBER AND FOUND
INFECTION RATES BELOW 1%.
ANOTHER STUDY BY DUKE AND UNC
SAW RATES OF TRANSMISSION AT
SCHOOLS WERE LOWER THAN
COMMUNITY RATES WERE.
BUT THE REASON THIS IS SUCH A
BIG DEBATE, SAVANNAH, IS THERE
IS NO STANDARDIZED, NATIONAL
DATABASE.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY FOR SURE
HOW A SCHOOL WITH IN-PERSON
LEARNING COMPARES TO A SCHOOL
THAT IS VIRTUAL.
CERTAINLY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT
HAVE STUDENTS COMING INTO SCHOOL
DO HAVE CASES OF COVID.
THAT IS A FACT.
WE SHOULD REMIND ANYONE, ALSO,
IF YOU HAVE ANYONE WHO NEEDS
HELP IN YOUR LIFE, WE MENTIONED
SUICIDE, THE NATIONAL SUICIDE
PREVENTION LIFE IS 800-273-8255.
>> JUST THE COST OF THIS
PANDEMIC, I THINK, WE’LL BE
COUNTING FOR DECADES TO COME.
KATE, THANK YOU FOR THIS
EYE-OPENING STORY.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> MY FIRST GRADER, MY BOY, HE
STARTS BACK FULL-TIME TOMORROW.
IT WAS A DEBATE IN OUR SCHOOL
FOR WEEKS, WHETHER WE SHOULD
SEND HIM BACK.
WE KNOW STUDENTS NEED TO BE BACK
IN CLASS.
WE KNOW THAT.
THE BALANCE WITH TEACHERS WHO
NEED AND DESERVE TO BE SAFE, YOU
KNOW, I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DO
IT.
>> VACCINATING IS MORE URGENT.
GOT TO GET IT DONE.
>> YES.
>> NICK’S SCHOOL RIGHT NOW IS