Dave Grohl: It Would Be Foolish to Open Schools at Expense of Students + Teachers
As the beginning of a new school year approaches, the debate continues on whether schools in the U.S. can safely reopen. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, the son of a longtime public school teacher, has shared his thoughts in an audio edition of his Dave's True Stories series.
Grohl says that he consulted with his mother before speaking on the idea. “Teachers are also confronted with a whole new set of dilemmas that most people would not consider," says the singer. "There’s so much more to be addressed than just opening the doors and sending [children] back home, my mother tells me on the phone. Now 82 and retired, she runs down a list of concerns based on her 35 years of experience: Masks and distancing, temperature checks, crowded bussing, crowded hallways, sports, air-conditioning systems, lunchrooms, public restrooms, janitorial staff. Most schools already struggle from a lack of resources. How can they possibly afford the mountain of safety measures that will need to be in place?”
The singer then adds, “I can only imagine if my mother would now be forced to return to a stuffy, windowless classroom." Though it may not be the most convenient way, Grohl says his mother argued for continued remote learning, even though that comes with its own set of challenges for working class parents balancing job and family.
“Remote learning is an inconvenient and hopefully temporary solution, but as much as Donald Trump’s conductor-less orchestra would love to see the country reopen schools in the name of rosy optics, ask a science teacher what they think about White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s comment that ‘Science should not stand in the way,’" says Grohl. "It would be foolish to do so at the expense of our students, teachers and school.”
Listen to Grohl's full commentary on the reopening of schools in the player below.
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