What to do about schools: An Elu v'Elu Perspective

Elu v’Elu

In this intense and emotional time, an image is making its way around the internet, with a variety of feelings / perspectives on the question of whether and how schools should open for the 2020-2021 school year:

In Judaism, we have a concept for this, called “Elu v’elu,” which literally means “these and these” and is described as follows by the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah:

In the 1st century B. C. E. there were two great Schools of Jewish thought: the School of Hillel and the School of Shammai. They often disagreed. Shammai’s School liked to regulate, circumscribe, define.  Hillel’s kept things more open, favoring flexibility and inclusivity.  One time, as told in the Talmud’s tractate Eruvin, the Rabbis debated endlessly and could not decide which opinion to follow, since both sides had valid arguments. Finally a voice came from Heaven, saying ‘both these and those – elu v’elu – are the words of the living God.’

As Jews, we maintain it is possible to hold multiple truths, and we celebrate having a BOTH/AND perspective.  It is possible that multiple – even conflicting – viewpoints can be correct and contain seeds of holiness.  In the great debate about schools, we must keep this in mind and not succumb to an EITHER/OR or US/THEM mentality.  Our President has tried to politicize the question of whether and how to open schools, but this is not a straightforward either/or situation.  It is not a question of whether schools should open at all, or whether schools should open in person or not.  This is an Elu v’Elu situation.  There are multiple, conflicting truths.  We must yield a both/and perspective. Elu v’elu.

Others have articulated these viewpoints ad nauseum, but since so many of my Facebook friends are teachers (of all kinds) and/or parents (of all kinds), I thought I’d share my personal Elu v’elu perspective:

It is better for students to learn in person

While online / at-home learning is possible, I would argue that in-person learning is a preferable way to do education, particularly for social-emotional learning and growth, and for building relationships.

There are those for whom attending school in person may not work

This includes families with adults and/or children who are immunocompromised, and/or those who do not feel comfortable sending their children to school in person during the pandemic (for any reason).

There are those for whom attending school in person is critical

This includes families whose adult(s) cannot work from home, who do not have sufficient technology to do at-home schooling, who rely on school for essential childcare, students with special needs, where there is abuse in the home, and all those who are eager to send their children to school during the pandemic (for any reason). School /childcare is an “essential service” and should be thought of that way.

In making school plans, we must consider the health, safety, and well-being of teachers and all school staff/administration, as well as the health, safety, and well-being of children and their parents.

This is crucial.

Children do not seem to be spreaders / super-spreaders of COVID-19

While more research needs to be conducted and we cannot yet know for sure, so far the academic studies I’ve read on this question have all reached the conclusion that children are very rarely spreaders (and certainly not super-spreaders) of COVID-19.  This includes studies from around the world, particularly focused on preschool and elementary-school children, including an (unscientific) study of children in “essential childcare” during the initial shelter-in-place orders. More specifically, early research seems to show that the spread of COVID-19 is rare from child-to-child or child-to-adult.  Contact tracing has shown that children who have tested positive for COVID-19 almost always contracted it from an adult, and the vast majority of children contracted it from an adult in their own household (and did not pass it on to others in their school /childcare setting). 

We must try to give families and teachers options.

Some families are desperate for schools to open.  Others cannot imagine sending their children to school.  Some teachers want to teach in person.  Some teachers do not want (or cannot) teach in person. If at all possible, I think the best solution is to offer several options, as, for example, the Dublin school district has set out to do.   In addition to installing cameras in classrooms so that students can view the in-person learning, I’d recommend schools set up online-only classes in which teachers who cannot (or do not want) to teach in person teach those online classes.  This may not work very well (or at all) for preschool or Grades K-2, but it’s certainly an option for grades 3-8, and we can think creatively about offering some form of at-home learning for those younger children, led by teachers who cannot or do not want to teach in person.

We must respect the choices that parents, teachers, and school administrators make.

If we do offer choices, we must then remember the “elu v’elu” perspective in honoring the different choices people make.  These are very hard choices, and each person has many factors to consider in making personal choices.  You are not a bad person if you choose to send your children to school.  You are not a bad person if you choose to keep your kids home and do school-from-home.  You are not a bad person if you are a teacher and teach in person.  You are not a bad person if you are a teacher and make the decision not to teach this year, or not to teach in person.  School administrators have heart-breakingly hard decisions to make, and each school and each community has different factors to consider.  Directors and administrators are doing their best in an unbelievably challenging time, and we should do our best not to demonize them but to support and work with them to make these difficult choices and plans.

The logistics are complicated, especially for larger schools

I recognize a choice-option is complicated and would be easier in smaller schools.  That doesn’t mean it’s impossible. 

This all costs money and we have to explore all possible funding sources. 

I don’t know what those funding sources are – governmental, private foundations, individual philanthropists – but the optimist in me says that if there’s a will, there’s a way.  In my ideal world, funding for the “choice” option would not happen locally (school to school), but more broadly (perhaps state by state or city by city) so that funds could be raised for ALL schools and not just those in wealthier areas/communities. This may be a pipedream, but if we don’t put options out there, we’ll never make any forward progress.  And we need leadership for this.  Who will be the leaders for this work?  Is it you? 

Education (and childcare) is an essential service

Even if we move to a full shut-down / shelter-in-place again, I would advocate for in-person schools / childcare to remain open as an option for those who choose (or need) it, with teachers/staff who feel comfortable continuing in person (as with other essential workers like grocery store employees, health care workers, etc.).  This is especially true for preschools and elementary schools (perhaps middle schools, too). Online / at-home learning could be expanded for those who – at that point – choose to or need to stop attending in person.

Difficult does not mean impossible

All of this is incredibly complicated.  As someone who runs an education program for 375 students, I understand well the logistical nightmare of the current moment.  And yet, we cannot give up, or give up hope.  It is not helpful to reduce this dilemma to an either/or conversation, or demonize those with different perspectives than we have. 

Elu v’Elu -> Lech L’cha

We can approach this conversation with the Jewish concept of Elu v’elu – these and these are the living words of God.  We can honor different viewpoints, and take all those viewpoints into account in this thorny conversation.

And yet, at some point, we will have to move forward and make decisions.  There is another Jewish concept that can help us here.  In the Torah, God tells Abraham “Lech L’cha!”  “Go!” “Go to a land that I will show you” (i.e. go on a journey to a place you do not yet know, a journey without a clearly-defined destination). Sometimes we have to be like Abraham, we have to just “go forth” and give something a try, even if the journey is to an “unknown land." 

And as we make our way forward, we can hold hands (metaphorically!), honor different viewpoints, and support one another along the difficult path ahead.