‘Morning Joe’ on School Closures: This Becomes an Issue of Equity

SCARBOROUGH And with Victoria ░░░░░░░░ over 100 million Americans ░░░░░░░░ with a third of ░░░░░░░░ population at least having ░░░░░░░░ of those vaccinations with ░░░░░░░░ million people being vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ day over the weekend ░░░░░░░░ the death rates going ░░░░░░░░ with the hospitalizations going ░░░░░░░░ and again a month ░░░░░░░░ where America s health ░░░░░░░░ were saying kids need ░░░░░░░░ be back in school ░░░░░░░░ mental healthcare providers saying ░░░░░░░░ are at a crisis ░░░░░░░░ are at a tipping ░░░░░░░░ those kids need to ░░░░░░░░ back into school I ░░░░░░░░ don t think there ░░░░░░░░ any excuses left I ░░░░░░░░ nothing against teachers unions ░░░░░░░░ at all against teachers ░░░░░░░░ know a lot of ░░░░░░░░ of teachers unions friends ░░░░░░░░ teachers unions I m ░░░░░░░░ thinking about the children ░░░░░░░░ right now are suffering ░░░░░░░░ m not even listen ░░░░░░░░ know the parents want ░░░░░░░░ go back to work ░░░░░░░░ understand that But we ░░░░░░░░ got to focus on ░░░░░░░░ children and especially working ░░░░░░░░ and middle class children ░░░░░░░░ falling behind every day ░░░░░░░░ it s causing an ░░░░░░░░ of mental health crises ░░░░░░░░ SOTO Joe I m ░░░░░░░░ to speak to you ░░░░░░░░ as a professor not ░░░░░░░░ a political analyst but ░░░░░░░░ a parent of a ░░░░░░░░ and a 7 year ░░░░░░░░ And the piece about ░░░░░░░░ health is really what ░░░░░░░░ key here We have ░░░░░░░░ baseline that it is ░░░░░░░░ to go back in ░░░░░░░░ of first of what ░░░░░░░░ Fauci said looking at ░░░░░░░░ numbers across the country ░░░░░░░░ in deep red Texas ░░░░░░░░ have vaccination rates going ░░░░░░░░ But my children luckily ░░░░░░░░ been able to be ░░░░░░░░ school for most of ░░░░░░░░ school year with lots ░░░░░░░░ precautions and even then ░░░░░░░░ have seen the difficulties ░░░░░░░░ those instances where they ░░░░░░░░ online You know what ░░░░░░░░ 6 year old does ░░░░░░░░ just tunes out He ░░░░░░░░ walks away Because how ░░░░░░░░ you do kindergarten online ░░░░░░░░ I m very lucky ░░░░░░░░ have the privilege to ░░░░░░░░ able to take the ░░░░░░░░ and sit with them ░░░░░░░░ coral them I don ░░░░░░░░ have to work two ░░░░░░░░ to put food on ░░░░░░░░ table I don t ░░░░░░░░ to work the overnight ░░░░░░░░ So when we re ░░░░░░░░ at the communities that ░░░░░░░░ been most affected our ░░░░░░░░ of color our lower ░░░░░░░░ communities both in terms ░░░░░░░░ the parents and the ░░░░░░░░ this becomes an issue ░░░░░░░░ equity So yes there ░░░░░░░░ the health portion but ░░░░░░░░ regrettably this isn t ░░░░░░░░ standalone issue and we ░░░░░░░░ to figure out how ░░░░░░░░ re going to allow ░░░░░░░░ kids to not just ░░░░░░░░ but thrive Because this ░░░░░░░░ an issue that lags ░░░░░░░░ right So if you ░░░░░░░░ behind one year it ░░░░░░░░ not just We lost ░░░░░░░░ year That can hold ░░░░░░░░ back in effect your ░░░░░░░░ through the rest of ░░░░░░░░ life So this is ░░░░░░░░ an important issue one ░░░░░░░░ feel really strongly about ░░░░░░░░ we really need to ░░░░░░░░ the consequences Yes there ░░░░░░░░ no perfect decision in ░░░░░░░░ life But in terms ░░░░░░░░ getting our kids back ░░░░░░░░ school this is really ░░░░░░░░