What Are Catholic Schools Doing Right? [PHIL-OSOPHY]

In-person Catholic schools have restarted with safety and without ailment to students and teachers.

I was reading with interest that Ali Dutson, the lead person at Boston's Mission Grammar Parochial School, knows that the scholars – about 70 percent from low-income households, 90 percent who are students of color, and 80 percent receiving financial aid to attend – make the grade with in-person instruction.

The focus as I see it starts with the positive attitude behind the perspective of how Catholic schools will accomplish in-person instruction, not whether to do it. Sir Winston Churchill said that "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

I recognize Catholic schools have somewhat smaller classes, they don't depend on school bus transportation and the teachers are not unionized, with whom re-opening strategies have to be mediated. But I'm also aware that there's little substantiation that the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads in schools. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said recently that recommencing schools in grades K-5 seems safe.

Is it possible that we've been too cautious and too apprehensive? It's a myth spread through the media that children are shielded by having them learn at home. Experts like Helen Jenkins, an epidemiologist at the Boston University School of Public Health, questions why we're not acting on corroboration that there's very little transmission of the coronavirus among younger children.

Catholic schools are doing something right when it comes to keeping upsurges at a distance while delivering excellent in-person learning. What needs to be revealed is the disparity of the in-person learning methods and means between public and parochial schools.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.