In the state of Pennsylvania alone, over 12,000 people have died due to COVID-19. The nation’s death toll has exceeded 300,000. 

Since March 13, schools across the country have been forced to operate in completely virtual environments, bearing the brunt of responsibility while a majority of businesses and establishments are permitted to fully reopen.

Many McCaskey students have not set foot in the building since Early March. In fact, most of the school’s freshmen have never even been inside one of its classrooms. 

“Every day felt, feels like a slog,” described Robi Jenik, an eleventh grader in the IB program at McCaskey. “My enjoyment in school has hit an all time low, and the time I spend on school work an all time high.”

There is a certain magic to sitting in a classroom that virtual learning can’t match, and it’s not for lack of effort from teachers, administrators, or staff. For most students, it’s impossible to find motivation for an entirely virtual version of school.  

USA Today recently reported that roughly half of the nation’s children are enrolled in school online, with many not attending virtual classes or else struggling to maintain good grades. 

An evaluation of NWEA test scores in multiple states by Stanford University researchers concluded that students, on average, have lost a third of a year to a full year of learning in reading, and roughly three-quarters of a year in math since March. 

“The time management has really been a struggle and my motivation to get things done has definitely decreased as the school year has gone on,” said Sophie Bergey, a senior in the IB program at McCaskey.

This is because high school is meant to be a multifaceted experience. It’s more than just submitting assignments at 11:59, or logging onto Zoom classes and making sure to answer daily attendance questions. Fundamental to McCaskey’s modern existence as a vibrant, diverse, and connected community of individuals are the casual exchanges between students as they travel from JP to East, the ten-second dash to get to class before the bell, and conversations with teachers after class or in the hallway. It is extremely hard to be a student at McCaskey without any type of social or creative outlet: whether it be sports, or the fall play, or the orchestra. 

In fact, a lot of the things which motivate students to attend and succeed in school during a normal year are the very things which virtual learning lacks: support from teachers and staff, interactive lessons, and in-person extracurricular activities.

There’s also the absence of meaningful, face-to-face interactions with peers and teachers during virtual learning. Even outside of school, the coronavirus pandemic has deprived McCaskey students of one of the things they need most: to spend time with others of their own age. 

“When I’m at home a lot and especially school being at home, it really messes with my head,” said Stella Kirchgessner, a McCaskey freshman. 

According to the US News and World Report, 98% of McCaskey students were economically disadvantaged during the 2017-18 school year. That’s roughly 2,940 students who may not have access to the internet or who do not have the time to complete school work because of other obligations such as taking care of younger siblings or working to help support their families. 

Virtual learning works only for students with extreme personal commitment, motivation, and time management skills. And even then it’s a challenge for everyone, most of all for students experiencing economic insecurity. 

How can we phase back into hybrid learning, the tentative start date for which is January 25, while still being safe and offering students the academic, social, and economic assistance they need to succeed?

2020 may be coming to an end, but the pandemic is far from over. What does it say about our priorities if shopping malls, movie theaters and restaurants have been open for months and still many of the nation’s children are not in school?