As of this writing, Maine has the second-lowest rate of COVID-19 prevalence in the country. Granted, in the context of how our country is doing compared to the rest of the world, that’s not a very high bar. But what’s clear is that the cautious approach our state government, our local governments and the Maine people themselves have taken is working.
I have chosen the word “working” carefully. That’s meant to communicate that we are not yet done with our work. In fact, it’s highly likely that we have a long, bumpy road ahead of us.
Most public health experts are predicting some kind of resurgence in the fall and winter as outdoor gathering options close, other more familiar viruses likely resurface and towns and school districts begin to implement their plans to resume educating our children.
State agencies spent many days developing their guidelines for reopening Maine schools. Crafting those guidelines required close coordination between the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Center for Disease Control and other state agencies. It also required significant input from educators, administrators and members of the public.
At the same time, local school administrators and school boards were taking stock of their own districts and facilities to better understand what was still possible and what changes would be required to decrease the likelihood of outbreaks inside school buildings.
Earlier this month Gov. Janet Mills announced that all school districts in Maine are currently classified as “Green” within the Health Advisory System that was created by the DOE, Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Maine CDC. The system sets standards that school districts have to meet in order to provide in-person instructuction, but it also thankfully allows for local control to further customize any reopening.
By now many districts have announced their plans, and families with school-aged children are beginning to make their own plans in response.
The consensus I’ve heard as I speak with people both in Scarborough and around the state is that there is no “silver-bullet” reopening plan capable of completely addressing concerns around protecting the health of teachers and students, providing equal access to virtual learning, guaranteeing opportunities for healthy in-person social interactions and — the big elephant in the room — creating a model that accounts for the needs of working parents, especially those who can’t easily work from home.
Given this, regardless of what a local reopening plan might look like, our state and our federal government must either make inroads expanding access to childcare and more flexible work schedules, and they definitely need to renew the financial lifelines that allowed so many Maine families to hold things together.
It’s crucial that both state and federal governments find ways to support both educators and parents as they try to adapt to such major life disruptions. When the next Legislature convenes, we will need to focus a great deal of our energy on making this transition easier.
Until then, I will continue to encourage the governor to take whatever measures she is able to take and tell our congressional delegation that their constituents need them now more than ever. I remain here to advocate for my fellow Scarborough residents throughout this pandemic. You can contact me at chris.caiazzo@legislature.maine.gov or at 883-6482.
Rep. Chris Caiazzo, D-Scarborough, is serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives and represents part of Scarborough.
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