Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | HOUMA TODAY

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | HOUMA TODAY

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | HOUMA TODAY

Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber shops. The encouraging news is that infection rates have not spiked and, instead, are flattening and even declining….

 

Read the full article here

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | HOUMA TODAY

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | THE TELEGRAPH

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | THE TELEGRAPH

Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber shops. The encouraging news is that infection rates have not spiked and, instead, are flattening and even declining….

 

Read the full article here

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | HOUMA TODAY

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | INSIDE SOURCES

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering | INSIDE SOURCES

Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber shops. The encouraging news is that infection rates have not spiked and, instead, are flattening and even declining….

 

Read the full article here

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering

Reopening Isn’t About Haircuts, It’s About Relieving Human Suffering

Georgia recently began the long process of reopening its economy in the wake of what it is hoped will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning in late April, certain categories of businesses were allowed to open in Georgia, including restaurants and barber shops. The encouraging news is that infection rates have not spiked and, instead, are flattening and even declining.

Many are concerned that we’re moving too early, too fast — and that safety will take a back seat. That worry is understandable. The toll of the virus in suffering and loss of life is indescribable, as thousands of families are affected in ways they will never forget.

On the other side, many are clamoring for even quicker action to get people back to work.

In truth, both sides have it right. Our first priority should be health. Clearly, that trumps all. But a key aspect of health is not just avoiding a virus, but the full spectrum of human well-being and flourishing. And to achieve that, we can’t afford to remain on lockdown much longer.

We clearly know the economic devastation wrought by the virus: About half of low-income households have reported job or wage loss due to the coronavirus. These job losses could be felt for years as families struggle to get back on their feet — or are never able to at all, plunging them into poverty.

The toll is real. I’m thinking of young moms like Jessica (not her real name to protect her identity), who had been living in her car with her small child as a result of work cutbacks and being evicted. Stories like this one are countless.

But what about the toll on mental health and general well-being? The picture is beginning to emerge, and it’s not pretty. In fact, we are facing a public mental health crisis.

recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that more than half of U.S. adults (56 percent) report that worry related to the coronavirus outbreak has caused them stress-induced symptoms like insomnia, poor appetite or overeating, or frequent headaches or stomach aches.

That’s only the beginning. We have also seen the effects of social isolation in a 1,000 percent increase in calls to distress hotlines in April alone.

Rates of substance abuse and suicide will doubtless skyrocket. One analysis predicts that if the United States reaches Depression-era level unemployment rates, we could see 18,000 additional suicides and additional overdose deaths of 22,000.

The Well Being Trust recently released a report estimating the pandemic could lead to 75,000 additional “deaths of despair” from drug and alcohol abuse and suicide.

During this lockdown, people are missing the ingredients that make for a flourishing life: community, relationships, purpose and belonging. And the truth is that, for many Americans, a major way they experience these benefits is through a job. It’s where we find community, socialize and discover a sense of meaning.

A job is about so much more than just a paycheck.

We know that human beings function best when they are involved with meaningful work. Until this point, the dialogue on reopening has largely focused on “essential” vs. “non-essential” jobs.

But every job is essential for the person who holds it. And not just from a financial standpoint: It’s one key gateway to what makes life meaningful for many of us.

Protecting public health and getting people back into their jobs and communities are not mutually exclusive priorities. We can, and must, do both. We can be sensitive to loss of life and human suffering during this pandemic.

But we also must acknowledge the pain of those whose means of surviving economically has been shattered.

Reopening and Welfare Cliffs | VIDEO

Reopening and Welfare Cliffs | VIDEO

Reopening and Welfare Cliffs | VIDEO

GCO’s Vice President of Public Policy, Buzz Brockway goes over the data to discuss the impact the reopening is having on the general population. He also discusses the data around welfare cliffs. How do we help those in need without hurting their chances to grow their income?

Coronavirus exposes the weakness of a K-12 education system built for one learning style

Coronavirus exposes the weakness of a K-12 education system built for one learning style

Coronavirus exposes the weakness of a K-12 education system built for one learning style

What will education look like in the coming months and years as Georgia continues to grapple with, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic? Our state’s schools will reopen in August. But even then, education is likely to look much different. Virtual learning will be more popular than ever. Many parents will likely have their eyes opened to alternative education options available. And all of us will have a new appreciation for the vital role of teachers.

One blind spot the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us is the weakness of an education system built for one approach and a single learning style. The traditional public school system is based on this one-size, fits all option. But even as many families have flocked to alternatives—through charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling—that cry for flexibility will only increase in the coming months and years.

Our traditional school system offers a brick-and-mortar school that students come to for set classes and time periods during the day. Families will increasingly see that this archaic system no longer works in a 21st century education environment.

Here is what will be necessary in the post-COVID-19 education landscape: 

  • Public schools will need to adapt to virtual learning and break down the technology barriers that unfairly inhibit low-income students from succeeding. 
  • Elected officials must begin putting the needs of individual students and their families ahead of protecting “the system,” whatever that may look like. A wide diversity of educational options is key here—ones that maximize the potential of all students.
  • Unfortunately, academic achievement gaps could widen as low-income students and those from rural areas struggle with the new technological demands. This makes it even more crucial that lawmakers prioritize ways to extend educational access and resources to all of Georgia’s students, not just those in wealthy zip codes and urban areas.
  • Our state must give all students greater educational choice by passing an Education Scholarship Account in Georgia, which empowers families who wish to choose a private school to do so.
  • We also must continue to support Georgia’s programs that expand educational access, including the Scholarship Tax Credit Program and Special Needs Scholarship Program.

To be sure, many parents will still prefer the traditional approach offered by traditional public school districts. Georgia must continue to support a strong public school system. But many others will want expanded options, and lawmakers and the K-12 education infrastructure must adapt.