Parent Letter Template—We Demand Safe Schools!
This weekend, I had the opportunity to work with teachers across the country, Stacey Shubitz, Julie Jee, and Sarah Gross, to create a letter that parents and caregivers can customize to contact their local school districts about reopening plans. (Click links to follow them on Twitter!)
These past few months, I’ve been listening to site-leaders, parents, and students across the country. I’m thankful to say that in SF the majority of folks I speak with agree, we cannot reopen schools this fall with a rampant pandemic raging in our communities. #KeepOurKidsSafe
On Tuesday, July 14th at 3 pm, during the Regular Board Meeting, SFUSD staff will present a plan with the recommendation that students resume learning on August 17th remotely, with the hope of reopening schools for focal students (littles, English Learners. students with disabilities, etc) as soon as it is safe to do so.
Rising cases in SF make schools unlikely to open any earlier than October. And the logistics necessary to pull this off (transportation, ventilation, and citywide testing, to name a few) will make even this very challenging.
This next meeting on Tuesday will be an opportunity for Board Members to hear directly from the public and inform the district’s proposed plan. The full plan will not officially be approved until July 28th. That said, it is highly unlikely we will approve any plans other than distance learning for the start of school. (Learn more about the meeting.)
In the meantime, educate yourself and especially those folks you know outside of SFUSD. Many counties across the country are being pressured to open by our president and current Secretary of Education.
This is a national fight, and San Franciscans can do their part by reaching out to friends and family members across the nation. Help them advocate for safe reopening and fully funding (not privatizing) our public education system.
Advocate for Safe Reopening of Schools
View this letter in GoogleDoc here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UZ4Fb1w7KIVLMewrmPTrq2IPTkD0qdhpljD_cjul6Ic/mobilebasic
While the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, many are calling for schools to reopen as normal. However, it is clear to many parents and community members that opening schools will be unsafe for students, staff, and families. While we would all love nothing more than to return to normal, the current spread and transmission rates of COVID-19 make it clear that is not possible. How will districts, facing immense budget cuts, implement the CDC safety guidelines in any meaningful way without additional funding? Even the simplest safety changes will be onerous. For example, allowing for social distancing on school buses will CONTINUE READING: Parent Letter Template—We Demand Safe Schools! - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM
SFUSD Fall Learning Plan Presentation - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM - https://wp.me/p4ndvh-2sJ by @alimcollins