Support grows for re-opening schools in fall while teacher talking points memo circulates

Rallies to reopen schools will be held in two Northern Virginia counties today.

First at 4:30 p.m., the “Open Spotsy Schools Protest” will be held outside the Spotsylvania County Public Schools Administration Building at 8020 River Stone Drive. The protest is being organized by 13-year-old student Hayley Searles, who tipped off Potomac Local News about the protest.

“The reason why I am protesting with my fellow students is because I am a straight-A student since kindergarten and I cannot learn virtually, neither can my friends in Spotsylvania. I also want our sports back and physical education. We are the future and I cannot stand for us to not have a good education,” Searles penned in an email to PLN.

School officials in Spotsylvania County are slated to be presented information on a plan on whether or not to return to the classroom at tonight’s school board meeting.

“We understand that some school divisions have already determined a need to delay the official start of the school year. Though we also may have to recommend to the board adjusting our calendar, we want to be sure that we have as much clarity as possible regarding how that time will be used to better position us to begin an unprecedented school year. While a hybrid plan that includes both in-person and remote learning options is what is being predominantly unveiled in other places so far, we remain focused on the process we are presently engaged in to support the diverse learning needs of our students in what will continue to be a fluid environment,” penned S. Scott Baker, Spotsylvania County schools superintendent.

Protesters will also gather at 5:30 p.m. at the Fauquier High School to urge school officials to reopen in the fall. Protesters notified PLN, sharing this information about their protest via Facebook.

Fauquier school officials will gather at 4 p.m. today for a work session at the high school, located at 705 Waterloo Road, to discuss reopening options. A regular meeting of the school board will commence at 6 p.m. where the public will be allowed to speak on the matter.

Superintendent Dr. David Jeck posted a YouTube video discussing the meeting, as well as to tell teachers that, if they’re under contract, no matter what the school division decides — whether to open in person or to hold classes virtually — they are expected to report for work.

Jeck says some teachers have contacted him directly noting that they or their spouse have pre-existing medical conditions that could put them at higher risk of the coronavirus. Others have contacted him to say they are simply too afraid to return to the classroom with children, he said.

“I hear those questions. We’re going to be ready. Those with preexisting conditions who are vulnerable, we’re going to accommodate that… we’re to going to have to answer those questions through HR,” said Jeck.

Both Prince William and Stafford counties will decide Tuesday whether they will reopen schools, or choose a hybrid education model that includes both in-classroom and online learning.

A memo from the Richmond Education Association, that has been circulating among educators in Northern Virginia, is complete with talking points about why teachers should not have to return to the classroom this fall. They include:

1. Why is our economy resetting on schools as childcare centers? Shouldn’t American businesses in the year 2020 have advanced to the point that other countries have where childcare is provided by businesses, long-term parental leave is accommodated, and flexibility in working from home or the office is normal procedure?
2. Why have we allowed for an income gap that is so severe and distribution of resources that is so inequitable that we cannot provide online learning to all of our students?
3. Why is it the case that schools, ostensibly responsible for education, have become the band-aid solution to basic food access and healthcare services or families?
4. Why are our schools so poorly resourced that we can’t even fund student and staff needs during normal terms, and we don’t even come close to having the money to accommodate the adjustments that would be necessary to make partial in-school learning feasible during a health crisis?
5. If the economy so heavily depends on schools, why are businesses paying tax rates that allow for six-figure salaries while schools don’t even have functioning air conditioning units?

The American Academy of Pediatrics initially called for reopening school buildings in the fall, but flipped its position on Friday to put space between itself and the president, who has called for reopening schools.

The AAP says schools should reopen cautiously, and the decisions to reopen should be made at the local level.

The CDC, as well as five pedestrians interviewed by NBC News for a story that aired Saturday, July 12, all advocate for reopening schools. Many children don’t get as sick as adults, don’t transmit the virus from child to child or to adult, and account for only two percent of coronavirus cases nationwide.

Most recommendations include keeping desks six-feet apart, extending lunch hours so fewer children are in the cafeteria at once, and holding gym classes outside.