Teachers, Parents Debate Over Returning Students To In-Person Learning In Culver City
CULVER CITY (CBSLA) -- The Culver City Unified School District is trying to decide if some younger students can return to in-person learning in January, but not everyone agrees with the proposal.
"I don't want to lose my kid and I'm really scared," one parent said.
Some parents are eager to get their students back into their normal routines, which some argue contribute to better learning outcomes.
Los Angeles County granted waivers for four of the five elementary schools within Culver City Unified to allow T-K through the second grade to return to campus next month.
Single mom Heather DeFelice says she is hoping the district allows the schools to reopen so her 6-year-old can return to some sort of hybrid schedule and she can return to work as a speech pathologist.
"We can wear a mask, we can socially distance the kids, you know that's the primary focus," DeFelice said. "We have evidence this can be done safely."
Some officials have pushed back against a rush to reopen schools for in-person learning again.
"There are still steps to get through to get to the point where we can have students back," said school board president Tashon McKeithan.
McKeithan just took over as school board president and says there are many voices to be heard, including educators who are fearful for their safety.
"On the other side, people saying we are in a surge, we cannot go back to school until we're in a different tier, we shouldn't even be having the conversation," she said.
However, parents like DeFelice say remote learning can't go on much longer.
"I would not have been comfortable March, April, June, but now everything is saying yes," DeFelice said.
This week, the President of the California Teachers Association wrote a letter to lawmakers urging that schools in the purple tier, like LA County, should not open or re-open and he encouraged all educators to reach out and do the same.
