On July 13th, the Orange County Board of Education voted to recommend that its 27 school districts re-open for full time classes as normal while also providing a Distance Learning alternative for Parents, children, and teachers uncomfortable with any risks of in-person schooling. The signers of this petition support this resolution and call on the Orange County Department of Education and our districts to enact this recommendation. 

As members of Orange County communities, we harbor major concerns about the damage being done to our children by denying them the educational opportunities of our world class schools. We understand the cost extracted when children cannot socialize with their friends, participate in sports, attend school dances, or share in the many other healthy activities that define their journey to adulthood. 

We recognize that the onset of this Pandemic was a time of chaos when leaders were forced to balance the risk of many unknowns against the needs of students, and we commend the hard work and dedication of our teachers who rose to the occasion.  We also recognize that some families have unique situations that might put them at higher risk from COVID-19. However, with time and the research, it is now clear that most students and faculty can return to schools as normal, while providing alternatives for those with unique needs.

We understand that this resolution does NOT leave our children and faculty uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19. It does NOT ignore or deny science, and in fact relies on the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Board of Education encourages schools to focus limited resources on prevention, detection, and mitigation of outbreaks. Specifically:

• The resolution acknowledges that the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that "children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from COVID-19 infection." 
• Research shows that there is extremely low risk of transmission between children and from children to adults. This risk can be further mitigated with careful cleaning practices, monitoring for symptoms, and prompt contact tracing.
• The Signers call on schools to encourage increased hygiene and enhanced cleaning practices, and to monitor children for symptoms including fevers. We call on parents to work closely with their schools to remove children showing symptoms, follow up with prompt testing and regular communication to the school, enabling appropriate contact tracing.
• While wearing masks may help reduce the risk of COVID-19, we recognize just how infeasible it is to expect young children to properly wear a mask all day while maintaining its effectiveness. While there is nothing wrong with voluntary mask-wearing, mandates will not make children safer - only create distractions from learning.  
• We also call on schools to support their faculty by giving them the tools to protect themselves and their class, including disinfectants and thermometers. Schools should work with faculty to provide alternative work arrangements for those teachers who have reason to believe they are at increased risk. Such alternatives might include running distance learning classes for students who will not return to school. 
• We further call on School Districts to empower the parents who are best suited to decide the level of risk for their family. This includes allowing voluntary mask wearing and providing easy options for parents to transfer to distance learning, charter schools or other avenues in order to meet their unique needs.

As citizens of Orange County, we recognize the importance of deliberation and careful thought as we make such important decisions. It is our belief that providing OPTIONS rather than MANDATES, we will allow all of our community the ability to adapt to this and other challenges in a way that best protects their needs. We thank the Orange County Board of Education for their efforts to foster such an atmosphere.