We, the undersigned, are concerned about the permanent psychological, educational, and developmental harm that another year of distance learning would inflict upon our students.  

None of the options currently being prioritized by OSPI and the Bellevue School District include returning students to school full-time this Fall in their school buildings. All students in 6-12 will be remote either full- or part-time under the current leading scenarios. 

We ask you to instead consider the following scenario to open schools in the Fall:

• Allow families and staff in LOW-RISK groups or those that prefer in-person learning to choose to return to full-time IN-CLASS instruction.
• Allow families and staff in HIGH-RISK groups, or that are not comfortable with the potential risks, choose full-time REMOTE instruction with specially dedicated and trained staff.

Please also consider the current emotional, environmental, and social impacts our school children are experiencing now:

• Many school children have regressed or barely progressed in their education since the mid-March closure of in-person schooling. Many classrooms and schools have reduced the curriculum, lectures, and unique learning experiences due to remote learning barriers.
• Mental health issues such as loneliness, depression, suicide, plus other social issues like domestic violence are on the rise due to at-home schooling. Children need social and peer interaction. 
• Many families lack the ability and/or resources to oversee their children’s schooling on a daily basis. Requiring parents to become homeschool teachers is not sustainable for another year.
• In many homes, both parents are working their own careers, which limits their ability to assist children. This leads to low supervision in remote learning when it is needed most. It also has a personal impact on the careers of both mothers and fathers who are making sacrifices in their own jobs because of kids at home.
• Healthcare providers are nearly unanimous in the belief that the risk of physical harm from COVID-19 is lower than the lasting social, emotional and academic harm that results from keeping our children out of school and away from their peers.  

We ask you to implement a plan for Fall that prioritizes the academic, as well as social and emotional needs of our children while balancing the individual risks of staff and families.

Please sign this petition to get our Bellevue school children back in the classroom in the fall of 2020.