On Thursday, October 8, the FCUSD School Board voted for the hybrid schooling return dates for students and teachers. The SPED Deparment is due to begin in-person learning on October 19th. Elementary schools will return on November 9th. High schools will open on January 4th. Middle schools are slated to return on November 30th. For the earlier starting students, this is before we will know how the holidays will contribute to the spread of COVID. We would like to prevent the possibility of a back and forth situation from hybrid to distance learning for our students before knowing how the virus will spread due to the holidays and oncoming winter/cold/flu season.  

There also remains a considerable amount of questions around what exactly virtual learning will look like and how it will change from the current distance learning plan. The virtual learning plan we are currently being told about is nothing like the Distance Learning we were promised or that our children are currently used to. There also needs to be an option to continue distance learning at one’s current school should the teacher or student/parent desire that option. A number of parents also have concerns and or questions about exact details on what hybrid schooling will look like. 

There are also concerns from some teachers about returning to in-person teaching, and their voices are not being heard. We have been asked by the SPED department and teachers to be included in this petition as well as they are due to begin in-person instruction October 19th. They have yet to receive any clear direction with their start date less than a week away. Our teachers need to be heard as well. 

The difference between the November 9th date and a January start date is about 5 weeks of school given holidays mixed in. This time frame would give us an opportunity to see how the spread of the virus will play out through the holidays, and will also allow the district more time to inform teachers, staff and parents on what each option will look like. It would also give more time to create an alternative to allow those who wish to remain distanced an option of distance learning at their current school. Starting In January would help with all these concerns indicated.