Parents of elementary School children between KG to 2nd grade do not have any option for them to choose Remote Learning. they are mandated to attend In Person, while the cases are sky rocketing again in last 2 weeks.

We the parents of Elementary school students request Fulton County Schools to provide options for remote schooling for the year 2021/22.

The reasons for the request are as below:

• U.S. COVID cases had hit a seven-day average of more than 56,000 as of July 26, up from almost 14,000 at the beginning of July, and they’re expected to rise further. Hospitalizations and deaths have climbed ominously as well.
• New reports from Israel suggest that about half of adults infected in a Delta variant outbreak were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said less than three weeks ago that only unvaccinated children need masks at school, while the American Academy of Pediatrics says everyone over 2 years old should wear one. CDC is continuously updating its guideline as more data becomes available about the Delta variant, we’re dealing with a new variant now and still learning how it is transmitting. Even though the CDC guideline from early July urged return to in-person learning, this "may" change but by then it "would" have adversely impacted families and children.
• Vaccines aren’t yet authorized for children younger than 12. As per American Academy of Pediatrics, in July there has been a steady increase in children COVID cases with over 38k cases added.
• Neighboring counties "possibly" through studies have concluded that some students benefit through remote learning and it is being provided as an option. Fulton County F.A.V.E program, though a step in the right direction, does not cover kids below grade 3 and does not provide flexibility on return to face-to-face.
• Students who are quarantining because of exposure to a coronavirus case should be able to do academic portion of their days remotely. There will also be a need to determine protocols for the fall for remote learning in the case that a classroom is closed because of COVID exposure. If these scenarios warrant a need for remote learning, it will help extend remote learning as an option for parents to choose.

Most of you may dislike remote schooling, but in this situation it is necessary to prevent the continuation of these outbreaks with new variants till all the children are vaccinated and we have that least amount of assurance.

Lastly we appreciate the efforts of each and every staff member of Fulton County Schools who worked hard in adapting to Virtual teaching processes last year, Special Thanks to Teachers who ensured the safety of students both remote and in-person.

We request all of you who are in support of having an option of remote schooling to sign this petition.