Schools in Navajo Nation need to go virtual due to rising numbers of covid cases. Two school districts aren’t being transparent with parents, teachers, or students. Schools of concern are The Gallup McKinley County School District and BIE schools. GMCS say there are policies in place to protect students and teachers, but there aren’t. Right now, there are 12 cases at Thoreau High School and it hasn’t been shut down. It’s only a matter of time before Crownpoint is in the same place and we need to protect our teachers and students. Right now, there is a teacher from Gallup in the hospital on a ventilator and will probably be transferred to life support later this week. GMCS itself said they don’t believe they are under Navajo Nation jurisdiction and won’t comply with the executive order, even though the Public Education Department is in full support of tribal sovereignty. Most of the board members aren’t even responding to emails or questions from the public. The district has no problem talking a big game about educating Navajo students, but won’t even respect the wishes of families, of students, of teachers, or the executive order issued by President Nez. With the holidays around the corner, it’s a matter of time before this virus infects more students and teachers, and therefore more parents, grandparents, etc

We need to go virtual.  We should not have hybrid learning. Yes, I know students are getting behind, but it’s better to be alive than sick or grieving the loss of a family member.

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