We are parents, teachers, and community members in Encinitas, CA who are invested in bringing our children back to school in safe, all outdoor environments at our public elementary schools.  We are extremely fortunate to be living in Southern California with sprawling school campuses and ample amounts of outdoor spaces to utilize as classrooms moving forward this fall.  We need to be smarter and more adaptable for our childrens' futures.  We call on Gavin Newsom and the CTA to provide in person education for our children, and moving our classrooms fully outside can be our solution. 

Our students have all already lost valuable academic skills during our first attempt at distant learning, and the emotional and social toll has been enormous.  Unfortunately the suffering and the divide amongst our children is very real.  It has been reported that the school shutdown has led to higher incidents of child abuse, a spike in childhood depression, truancy, malnutrition, and very large disparities in education.  In addition, allowing only children with a financial advantage access to private in-person(via tutoring, pods, private schools), education will prove to be catastrophic for all of our children and the future of our public school system.  It is time for our children to become a priority.  And they have a right to a fair, safe, and equal education.

If we are forced to continue with the virtual learning models, parents will also not be able to return to work.  The cost of not providing our children in-person education is frankly too much for all us to bear.  And the effects will be long lasting.  If children can resume outdoor group sports(baseball, soccer), YMCA summer camps, outdoor dining at restaurants, then why can we not resume and teach school outside?  We must put their education first.

The CTA must lead the way and be smarter and more adaptable, otherwise we will all suffer. Children's lives are truly at stake. Please help and join the cause and support our families and communities.  Let's move all of our classrooms outside and let's get back to school in-person at the start of our 2020/2021 school year.