The newest guidelines regarding school closings have been announced and I have several issues with the protocols put in place. First, I do not, under any circumstances, want my children to be tested unnecessarily. I do not need them to be made fearful that they are sick, or that someone around them is sick, when that is simply not the case. In addition, forcing my child to be tested randomly in order to continue in person learning is a complete violation of their rights.  I am willing to, and have been, screening my children daily  and will keep them home if they have been exposed or are ill. They have their temperatures read upon their arrival at their school, they wear masks, and are required to maintain social distance.  Random testing is not necessary.

My children are in the Sweet Home school district. There have been a handful of isolated cases spread out between all of the campuses. Those that tested positive did not contract it at school, nor did they spread it throughout the school. Schools should be allowed to remain open based on their ability to maintain the spread within their walls. If the number of cases in schools is not representative of the areas outside of the schools then the testing is a waste of time and money.

Forcing kids to go fully remote will cause more harm than good.  Kids need to be in school. They need to socialize. They need to interact with other kids and their teachers face to face. At school kids are socially distanced, they're wearing masks, they're around the same group of people all of the time. If schools are forced to go remote it is actually going to increase exposure. Kids are going to be put into daycare or have grandparents or other caretakers that will now be exposed as well as the kids being around a whole new group of people.

Please join me on letting Governor Cuomo & Howard Zucker that schools are the safest place for kids to be!