Governor Lamont's current approach to the upcoming school year includes a push for in-person instruction. While we understand that school districts are required to submit 3 plans, and that the pandemic "landscape" may change in Connecticut in the weeks ahead, the preliminary school district drafts are cause for great concern among families and educators. The in-person reopening portion of many district plans falls below the "floor" of safety measures originally established by the CDC (although the CDC guidelines have not kept pace with current scientific evidence which calls for distancing of more than 6 feet).

At this time, it is not possible to provide an in-person learning experience that is both safe and that follows any traditional learning experience as we have come to know it.  A balance cannot be struck between public health and safety and in-person instruction.

Connecticut has been fortunate thus far. Thanks to the efforts of Governor Lamont and our citizens, all working hard to keep our infection rates low, our state is a model of sound decision-making. Connecticut has been an exemplar regarding the handling of this crisis. Lives have been spared because of a thoughtful and patient approach to the pandemic in this state. Let's work together to hold onto our gains.  Teachers and school employees, families, and communities should not be forced to make an impossible choice: lives or livelihoods.

Support an equitable, robust distance learning plan and ensure that the resources are in place to support the technological needs, childcare needs, educational needs, and health and safety needs of Connecticut families and educators.

**Our position states that in-person instruction risks the health and safety of children, families, educators and communities and that resources and energy should be spent on developing a more robust and equitable remote learning plan for the state.

**Commissioner Cardona's own Board of Education Report on Student Participation in Distance Learning and "Learn From Home Task Force" stated that "Over 74 percent of all students (approximately 391,000 students) ... fully participat[ed] in the distance learning offerings of the district[s]."

**Yale School of Public Health reported to Governor Lamont that "Closure of schools and the state’s stay-at-home order greatly reduced transmission of the virus."

**Yale School of Public Health reported that "there are substantial gaps in knowledge about critical aspects of the disease, including the proportion of infected individuals who are asymptomatic, infectiousness of children, the effects of testing and contact tracing on isolation of infected individuals and how contact patterns may change following reopening." We are not willing to subject ourselves, our children, or our communities to these unknown risks by agreeing to in-person education at this time.

**This petition supports all demands for equity. In-person instruction in brick and mortar schools is an equity issue. In-person learning will disproportionately affect communities of color, working class people, people living with disabilities, older populations residing in multigenerational households, and people who do not have access to quality health care. In other words, the most vulnerable populations will suffer the greatest, furthering the divide. All remote learning plans need to focus heavily on supporting Connecticut's "Opportunity Districts," as identified by the State Board of Education. These are areas that require the greatest resources and attention.

**The Kaiser Family Foundation cautions that "About 3.3 million adults age 65 or older live in a household with school-age children, a factor that state and local officials may want to take into account when deciding when and how (and if) to fully  re-open schools this fall." Children do not live in isolation. This is a community-wide concern.

**According to data from the Kaiser Family group and NEA, 1 in 4 teachers are at greater risk of serious complications if infected with Coronavirus."  Clearly, we are not willing to sacrifice teachers and school staff for economic interests. Please implore businesses to bear some of the burden and cost related to childcare expense. Demand that businesses develop creative solutions to address these needs. Teachers cannot be asked to fix another societal problem.

Commissioner Cardona's own Board of Education Report on Student Participation in Distance Learning and the "Learn From Home Task Force" stated that "90% participation was reported across the state."  Help us work on building a better, more equitable, remote learning plan for the sake of Connecticut!  You can help by emailing Governor Lamont (using his online opinion form) to let him know you support a remote learning plan with funding, especially for "opportunity districts" (Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury,  Norwich, New Britain, etc.)  https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/Contact/Email-Governor-Lamont

Please save your money! If Change.org asks you for donations after you sign the petition (the website and company, Change.org, often solicits funds for its own platform, not the causes), please DO NOT make a contribution. This campaign is not asking for any contributions, just your support. Thank you. 

***Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies and positions of any specific school district.