The health and safety of all students and staff must be the priority and guiding principle in the decision to reopen public schools for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to California schools. Educators, students, and families have  worked collaboratively and effectively to adapt to the new environment and to ensure that quality education continues through distance learning. Despite warnings from the nation’s top COVID-19 experts that unless our country makes drastic changes, we are heading towards a perilous winter season, you continue to consider risking the physical and emotional well-being of our students and staff and for what benefit? . 

We are concerned that the proposed plan is not focused on the most vulnerable students in our district including students with special needs, students who are in foster care or experiencing homelessness, and our youngest students in pre-k through second grade. Additionally, should  families opt to continue distance learning, they may be penalized by losing the teacher, and even the school, they have built a relationship with and a classroom community they are a part of. The mental toll that a disruption like being assigned a new teacher, new class of students, new expectations, new schedule will take on our students and staff after all they have already done to adapt to the new reality, should not be underestimated. 

We should be utilizing the already limited resources of this district to meet the needs of our high-need students first, while planning for a safe re-entry for all students next school year. 

MDUSD cannot return to school in person, or hybrid, until it is safe for students and educators to do so. To reopen schools safely, it is imperative that certain requirements are met. Those requirements include, but are not limited to Student-teacher ratios, PPE, testing procedures, a family’s obligation to share test results, or alerts to families as cases ultimately break out. While the surveys and emails say the district plans to adhere to state guidelines, what are they and what is the plan? We need more information to make an informed decision.

We are asking you to strongly consider the following:

•  Do NOT rush a hybrid plan that will cause increased stress and anxiety for our students, staff and families.
• Do NOT rush a reopening plan that doesn’t guarantee the safety of every student and teacher equally and without question.  
• Utilize limited district resources to increase opportunity and accomodations for the highest needs students first. Create separate plans for primary and secondary schools in the district as these populations have very different developmental needs.
• Create plans to reevaluate grading, assessments and live instruction requirements instead of using resources on reopening plans. Increase the amount of virtual social-emotional learning support for students district-wide.
• Take the remaining year to create working groups to provide better re-entry solutions for the 2021-2022 school year.
• Families that choose to remain in DL should be guaranteed the same teacher and school.
• Returning in January is likely  the worst time of the year to return to in-person learning due to the nature of increased indoor  social gatherings over the winter holidays.

Petition signatures from community members and parents of MDUSD are attached. These signatures represent a community agreement that the current reopening plan is not in the best interest of our children, families and school staff and we encourage your strong consideration.

After you sign the petition, call, write and email the District.

MT. DIABLO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord, California 94519
District Office Phone: (925) 682-8000