I love serving my elementary school students in-person, but not when the level of local community spread is 50 new cases per 100,000. This is not a safe environment for in-person learning. Children are in tune with the increased stress levels of adults around them. We have to consider the child mental health impact of putting kids in school buildings with stressed and anxious adults.

Of course, having open school buildings puts adults at greater risk of infecting other adults in the workplace. We must prioritize protection of our teachers and the entire school community and multi-generational families. The community spread is too high right now to continue in-person learning. Sign the petition if you agree there needs to be a change to virtual schooling for the short term.