**Before we start, I would like to clarify that hybrid learning in this case refers to Zoom/video calls AND recording the class lecture and uploading it to a site that students have access to.

If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is that online school was tricky to get the hang of at first, but it is possible. While there are exceptions to accessibility, online school was more accessible and inclusive compared to in-person learning. In my home state, a law was passed that granted high school students five mental health days within a three month period. This might seem like a good thing, but in reality, it is not. The pressures of school are so great that missing one day of school, whether it be due to illness or otherwise, can be extremely damaging. Missing lectures and presentations regarding important information is something that cannot be re-presented for students that had to miss class. A notetaker’s notes might mean nothing to a student that missed class where some explanations were spoken rather than written. We all missed some aspects of in-person learning as we logged into our Zoom calls, but since discovering that online school is mostly accessible and widely available, it is time we introduce a hybrid option as a way to be more inclusive.

Since this is still one of the most concerning issues we have that most schools do not have a solid protocol for, it is important to consider how hybrid learning will benefit everyone as Coronavirus continues to spread. At my school, it has been left up to the professors. If the professor tests positive for COVID-19, they get to decide how long class will be cancelled for, what the new schedule will look like, and if learning will be synchronous or asynchronous. However, if a student tests positive for COVID-19, there is no information as to how a student in quarantine will continue to be present for class and receive the information from the lectures. Personally, I found out that a student in one of my classes tested positive for the virus and they have not been to class for a week (at the time I am writing this). My professor does not set up a Zoom for that student, no one records the lecture, and I am assuming that the student has not yet turned in their homework. Why are we ignoring hybrid learning when the pandemic continues to affect people right in our communities, right in our schools? Providing a Zoom link to the class will benefit students who are in quarantine as they will still be able to virtually attend the lectures and write down important information they would have otherwise missed.

For students living with mental health illnesses, hybrid learning provides these students with everything they need to succeed while being understanding and inclusive. Sometimes, people are physically unable to get out of bed or get dressed. Others may be physically unable to leave their rooms or personal spaces due to feelings of anxiety. Hybrid learning offers these students the same quality education they would have received if they were present in class while also accommodating for their mental health the correct way. Allowing a few absences only causes more stress for students as they fear they will miss important information or not be able to catch up with the rest of the class. Hybrid learning allows these students to remain in their safe space while still being able to gain the information necessary to stay on the same track they would have been if they attended class in person.

It is also important to acknowledge students with physical disabilities and chronic illnesses. I am sure these students already have certain accommodations, but would it not be easier to create a Zoom call and allow these students to access the class from their personal spaces?

There are many more reasons as to why hybrid learning would benefit both educators and students— random illness, death of a friend or family member, doctor and dentist appointments, etcetera. We are living in a time where close to 90% of people living in America have internet access. There is really no excuse as to why hybrid learning cannot and should not be used. Someone in a class of mine asked why we weren’t offering hybrid learning at our school and in response, the teacher said, “well, it would be too hard to set up the cameras around the room and we don’t have a way to record it— it would just be really complicated.” Have we not proved over the past year and a half that we can do those things? Why are some people trying to pretend that setting up a Zoom call and recording it is ‘too complicated’ when we just did that?

With this petition, I am specifically proposing that Agnes Scott College located in Decatur, Georgia, transition to hybrid learning. There are virtually no downsides and all of us know that education can continue virtually. Tests and quizzes may remain in person, but typical lectures should be offered in-person as well as online. In addition, the recordings of lectures would be helpful for all students, whether they attended class virtually or in-person, to be able to go back and look for any information they missed.

During this time, it has been hard for students to transition back to in-person learning, especially since COVID-19 still poses a large risk. It is unfair to throw students into the deep end and pretend that virtual learning didn’t exist and COVID-19 isn’t as bad anymore. The day I write this, a professor told us that Agnes Scott had been sending out emails to all of the professors all day reminding them to wear masks as they teach. We, educators and students, are not prepared for normal in-person learning yet.

To conclude, I want to emphasize that hybrid learning should not only be offered for the next few years if Agnes Scott decides to bring back some aspect of virtual learning. Hybrid learning will help everyone for years to come and many professors already know how to open a Zoom call, record it, and upload the recording so training should technically be minimal. Everyone could use a break every once in a while and sometimes, we have no other option than to miss a day of school, so why should we be punished for that? I am calling out to President Zak of Agnes Scott College and the other staff members on the president’s cabinet. Convert to hybrid learning for the wellbeing of us all.