With the covid-19 pandemic, schools across the country are being forced to find alternative ways to teach students.

West Babylon School District, back in mid-August, gave students the choice to choose between Full Remote learning and Hybrid learning. When students chose Hybrid learning, they had to fill out a form to schedule a bus to drive them. 

A week before school started, right before schedules were dropped, it was revealed that all students taking core classes that were AP had to do Hybrid learning. The school district never formally announced this change, forcing parents and students to email guidance and administration to clear their confusion. If the students wanted to keep their AP courses, they had to do Hybrid no matter what. Many students were left scrambling to figure out transportation. As one of those students I felt as thought my ground was shaken from underneath me, my plans ruined and my mind running to find a solution on how I could get to and from school.

Hit the hardest, however, were the high-risk students with chronic disabilities and illnesses who couldn’t afford the gamble of doing Hybrid learning. 
They were told that it was Administrations choice to only doing regents classes virtually. No exceptions. High-risk students were now forced to choose between (potentially) their life or their education. One of those students being my asthmatic best friend.

According to title two of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 schools (public and private) are prohibited from discriminating against children with disabilities. Section 504 requires schools develop Individual Health Plans (IHPs) to address any health-related needs students may have. 

Kids work hard to get into these programs and disadvantaged students rely on AP courses to help better their higher education- which is practically mandatory to make any work force.

The school district is not only disrupting student’s health and education it’s also disrupting their future before it begins. 

Please sign. We need change. And we need it now.