Karla Ramirez spent months transforming her garage into a space where her 5-year-old daughter, Zoey, would feel comfortable doing distance learning.
There is a little desk, a whiteboard, and bookcase for the kindergartener who attends Language Academy Elementary, which was closed because of the pandemic.
Distance learning has been going well, Ramirez said, and there’s peace of mind in knowing Zoey is safe learning at home in City Heights.
The peace was shaken Thursday when San Diego Unified School District announced new plans to allow most students to return to schools.
The district’s plan is for elementary students to return to in-person learning for half days four days a week and for middle and high school students to attend school two days a week, for four hours a day.
Ramirez, who suffers from chronic pulmonary problems, said she does not want Zoey to return. She wonders how young students like Zoey will carry out all the new safety protocols at school.
“It’s going to be more anxiety on them and more stressful in the classroom ... because they have to focus on the learning part and then on staying safe,” Ramirez said.
Several parents shared mixed feelings this week about the district’s announced Phase Two plans for in-person learning. Phase Three and Phase Four plans also were revealed Thursday.
All plans are subject to collective bargaining negotiations with unions, the district said.
The schools will require daily health screenings and masks for students and staff, with exceptions for those with medical conditions. The district said it is working on a comprehensive testing and tracing strategy.
Some parents said they still have questions and concerns about the district’s safety protocols.
Karla Ramirez reorganized and decorated the family’s garage in City Heights to give her daughter, Zoey Castillo, 5, a space to do distance learning.
(Sam Hodgson/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Jackie Gooden, a parent of a first grader at Johnson Elementary, said she is not sure how school staff will guarantee kids will keep their distances or following other safety procedures.
“I just feel like it’s too soon to go back,” Gooden said.
Gooden, who lives in Emerald Hills, said she worries about the impact of Phase Two on parents who live in low-income neighborhoods, because if a child comes home from school with coronavirus, that means everyone in the household is exposed and parents won’t be able to work.
Wicho Flores, a father of four children who have asthma, said the district should look at the impact on individuals with underlying health conditions and low-income families.
Flores, who works as a counselor for a different school district, questions how effectively those plans can be executed.
“As a professional, I agree and understand the need for kids to be on campus with their teachers and peers,” Flores said. “But my priority as a parent and professional is the health of the person.”
A district spokeswoman said Friday that families still have the option of continuing with online learning during all of the remaining phases.
Karla Ramirez decorated her garage in City Heights to keep her daughter engaged in distance learning.
(Sam Hodgson/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Other parents feel ready to have their children return to in-person learning but want to know how the district will enforce safety protocols.
Caroline Abkar said she would be comfortable if her 10-year-old returned to school
Abkar’s daughter attends Bay Park Elementary, and although distance learning is going well, she misses interacting with teachers and peers, Abkar said.
“It’s really wearing down on her,” Abkar said. “As nice as it is to be home, it’s not a proper learning environment.”
But Abkar said she would like to know how regularly the district is going to test people and how it will deal with students who don’t want to wear masks.
A parent group called Reopen SDUSD has been holding protests at the district’s headquarters, demanding that schools reopen immediately because of the emotional and academic toll distance learning is having on children.
Ebey Sorenson, a member of the group, said it’s necessary to get kids back to school.
Sorenson said her son who is an early childhood special education program is doing well with his academic tasks but is missing out on being in a classroom and gaining social skills.
Her older son, a first-grader, has struggled with online work. She said she has already decided to home school him, regardless of Phase Two. She plans to home school him instead.
“He needs a good learning environment and what the district is offering right now … is just not effective,” Sorenson said. “I want learning to be fun. I don’t want to see him crying.”
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Parents share mixed feelings about San Diego Unified's Phase Two reopening plan - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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