Our elementary school students NEED more in-person schooling than the hybrid model proposes. Remote learning is insufficient to cement a strong foundation in the basics of reading, writing, math and even learning how to be a friend. Two part days of in-person instruction is truly not an acceptable offering.

For months, evidence-based scientific articles have circulated as to the necessity for young learners to have in-person education. Younger students especially need to have consistent reinforcement of ideas and concepts and this cannot only happen for a mere 7 hours per week split across 2 days. This very fact (the importance of prioritizing in-person schooling for K-2) has been acknowledged by the school board, and yet that reality did not translate into a plan. Two half-days of school is a weak offering that would fail to engage students and lacks any consistency of learning. 

Neighboring districts have been creative and thoughtful and are universally offering much more robust in-person learning with their hybrid plans. Longer, full days, Wednesday instruction and an enhanced school calendar that prioritizes classroom learning are all reasonable, deliverable asks consistent with the minimum provided by peer school districts. 

Sure, these are unprecedented times, but we are going to emerge from these times and do not want to find that we have failed our youngest learners by denying them the ability to learn.