Some public school districts (in the bluest of states) aren’t committed to reopening schools in the fall… a YEAR AND A HALF after the pandemic closed them down… and nearly a year after the vaccines became available.
Why aren’t schools open yet? Why don’t parents have more choices—or, for some, even just A choice—for how, what, and where their children learn?
Our nation’s school children deserve better than this.
Do you have a story to share about how school closures have impacted your child, family, or loved ones? Do you feel frustrated or angry about continued school closures and virtual learning? Do you lack access to school choice and want to be able to choose where and how your child learns? We’d love to hear from you.
We’ve heard from countless parents, guardians, grandparents, teachers, and students who have felt the strain of continued school closures and the struggles of pandemic learning.
Some have come up with creative ways to educate their children and foster a sense of community. So many, like me, took matters into their own hands and pulled their children out of public schools and placed them in different learning environments—from parochial schools to pods to homeschooling.
Ali, a mom of four from Los Angeles, is another one of them. When the pandemic and ensuing pressure from teachers unions forced California public schools to close indefinitely, she took it upon herself to form a “pandemic pod” with neighboring families. After trying remote learning through the public school system for her kids, Ali knew that, come fall, she’d have to find an alternative option.
By all accounts, it was the right decision. Ali says, her children are “learning more in half the amount of time given the efficiency and personal attention the kids receive.” After teachers unions in California began overly politicizing the curriculum and reading materials in public schools, Ali decided to make this a permanent choice.
