PORTSMOUTH With school employee vaccinations happening Saturday in the city, parents are pleading with school district leaders to bring students in for more in-person learning to cap off the academic year that has been restricted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Letting students continue in a hybrid learning model (split between screens and in-person learning in classrooms), parents told School Board members this week, will continue to hurt their academic drive, mental health and social development.
“We have been incredibly slow and have acted insufficiently to data widely accepted by public health experts, which clearly indicates that kids need to be in school full-time for their social, academic and mental health,” said Ken Buttermore, father of two Dondero Elementary School students. “And the data shows this can be done safely.”