The lack of COVID testing, unclear quarantine protocols and communication, and the lack of a virtual option were consistent themes among the few dozen parents who testified Tuesday as part of a D.C. Council roundtable on how schools have handled in-person learning so far.
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“At DCPS, where a majority of our school leaders and students, and nearly half of our teachers identify as Black, we are committed to fulfilling the efforts of social activism and ensuring that the names we call our schools reflect our values and commitment to diversity,” Ferebee said, according to NBC4.
“We know the legacy of President Wilson. I think it has been appropriately disavowed,” Bowser previously said about the issue.
The name change has to be approved by the D.C. Council and would go into effect this fall.
The Hill has reached out to Bowser’s office for comment.
Among the requests the union is making is the opening of a “Situation Room” to identify and respond to emergency issues requiring responses within 24 hours. The union said it wants to work with D.C. Public Schools on the matter.
The members also want reassurance that the school system is following coronavirus guidelines from DC Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the provisions from the memorandum of agreement between the school system and the union.
“We must make sure schools are safe. What keeps me up at night is that the District is putting the health of our city’s educators and students at risk with in-school learning because of continuing exposures in schools, numerous reports of violations of agreed-upon safety protocols and tragically, the death of a beloved teacher,” union President Elizabeth Davis said in a statement.
How D.C. and its teachers, with shifting plans and demands, failed to reopen schools
Perry Stein and Laura Meckler, The Washington Post
Jan. 2, 2021
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Chancellor Lewis Ferebee, left, and Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, right, tour Shepherd Elementary School in the District of Columbia on Nov. 10, 2020.Washington Post photo by Marvin Joseph
WASHINGTON - Online classes in the District of Columbia in spring had been a disaster. Thousands of students didn t have computers or reliable WiFi. Many were falling behind. So as spring gave way to summer, Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, was determined to open schools again.
By mid-July, she had a plan. But it depended on cooperation of the teachers, and their union responded with protests.
Teachers want increased transparency around facility walkthroughs.
Last month, D.C. schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee visited schools to see how they were set up to keep students safe.
The teachers union said school community members should be allowed to verify facilities are ready to reopen.
In a statement, the union said teachers recognize that many students have struggled to adapt to distance learning.
“Reopening our schools won’t be a return to normal,” the union said. “We are committed to finding ways to best support our students who have struggled the most during the pandemic.”
In a statement, Mayor Muriel Bowser said in-person learning is the best option for students.