Round Rock ISD parents demand district reopens schools for in person instruction
ROUND ROCK, Texas - After a week of online learning parents at Round Rock ISD are making their voices heard. A group of families met outside Round Rock High School with signs in hand ready to march over to the administration building.
Paula Rojas brought her two sons in protest, her sign read, “Virtual learning is failing students…” and then goes on to list special needs and learning disabilities students are facing.
“Online learning is not working for us,” said Rojas. “John Carlo is 8-years old and he has dyslexia, speech and articulation delays.”
RELATED: Central Texas school districts, colleges and universities plan for fall instruction
Round Rock ISD has opted to have the first three weeks of school virtual, adhering to local health recommendations. Phase 2 of the district’s plans include bringing children who have special needs back on campus by September 10th. However, Thursday the board of trustees is scheduled to discuss applying for a waiver with the Texas Education Agency to extend online classes by an additional four weeks, allowing flexibility should health conditions worsen.
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Nayda Watson is urging the district to reconsider and give parents a choice.
“That’s just a risk you have to take and frankly,” said Watson. “I think we did everything that we could. We stayed at home as long as we had to do it and there is not going to ever be a time when there will be zero cases.”
RELATED: Texas to release COVID-19 data for children in schools and childcare facilities
Helping support mental health of students
A recent survey finds that teens are growing depressed & disconnected from school and many said they hadn't been offered any social or emotional support by an adult from their school. Chief Executive Officer with Communities in Schools, Suki Steinhauser, talks about more about the findings and how adults can support the mental health of students.
According to a parent choice survey, the majority of Round Rock ISD families in elementary, middle, and high school want virtual learning.
Round Rock ISD released this statement:
“We miss our students and understand the frustration of parents and students who wish to return to the classroom. We want nothing more than to welcome all 51,000 Round Rock ISD students back to our campuses and agree that face-to-face teaching and learning and the social-emotional benefits of being physically at school can't be replaced. However, we must also consider the health and safety of not only our students, but also our staff members and our entire community.” Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, Chief of Public Affairs and Communications.
On Friday August 28th, the Reimagining Education proposal will be sent out to Round Rock ISD families. The proposal will include a link to a Thought Exchange to gather feedback. The feedback will be presented to the board on Thursday September 3rd.
For more on how Central Texas schools are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
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