I am a student in the USA and because of the current Coronavirus pandemic, many schools have been forced to shut down. I am not saying in any way I disagree with the schools shutting down, as I, in particular, think it is the safest option. But that isn't what I'm arguing. As the winter goes on, it is sure to snow at some point. And when it snows on a school day snow days happen. The couple of days that children get a little amount of time to just relax unexpectedly. The strain that school puts on children every day is huge and has only increased during the pandemic. I think these days should just be those unexpected things that children look forward to no matter the state in the outside world.

56.4 million children and their families have been suffering without in-person school for almost a year. The fastest way to end that suffering is to get teachers vaccinated quickly. Teachers are essential workers and giving them high priority to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in phase 1B is the only way to ensure that all of our schools can reopen safely and quickly. The loss of in-person school has already impacted the mental health and growth of this generation of students. Most American kids are showing some signs of mental health problems and millions are significantly behind in academic and social development. Other kids face significant hunger and food insecurity due to the loss of school meals. Parents also rely on teachers and schools to provide child care when they need to work during the day. Without this resource, families have been forced to reduce their work hours or leave their jobs, losing income they need to pay their bills. Students need to return to school as fast as possible, but we cannot achieve that goal without making sure that teachers and support staff are given the protection they need to return to the classroom.

Proctorio and other online proctoring tools have a history of racial bias and violating students’ privacy. Writing for the MIT Technology Review, a librarian at UC Denver shared the following story: “A Black woman at my university once told me that whenever she used Proctorio's test proctoring software, it always prompted her to shine more light on her face. The software couldn’t validate her identity and she was denied access to tests so often that she had to go to her professor to make other arrangements. Her white peers never had this problem.” As has been amplified by the racial justice uprisings, and addressed by the City of Portland’s Director of Equity and Human Rights Dr. Markisha Smith: “Being antiracist means understanding through the use of root cause analysis that the history of surveillance in this country is rooted in slavery, with the earliest examples of controlling the movement of enslaved people being the ‘slave pass’. Being antiracist means ensuring the safety of BIPOC communities first.” Automated proctoring is also a direct and abhorrent violation of our children’s privacy. Proctorio and other companies get access to personal data from our children, including their personal computers, private rooms in their homes, and other data. It is unacceptable that our children must surrender their civil rights, especially while attending a public institution, to complete their education.

The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and creates lasting health effects for more. 1.) Children can’t be expected to maintain sufficient social distancing to keep this pandemic from spreading. They are social creatures. Allowing them back in a physical school setting will cause a new spike in cases. Teachers and staff cannot be expected to carry the responsibility of ensuring everyone is following social distancing guidelines, while teaching and worrying about their own health. Every staff member or student could carry the virus home, even if they are asymptomatic. 2.) Social isolation is very hard. It is wearing on all of us. However, continued spread also means continued isolation. Not to mention the lasting effects of Covid, which will limit one’s ability to go about normal activities the remainder of their lives. This can be a hard teachable moment in life. Talk to your children, have an open dialogue of what this pandemic means and that keeping them healthy is a priority. 3.) Mental health is absolutely a concern; however, it should ALWAYS be a concern. Now is a time parents/guardians must take time to connect with their children and become more in tune with their children's feelings. Help their children work on strategies and coping mechanisms needed for the curveballs life throws at us. Schools cannot be expected to also fix the mental health of our nation. 4.) The economic impact on families is real and it’s difficult, whether schools are open or not. Covid has rippling effects on everyone. However, it is not a school's job to save the economy. It is a school's job to teach our children, which is being done virtually. To put teachers and students health at risk because families need a babysitter is unreasonable and not grounds for schools to open during a very active pandemic. 5.) Deforest has gone above and beyond what most districts have, in means of educating our children. They have been consistent and provided all the resources needed. As in life, there are days adults are adrift in the workplace, just like there are days students are not focused in a school setting. Education interruption will occur if schools open and then need to close repeatedly due to infection spread. And if one becomes gravely ill, there will be an even larger interruption. 6.) Parent's concern for lack of physical activity is also not a reason to open schools. This is a time for parents to be creative. If you don't want them in front of the screen take it away! Have them go outside, go for a walk, play a family game, teach them how to cook, ride a bike, go sledding – get outside or be active indoors if the weather doesn’t cooperate. 7.) Deforest should not be pressured to open. The staff is doing a great job educating students. Teachers have poured their hearts into educating the students they miss dearly, all while under the stress and scrutiny of everyone. We should be supporting our schools and educators, not making them feel unappreciated for their dedication. 8.) Understand that if students go back to in person learning, they will be sitting in a chair, with a mask on all day, working from the same computer they do at home. They will not be together at lunch, they will not be playing or interacting with their friends or even able to collaborate any differently than they do now. This is not in anyone’s best interest, it’s is the exact opposite. At home students can get up and move around, talk to friends on the phone at lunch and even get outside. The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and created lasting health effects for even more. Let’s not be the reason more lives are lost or altered. Let’s be the reason we all survive and can return to normal sooner rather than later. Please sign this petition to keep the Deforest schools virtual until it is safe to return. Our kids and teachers deserve it!

It is important understand that the students of Bloomfield college have worked hard and should be allowed the choice of a Pass or Fail grade for the Fall 2020 semester because of the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on Bloomfield College.

It is important for the well being of our students, staff & families to have the administrators remain in their positions. The Board members do not understand the job descriptions of these employees. They are looking at the bottom line number & are worrying too much about the possibility of town taxes going up.

As parent advocates we are pushing back on rumored Education Secretary nominee Lily Eskelsen García, who's a fierce opponent of school choice. As Jeanne Allen, president and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, notes in Forbes, "She has compared choice for poor kids to 'snake oil,' and has argued that 'everything about ‘school choice’ leaves students out in the cold.'"

The nearly 8% or $3 million + increase in the Elgin Police Department budget is excessive. This money should be reallocated to support community based services such as the creation of an Elgin Health and Human Services Department that would include mental health, addiction treatment, housing, food distribution, nutrition, education, recreation, job development, public transportation, accessibility to resources, infrastructure, etc. The Elgin Police Department’s proposed budget for 2021 is well over $51 million. This is absurd. Crime statistics are trending down. The community needs expanded social services not weaponized control. Over policing is a clear manifestation of systemic and structural racism. The community needs to hold the City Council, City Manager and Mayor accountable to prioritize community well being with investment in basic human dignity and the expansion of systems of social justice. El aumento de casi 8% o más de $ 3 millones en el presupuesto para el Departamento de Policía de Elgin es excesivo. Este dinero debe reasignarse para apoyar servicios comunitarios como la creación de un Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Elgin que incluiría salud mental, tratamiento de adicciones, vivienda, distribución de alimentos, nutrición, educación, recreación, desarrollo laboral, transporte público, accesibilidad a recursos, infraestructura, etc. El presupuesto propuesto por el Departamento de Policía de Elgin para el 2021 supera con creces los $ 51 millones. Esto es absurdo. Las estadísticas sobre delitos están a la baja. La comunidad necesita servicios sociales ampliados, no un control armado sobre la población. La vigilancia excesiva es una clara manifestación de racismo sistémico y estructural. La comunidad debe responsabilizar al Concejo Municipal, al Administrador de la ciudad y al Alcalde de priorizar el bienestar de la comunidad con la inversión en nuestra dignidad humana básica y la expansión de los sistemas de justicia social.

Pickleball is ‘America’s Fastest Growing Sport’ and one that is enjoyed by players of all ages and abilities, spread by the grassroots enthusiasm of its participants. It is a sport more appropriate to the “People’s House” than Tennis, which developed under the aristocratic patronage of the Royalty of both England and France. Pickleball originated in the United States, created through old-fashioned American ingenuity and creativity when a planned family badminton game had to be cancelled due to the lack of correct equipment. While the large, space-hungry tennis court demands a high level of athletic conditioning, Pickleball is played on a much smaller court which allows for more efficient use of public land (in parks nationwide as well as in the White House lawn) and can be effectively played by a much broader spectrum of America’s casual athletes. Pickleball is also a much more community-based, social sport than tennis, encouraging people of all backgrounds to find common cause and enjoyment together. Changing the White House tennis court to multiple Pickleball courts would be an inspiration to increased fitness achievable by all Americans, as well as a of symbol both American ingenuity and the effective and efficient use of our public lands.

The education of our children should be the upmost importance. CFSD had time to implement and train staff/teachers and should have been prepared to go to “virtual learning”. Giving supplies to parents for parents to teach our children is not acceptable. We want our children to be given the education that they deserve and that we pay for via taxes.

I am a parent of a student at Roosevelt Elementary and have been very involved within the building through the PTO for the past 6 years. A steering committee appointed by the Board is considering recommendations that might result in a consolidation from five elementary schools to four. The consolidation would close one elementary school. Roosevelt is on the chopping block. Roosevelt is a historical building and the marque of the district. It is short sighted not to see all the benefits that Roosevelt has to offer. The proposed renovations that were approved and voted on by residents in the latest bond have yet to come to fruition. Roosevelt is fully utilized and costs are low to operate compared to the other schools with fewer students. Roosevelt has that neighborhood feel and allows students to walk to school; enjoy a smaller, more intimate setting with friends from their neighborhood; provides working parents that commute efficiency and convenience; and serves as a cornerstone in the community. Roosevelt proximity offers a variety of housing options for a diverse student population. Abandonment of Roosevelt Elementary may lead to a decline in neighboring property values or vandalism. If Roosevelt is demolished, it may remain a vacant lot for years or be replaced with an undesirable new use. Moreover, consolidating our historic neighborhood school into a large anonymous “sprawl school” on the outskirts of town may strain the sense of community and add new costs. Tell West Bloomfield School Board to suspend their decision and keep Roosevelt as an operational school.

Students receive the highest quality of education in school buildings with face-to-face contact with educators. In order to appropriately address students’ academic and social-emotional needs, the schools need to be consistently and fully staffed. For educators and children to be healthy and safe so they can be present in person, Covid-19 transmission and infection rates within Brookline’s schools need to be identified, monitored and minimized. While we understand that discussions are underway between the Town of Brookline and the Public Schools of Brookline concerning implementation of a program of asymptomatic testing of staff, an immediate and more comprehensive approach is urgently needed.