100 signatures reached
To: Monongalia Country School Board
A Choice and a Voice for Monongalia County Back-to-School
Dear Monongalia County Board of Education members,
In a July 17 interview on WAJR, Superintendent Eddie Campbell pledged: “Mon County schools reopening will be a team effort with families.” So far, families and teachers feel unheard, unconsidered, and unimportant in this process, though it affects them profoundly. We ask our school board members, elected by us, to represent us with the following requests to the administration:
1) A remote choice for our families that includes instruction from local teachers.
2) A remote choice for our teachers, if they have families of their own in the school system or are at risk themselves.
3) A follow-up survey sent to all families, with a clear choice between two options only: (a) in-person learning (regardless of how many days per week) vs. (b) remote learning from local teachers.
4) A survey sent to teachers, to gauge their preference for (a) teaching in class vs. (b) teaching remotely.
5) A clear method for asking questions or otherwise being in dialog with the board and the administration during this difficult time, to allow for transparency in the process (e.g.: regular zoom Q+A sessions; socially-distant open-air forums; open zoom board meetings with the possibility of being on the schedule to be heard; etc).
Thank you.
Respectfully submitted,
All signed petitioners
Why is this important?
There is much confusion among parents and teachers regarding Mon County’s re-entry plan for the 2020-2021 school year. The official release posted on 8/14 states that remote is no longer an option. But in emails sent 8/15, the board president states that remote is still an option, and The Dominion Post indicates that remote learning is one of the three plans sent to the governor on 8/14. How can both be true?
The new plan (every-other-day instruction, with no remote option) was not an option on the Mon County parent survey but appears now to be the only plan available for families who want their students to be taught by local teachers. Additionally, the burden is placed on teachers, even those with families themselves, to bear the brunt of both remote and in-person classes. As a result, many families (including those of teachers) are reeling, contemplating leaving jobs and jeopardizing their livelihoods in order to provide the assistance their children will need in any of the remaining options, including every-other-day instruction, virtual, or homeschooling.