Scottsdale Unified School District parents remain vocal about their right to choose to send their children to school campuses or keep them home to learn during the haunting pandemic.
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Scottsdale Unified School District parents remain vocal about their right to choose to send their children to school campuses or keep them home to learn during the haunting pandemic.
Circulating on Facebook, a segment of parents have planned to attend a “Scottsdale Rally for Choice” at 4 p.m. at the Mohave District Annex, 8500 E. Jackrabbit Road, as they protest for in-person instruction before district officials meet at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1 to discuss the latest updates regarding opening schools for on campus learning that was tentatively scheduled for Sept. 8.
Some parents maintain their right to choose to send their children back on campus is being disregarded while other parents want the district to keep schools closed until “metrics” are met.
The Arizona Department of Health Services outlined benchmarks for districts to strive for to ensure that the schools could open safely.
“We want safe for kids and safe for teachers,” said Dr. Susan Hughes, an SUSD parent, who implored board members at the last Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board meeting to “follow the science and evidence-based metrics.”
She and another parent, Dr. Alan Graham, are part of a grassroots group called Physicians for Science, Equity and Advocacy that disagree with parents who “demand in person education as their right and their choice.”
As calls upon calls flooded a hotline that board members entertained on Aug. 18, Dr. Hughes, who has sent numerous documents to district and state officials since schools have been impacted by the pandemic, cited the numbers of active COVID-19 cases and deaths.
She said school officials should consider the statistics as well to ensure the safety of students and staff.
“A lot has happened since March,” she said, noting about 201,000 cases and more than 5,000 deaths in Arizona so far as figures are constantly changing.
SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel even stated he relies heavily on input and research from medical experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John’s Hopkins University and Arizona State University.
“We need adequate and freely available testing for staffing and students,” Dr. Hughes said, adding adequate personal protection equipment is needed, tracing for SUSD students and staff.
“We are not testing enough. It is important that we look at safety before we look at in-person instruction. Please give our educators a time and extend the delay to opening. Please follow the science,” Dr. Hughes said.
Dr. Allen Graham, a Valley pediatrician and parent, agreed with Dr. Hughes and commended the board members for their efforts.
“I feel for the school board across the state,” Dr. Graham said, noting what he called a tremendous amount of pressure before the board to meet benchmarks proposed. He gave the example of Georgia schools that have reported cases already of those who have succumbed to the disease upon reopening schools.
“Open when it is safe. Use science guidelines from the CDC and [World Health Organization]. There are a lot of people trying to return to normal
I see the consequences,” Dr. Graham said, noting that the school can successfully return to reasonable and in person learning.
Attempting to dispell a myth that “kids don’t get the coronavirus,” he said, “There are about 5% or one in nine percent who get sick and need ICU.”
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