The majority of parents are not in favor of students returning to school full-time amid the pandemic, but a large percentage still want some sort of in-person learning, according to a newly released poll by the California Teachers Association.
Of the more than 1,200 registered voters polled last month, more than 500 of which are parents, only 1 in 10 said schools should be fully in-person.
“We can’t do it unless it’s safe,” said E. Toby Boyd, president of the CTA. “And, that is what we’ve been saying and the research has showed us that we’ve been on the right track.”
Of the parents polled, 40% said they want some sort of in-person learning for their kids, but 7 in 10 worry about COVID-19.
Dr. Bob Harrison, clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said it’s about preparation.
“We have to be prepared that there will be infections in schools among both students, staff and teachers,” he told KCBS Radio. “There will be, most likely, outbreaks, so we have to be prepared to both protect and respond immediately with contact tracing, testing and notification.”
Of the voters polled, 84% said it was a good thing to close schools back in the spring, when the pandemic first hit. Of the parents polled, 81% said the same thing, but only 48% said distance learning worked well.
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