Parents and students in Berkeley held a sit-in at Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris’s former elementary school on Wednesday, as they called for a return to in-person learning.
Leigh Levy, who was the organizer of the sit-in that took place at Thousand Oaks Elementary school, pondered if the Vice President-elect would have been elected if her education had been disrupted at an early stage, as she said many students are experiencing now due to the pandemic.
"Our kids are not in in-person instruction, and at Berkeley there are private schools that are open for in-person instruction," Levy said. "That just seems completely unfair to us."
Tom Lee, a parent of three, said sending his children back to school can’t come soon enough.
"It’s quite catastrophic from both an academic and a social perspective, for our kids to be at home so long," Lee said.
Lee noted that many schools have reopened in other states and countries around the world.
Meanwhile, one first grader said he misses playing with his friends at recess, but is keeping a daily routine even as he learns from home.
"Zoom is annoying," the student said. "I have an iPad, and my iPad’s in my room."
In a statement, Berkeley Unified School District said it would continue to work to reopen school campuses in a hybrid model, when the State and County deem it safe.
Berkeley schools have been closed for more than 313 days as of Wednesday.
