BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Parents at Buffalo Public Schools are still hoping they can have another meeting with Superintendent Kriner Cash and the board of education ahead of the district's first day of school on September 8.
"I think that's the only way we can (resolve issues about reopening)," Jessica Bauer Walker, a parent and President of the BPS Community Health Worker Parent Association, said. "I think we have to all come to the table and have a conversation. Everybody's experience and expertise is different. There are structures in place in the district, including local and state and federal policy that includes shared-decision-making and meaningful engagement of parents. We have always advocated for everybody coming to the table."
READ: Buffalo parents want more from district for marginalized groups (September 1)
Bauer Walker and other parent advocates pushed for more details on reopening on Tuesday outside the former School 77 that has since been converted into a community center with affordable senior housing. There's frustration among these parents that the district is not being open enough about reopening plans, particularly for marginalized groups like the special needs community, multilingual families, and for families who live in poverty.
Buffalo officials will contemplate sometime in October if they will begin a transition into hybrid learning.
When asked about the short window Buffalo Schools had to prepare for this school year given the uncertainty with the pandemic and ensuing restrictions, Bauer Walker said the district needed to do scenario planning, especially since it has a budget of around $1 billion and thousands of employees and students.
"We can't be waiting for the district to say what's going to happen next," Bauer Walker said. "There's lots of variables in our world right now with coronavirus, systemic racism, with the economic turmoil. We can't just wait for things to happen to us."
She also noted that parents have offered grassroots support services to the district, such as community-based hubs at community centers, and other creative solutions.
"There are a lot of creative solutions out there," Rahwa Ghirmatzion, a district parent and Executive Director of PUSH Buffalo, said. "We have many, many, many assets. Are we utilizing those assets effectively? What additional supports does Buffalo Public School administration need? For example, if Erie County is dealing with the housing issues (and) they're also dealing with welfare support systems and child care issues, why not partner with them? Why not partner with the many different community centers and community hubs that are available to them? It's going to take all of us. It's going to be a bunch of different solutions that we have to propose so we can meet the needs of as many families as possible."
Parents agreed with our assertion that there is no perfect solution to reopening.
