BUFFALO (WBEN) - On Tuesday, several parent advocates and community leaders held a press conference to push for a remote learning option from the Buffalo School District.
"We think adding the remote option is one of the innovations that we can make to change the system to make it better," said parent advocate Sam Radford, who's also a member of the New York Equity Coalition. "Some students excelled. Why would you take a student who excelled - let's say it's 20-30% who excelled in remote instruction - why would you force them back into the classroom where maybe they struggled?"
Phil Rumore serves as president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, and he believes the remote learning model should only be available to students when all parties agree it's in the best interest for the child.
"I think it should be an option that's available to parents as long as there is an agreement between the district and the parent that this is something that's necessary for their child and they get a commitment from the parent that they're going to ensure that child is online and doing what they're supposed to be doing," said Rumore.
However, parent advocate Duncan Kirkwood is adamant that parents know what's best for their children, saying one of his children is an example of a student who excelled under the remote model - so much so that they're considering advancing her a grade level.
"Parents who have money make choices for their children - that's just how it works," Kirkwood began. "But parents who oftentimes don't have access to the private schools, or to move out of the city, or to move to another place with a different education system are told, 'This is what you must do for your child, and we're not going to ask you.'"
There is a prevailing belief from medical experts, school officials and teachers that students are best served when they are in the classroom environment with their peers. However, Dr. Steven Turkovich, who serves as the chief medical officer at Oishei Children's Hospital, said that there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach.
"I think what we've learned and what we know is that everybody learns differently," said Turkovich in an interview with WBEN Wednesday morning. "We know generally in-school learning is best for kids, but that doesn't mean one size fits all for everybody. If there is a student who feels like and they've proven they do better in a home environment, then I certainly think that should be an option. To me, that's much more of an educational decision that needs to be made within the context of what's happening with the child, the family, and the school district."
"The teachers are almost unanimous in saying, 'We want our kids back with us,'" said Rumore.
In a letter to parents dated August 9, Buffalo Schools Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash said the following:
"I am pleased to provide you with an update on plans for a full re-opening of our schools on Wednesday, September 8. As of today, we are expecting all students to return to school buildings, full-time, five days per week. The highly contagious and currently dominant COVID Delta variant continues to create unpredictable conditions for all school districts and, therefore, our plans may change or be amended. Please be assured, however, that we are preparing for as safe a 2021-2022 school year as possible under the circumstances."
The Buffalo School Board is holding a meeting Wednesday night, and Radford urged the Board to consider the remote learning model in their discussions.
