CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Oak Park elementary school students and teachers are back in classrooms together next week, against the wishes of the teachers' union.
Oak Park parents and teachers weighed in on the hybrid plan during a recent remote meeting, with board members reading their comments at a virtual board meeting.
First a sampling of parents.
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"How does this district in good conscious send our children back to classrooms with teachers who are being bullied into returning to an environment where it is impossible to eliminate the risk of death or debilitating illness due to COVID?"
"Pausing for as little as four weeks will have questionably saved lives."
"Asking students, teachers, and staff to be together in an indoor space for four to five hours during this stage of the pandemic is unconscionable."
"Why are we placing so much blame on our teachers to learn how to reteach again, now livestream and in-person, as well as the health risk? Is our current model good? No. Nothing that is happening or not happening due to COVID-19 has been good."
The teachers returned this week to prepare for the hybrid model. They were required to be on site a minimum of three days this week to prepare their classrooms and practice live streaming.
The plan has them in classrooms teaching some kids in-person and others at home.
The teachers universally asked for a delay in the hybrid model until those who want to can be vaccinated.
"I would like to ask that in-person teaching and learning under the hybrid model be delayed just a little while longer until which time all D97 employee, who want it, have received doses one and two."
Board member Jung Kim said, “This is a novel coronavirus and we’re following the science. I don’t think any of us are trying to hurt people, teachers or students. I would encourage people to look at the [district’s] report. I think it’s important to look at that.”