After Tate Reeves held a press conference on Tuesday holding strong to the commitment to reopen schools this month to traditional learning, the Mississippi Association of Educators responded with a statement to government officials on the return to face-to-face learning. The association is asking for an extra month delay to traditional learning to help educators adjust to the upcoming challenges of the 2020-2021 school year.
The full letter is below:
No one understands students needing to be back in the classroom more than educators do. We know it’s about much more than academic achievement. We miss our students dearly, and know how badly they need to be back in school buildings.
That’s why we’ve asked for a month long hiatus on in-person instruction so we can get a handle on the virus and back in the classroom as quickly as possible, with an assessment at the beginning of September to determine what should occur moving forward.
No one is proposing an indefinite hold on going back into buildings. We are simply requesting a few weeks to lower the number of new COVID cases and develop a plan that ensures every school in every district has the resources they need to get back into buildings safely.
That said: The governor’s plan, in its current form, is reckless and irresponsible. It ignores the advice of the state’s top medical officials and is putting students and educators and their families at risk.
