A couple of weeks ago, the governor of our state issued an order that would delay the start of all public K-12 schools in our state until after Labor Day due to the most recent developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. A short time later, the state board of education in a 5-5 split voted it down. My heart sank.
How, in good conscience, with the number of COVID-19 cases rising daily to ever-increasing new heights, could these people, who are supposed to be doing what is best of the children and educators of our state, not support the governor’s order that was trying to protect us? I do not understand. I will never understand. However, that left the individual school districts with the task of deciding for themselves when they would start.
I confess I haven’t kept track of the entire state, but in my little corner of the world, one by one, the school districts have met and made their decision, and I am thrilled to report that they ALL have chosen to support the governor’s order and delay the start of school. Additionally, all of them decided to start the first several weeks remotely, online. By the time my district’s board met, it chose to do the same, despite much heated dissent from the community.
To the five members of the state board of education who voted with their heads instead of their politics, and to the members of my local board of education who chose to do the right thing in the face of much opposition, THANK YOU!!!!!