By Yvette Tello
I do not have school age children anymore. Thank God. This pan- demic is such a terrible time to have children or to be a child. My grandbaby had just started pre- school when this started and he loved it. My son has decided that a school environment at his age is not safe. Both of my Grandbabies have been taking virtual classes and enjoy them but social dis- tancing has been no fun for them. The youngest will wear a mask ; the oldest refuses so this means no outings for them. Do you trust that the school district will be able to keep a safe environment for your children? What if your child follows guidelines and what if the child next to them doesn’t? Do you think your child will still be safe? Let’s talk about it…
Virginia Ann Sherwood: “I have a granddaughter who will be doing virtual. She’s only 6 years old. My son went to boot camp and my daughter in law is working so guess who has to help teach her at home? Everyone in my home will do our best to teach her. And for our 14 year old, same: virtual. We are worried as my husband has no immune system because of chemotherapy so we will be teaching at home. It will be hard since we also have 3 toddlers. As a family, we can do what we have to together.”
Kelly Narvaez: “We are doing virtual. I know the schools are doing their best and I applaud the efforts. However, due to myself and my son being in the high risk factor, we cannot take the chance of contracting the virus from others.”
Stacie Jo Reyes: ” My daughter will be virtual learning for the first 9 weeks.”
Roger Reyna: “There are num- bers coming in from around the country of cases in schools already coming in positive. It’s a no brainer; keep them at home”
Lonnie Bradley: “I want my daughter to go back to school. Right now, they are only offer- ing online for the first 6 weeks. I know teachers are all worried, but for kids, the national death rate for all minors from covid is around 0.002%. They have a better chance of being killed in a bus accident.”
Carolina Rodriguez-Roberts: “I don’t have school aged just college students, and if I did, they would stay home. They have underlying conditions and so do other family members. We can’t take that chance. They can’t control it out here with just adults, much less keep kids from run- ning up to other kids wanting to play with each other.A principle has told me that they don’t want to open, they are being forced to do so. He stated they don’t want to be responsible for any illness or deaths so he said they are leaving it up to the parents because they don’t want that responsibility.”
Mary Svetlik Watkins: “We are in person. The level of cleaning and sanitation schools are doing is incredible. You can attend school without vaccines. All you have to do is claim religious reasons.The mortality rate for COVID is the same as the flu. People often don’t get vaccinated for that. Also the flu vaccine at its highest efficacy is 55%. It works about half the time.”
Thomas Mc: “Trust teachers, lol never trust the districts”
Norma Sanchez Martinez: “All my kids are doing virtual learning. EISD has extended this until October 9. If they are able to return to school after October 9, I will choose to keep my chil- dren doing virtual learning for the safety of my children and other children, teachers, and staff.”
Michelle Butler: “I feel they should but I’ve sparked the ques- tion that never was answered in the zoom meeting. if kids can not attend school until they are vaccinated… Why can they attend school during a deadly pandemic that does not have a vaccine or cure? I wouldn’t compare it to the flu especially cause I haven’t experienced it. I took all precau- tions going to work and com- ing home. I don’t know where other parents have been nor their children. The flu doesn’t leave residual effects and covid does so I don’t know why people make the comparison”
Jazmin D Zuñiga: “The mortal- ity rate for the flu last year was about 12k The flu pandemic in 1918 had a mortality rate of about 675 k in the US compared to the covid-19 is as of now but 102 yrs ago Science/technology was Not what it is today! I think ppl that take things lightly is what has made this pandemic worst, those that think the government want to control us without real- izing people ARE DYING & they are part of the problem makes my stomach turn My kids have underlying conditions & there is No Way anyone will force me to send them to school… I will homeschool them if I am forced to allow them to attend if I don’t feel it is safe for them or the teachers! I’m keeping my fingers and hope they can return in Janu- ary because as of right now, those are my plans! Thank God IDEA is on the same page with the par- ent’s concerns”
Kellie Williams Smith: “I’m sending mine back to school.”
Irene V. Zertuche: “My grand- kids will also be doing virtual learning.”
Shawn Armstrong: “I work for a school district and we started to- day and this right here is what you really have to look at when people decide to keep the kids at home or send them to school. Don’t shame the parents that decide to send their kids to school. You don’t know their story. Don’t shame the parents that decide not to send their kids to school. you don’t know their story.”
