WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - Worcester families expressed frustration during a virtual call with city and school leaders Monday after hearing that most students will continue to learn remotely until at least early next year.
“Remote learning is not working for all students,” one parent argued. “If you look at the Facebook comments from the school committee last week, the vast majority were from parents fermenting that remote learning is not working. If parents don’t want to send their kids to school for safety reasons, great, fine, but some children and teens need to go back to school as soon as possible.”
Other parents see the situation differently and say if it’s not safe for kids to return to school, then they should stay home.
“I don’t recommend that the kids rush back into school,” another parent said. “I understand that everyone has to work; I understand that kids need that social interaction and that on-hand learning, but their health is more important than just that.”
Due to the state’s spacing requirements for buildings and buses, school leaders say they can’t logistically accommodate more in-person learning.
Currently, they plan to have children with significant learning needs and vocational students return to school on Nov. 16, with most students returning to in-person classes just once a week early next year.
One parent said that her family can’t take another week of remote learning, never mind continue with it into 2021.
“If this committee continues to focus only on physical issues and not mental or emotional health issues and family dynamics for vulnerable and at-risk children and teens as well, we will have way bigger problems down the line,” she said.
The Department of Public Health says that Worcester remains high-risk for the coronavirus, with an average daily case rate greater than 8 per 100,000 residents.
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