Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 8-14-20

Feature
Parents Talk About Whether They Are Sending Their Children Back To School
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Feature Writer
For American children, August and September typi- cally bring the excitement of renewed friendships and ex- citement for what the new year will bring.
In 2020, the COVID-19 virus continues to wreak havoc across the globe, and particu- larly in the United States. With a president that insists on schools reopening and a gov- ernor eager to placate the White House, parents are fac- ing a critical question. Will I send my children back to school? At this writing, the number of COVID-19 cases was 5,023,649 and the num- ber of deaths was 161,842.
According to CNN, the number of cases among chil- dren in Florida has risen 137% in the past month.
Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that most cases in children ap- pear to be asymptomatic or mild, children are carriers of the disease and children have died from the virus. Hillsbor- ough County will be providing four weeks of E-Learning while they evaluate the ever- changing conditions of COVID-19, despite Tallahas- see’s continued push for im- mediate in-person classes.
The Sentinel Bulletin has asked local parents to weigh in with their decisions about what they plan to do after the four-week e-learning plan for
Hillsborough County.
Kiara Irvin is a mother
of two children and because of her work schedule will have to send her eight-year-old daughter back to school after reopening. Ms. Irvin is not sure how the school can reli- ably meet its goals of social distancing and keeping kids masked. She is hoping to keep her daughter in the Tampa Park Plaza tutoring program after they regroup to handle whatever Hillsborough County decides.
Misha Harding Davis,
mother of four children, states that she is sending her chil- dren back to their school. They are in a private school with only seven to eight children in a class. Everyone will have masks and visors, and social distancing will be enforced. She feels like they are covered, but she also has a Plan B for al- ternative online classes through the school. She says that she will pull her kids out at any time.
Allison Wells Clebert, a homeschooling mother of three children, says that her children will continue virtual school. She feels that the schools are not prepared, es- pecially with teachers being forced back into the class- room. Clebert feels that forc-
ing teachers back does not promote a healthy and pro- ductive learning environment.
“With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise, and the au- thorities relying on children to be “hygienic,” the plan is not practical. It is simply not worth putting children’s lives in jeopardy.”
Joselynne Forde, mother of two children and another homeschooling mother, says that her children are continuing with virtual school. She believes the schools just are not prepared to keep our children safe. In addition, the U. S. COVID-19 cases are up 90% in children
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