HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Hampton Roads, there’s a growing group of parents who are saying that it’s time for their children to get back in the classroom.
Becky Hay and another mother started the social media page VA Back2School in May.
“Sometimes we get characterized as ‘You want teachers to die. You don’t care about students,’ and that’s really not… We care about our students,” Hay said.
It’s because she cares, Hay said, that she created the page for sounding off on the struggles of virtual learning in Virginia Beach. It has since grown to more than 20,000 members statewide.
“The school boards are not listening to parents. They are listening to the education associations,” she said.
In Virginia Beach Tuesday night, as City Council talked about rising COVID numbers, Councilman John Moss said “I don’t see how schools are opening in September with kids in the classroom. I don’t know how we get there.”
Hay contends that is the problem: Instead of focusing on what can’t be done, leaders need to focus on what can be done.
“There are a lot of voiceless kids out there who are going to get lost in the shuffle through this process,” Hay said.
Hay told WAVY.com that the risk of spreading the coronavirus in school can be mitigated as it is being done currently in workplaces, day camps and daycares across Hampton Roads.
“We are not saying for people who want to be virtual can’t be virtual. We’re just saying for those of us that want to be in-person, we’d like to have that opportunity,” she said.
The risk to children from coronavirus remains smaller than for adults and the elderly, and Hay believes we must weigh that against the larger risk of child abuse, mental health problems, and a widening divide for disadvantaged students forced to learn from home.
“When we look at school as being an essential function we want to have our kids in school , that’s essential,” she said.
Virginia Beach Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence is set to make his recommendation to the school board next Tuesday, July 28. The school board will then vote, although they have not said if they will vote that night or at another time.
Hay says no matter what is decided, they will be watching and holding the schools accountable. They want to see plans in place for virtual learning that include grading procedures and policies, as well as accountability for student engagement and participation.