Education

To the Honorable Members of the Brea City Council, Brea City Planning Commission, and BOUSD Board of Education: We, the residents and community members of Brea, oppose the building of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers at 255 East Imperial Boulevard, right next to Laurel Elementary Magnet School for Innovation and Career Exploration. We are seriously concerned that allowing Raising Cane’s to be constructed at the proposed location will: cause major traffic issues in an already congested area be a safety concern for pedestrians be a safety hazard for Laurel students, parents, and staff For the sake of Laurel students, the kids in our community, and our community as a whole, please oppose this project. Sincerely,

APS should open its doors:   -for in-person learning; -phased in safely and with precautions to protect students and APS employees; - for all students who have not chosen virtual learning;   -and those who can’t learn virtually;   -prioritizing our youngest learners, English language learners and children with special needs;  -so that APS teachers are truly empowered to excel; -and in support of our working families. Sooner rather than later, the Arlington School Board and Superintendent must  take seriously their obligations to oversee APS and to ensure a return to in-person instruction for families who choose to send their children into school buildings. 1.   APS must build trust by showing parents, teachers, and staff specifically how and when it will move forward with in-person instruction, including safety protocols, metrics and benchmarks.  All stakeholders must understand and feel comfortable that while there is no 100% risk-free environment, there are safe and safer standards that can and should be met. 2. APS should review evidence from other school districts that have gone back and are not seeing outbreaks in schools or increases in community spread. Others, including more than one of our neighboring districts, have announced specific plans to phase in in-person by a certain date. Indeed, APS is currently offering childcare in 10-person classrooms. That IS in-person learning and shows APS knows how to do it safely.  3. APS must acknowledge that keeping schools closed comes with massive, long-term individual and societal costs. Many children are already struggling to effectively learn, grow, engage, socialize, be active, access healthy food, or get needed support until schools reopen.  As a consequence of distance learning, many of the children who struggle the most under normal circumstances are now finding it difficult, even impossible in some cases, to receive effective instruction and other supports schools normally provide. These realities will only get worse.    APS gave parents the choice to participate in distance learning, as they should have.  But APS also needs to provide a viable and actionable choice for those families who want — and need — in-person instruction.   HOW TO CONTACT OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS: superintendent@apsva.us & brian.stockton@apsva.us (Durán’s Chief of Staff) school.board@apsva.usCountyBoard@arlingtonva.us Governor Ralph Northam Rep. Don Beyer  SOURCES FOR DATA:Economic Policy Institute: COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy Harvard Healthy Buildings Risk Reduction Strategies for Reopening Schools  CDC: The Importance of Reopening Schools  CDC Study: Limited Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Child Care Programs AAP: Pediatricians, Educators and Superintendents Urge a Safe Return to School This Fall INTERESTED IN GETTING MORE INVOLVED?  JOIN Arlington Parents for Education on Facebook   FOLLOW @ArlParentsforEd on Twitter   EMAIL arlingtonparentsforeducation@gmail.com  IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A YARD SIGN OR MAKING A DONATION TO APE Please EMAIL arlingtonparentsforeducation@gmail.com   Donations made through change.org do NOT come to APE directly  

Many neighboring high schools do not have midterms nor have they in the past. As a parent I work until late hours of the day and having my daughter get out of school at 12 is inconvenient. Midterms are unnecessary and stress inducing. The students continue to have tests and quizzes the week before midterms which cuts the time they need to review half the year of material. Many students also engage in after school activities that cut the study time they need to study for five or more tests. A stress free environment for teenagers is something we need to consider. With grades closing shortly added stress is something we should avoid. Covid is also something we need to consider with big tests. As an alternative teachers and students can collaborate over the next few weeks and spread out material accordingly. 

Our children are being denied the enriched learning environment only available through the in-person learning model.  Return the Kirkwood School District to the traditional five day in-person environment! “…all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed…” (Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence) Kirkwood School District has an obligation to implement an environment in which each child has the highest potential for success, we demand our children have this opportunity.  “If a child cannot learn in the way we teach . . . we must teach in the way the child can learn.” - Ivar Lovaas ***Sign this petition so we may submit our demands to the Kirkwood School Board/District.*** Kirkwood School Board Board President Chad Kavanaugh - chad.kavanaugh@kirkwoodschools.org Board Vice President Jean Marie Andrews - jeanmarie.andrews@kirkwoodschools.org Board Secretary Mark Boyko - mark.boyko@kirkwoodschools.org Board Director Angie Bernardi - angie.bernardi@kirkwoodschools.org Darnel Frost - darnel.frost@kirkwoodschools.org Jennifer Pangborn - jennifer.pangborn@kirkwoodschools.org Nikole Shurn - nikole.shurn@kirkwoodschools.org Call, email, and write (cut and paste this message) to your Kirkwood School District representative.