2021/02/28 7:27:49 AM EST Anonymous Cornwallis Rd 27713
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2021/02/28 7:27:49 AM EST Anonymous Cornwallis Rd 27713 The BOE should have kept the learninG centers opened and continued with virtual learninG. Teachers and staff aren't fully vaccinated. And the school year is almost over. DPS motto needs to be come to work or we will force you to resiGn. The schools aren't ready and dps isn't beinG honest with their teachers, students, or parents. 2021/02/28 7:36:06 AM EST Anonymous Duke Street 27704 Open the learninG centers back up and have all dps staff and principles Go by the learninG center to see how they operate. The learninG centers were workinG for families who aren't able to be home assistinG our children with virtual learninG. And the BOE members had them closed in order to force students and teachers back in unsafe buildinGs. Will the learninG centers open back up if the date is pushed back? Principals should have been visitinG the learninG centers in order to see how to effectively Get the students and staff back in school safely. 2021/02/28 10:20:22 AM EST Katie Rudd 4600 Carlton CrossinG Drive Durham, NC 27713 I am very disappointed to hear that the board is considerinG chanGinG the return to school YET AGAIN. My family was so hopeful to return to school March 15 after nearly a year at home. I made arranGements with my employer, cancelled camp and lost deposits, and neGotiated my dauGhter's visitation with her father to Get ready for March 15. Now we hear that the start date could chanGe again, just two weeks before we are scheduled to return. This is not a Game. Parents and children need follow throuGh on the existinG plan, not a political stunt. 2021/02/28 11:03:49 AM EST Elizabeth 27705 27705 Your inability to commit to a plan for in person instruction is actively harminG my family, our mental health and well beinG. 2021/02/28 7:23:25 PM EST Britany Lopez 11 pony court Bahama NC 27503 My sons school, as well as his teacher is ready for March 15th beinG the start date. Not only is he so excited he is slowinG beinG drained from only beinG online, he is in kinderGarten. I think if we delay for three move weeks instead of Good it will do harm. My son has an IEP and the sooner he can Get in person resources the better for him. Please keep March 15 the start date. 2021/02/28 7:28:17 PM EST Chris Flannagan Oakland Ave Durham 27705 Will the BOE please stop playinG with this decision like a yo-yo? It is time to make a decision as to when school will resume. If you cannot see fit to brinG students back this school year, please ensure the public that you are committinG to in-person for the 21/22 year. However, It seems that it will be possible to return In April after break. 2021/02/28 7:49:55 PM EST Bonnye Richards Anthony 604 Wellingham Drive DURHAM, NC 27713 Please allow parents, family and friends to attend outside sportinG events to support our student-athletes. 2021/02/28 9:29:23 PM EST Amy Askew W. Piedmont Avenue 27707 I urGe the Board not to Give up on SprinG in-person learninG. HidinG behind the claim that it is not safe is not acceptable. Many teachers have received their first vaccine dose - and science shows that even one dose is upwards of 80% effective against severe Covid. Science from classrooms around the country that have reopened even before vaccines showed that it was safe for teachers and for students. It is imperative that we come toGether to make this happen. We have plans, we have parents and our community ready to mobilize to help schools with screeninGs and other protocols and procedures. We need the sprinG reopeninG to pilot how this all works, and we cannot wait any lonGer. Please hold the course and help our innocent children - who have become collateral damage to politics and posturinG. 2021/02/28 9:31:23 PM EST Charles Wood 2013 Wilson Street 27705 Thank you for your courage in votinG to reopen for in-person learninG on March 15th to address this emerGency. It’s clear the risks of stayinG home far outweiGh the diminishinG risks of in- person learninG, especially as our essential educators are beinG vaccinated. By stickinG with your plan to vote to provide services in person, you show courageous leadership and Give voice to children who are so often left voiceless by our society. 2021/02/28 9:46:57 PM EST Girija Mahajan 817 Burch Avenue Durham, NC 27701 It's time to meet the needs of 38% of Durham County families that requested an in-person option for their DPS student(s). Since February 24th, I've seen photos and social media posts of hundreds of educators in Durham roll their sleeves up for students and Get their vaccines. My child's principal led a town-hall with families to share what an in-person schedule would look like; and talked about the risk mitiGation strateGies for students and staff onsite. I've told the school leadership that my child is flexible and can adapt to new classroom assiGnments, public health protocols and learninG expectations. My husband, a former healthcare professional, siGned up with the Grassroots, DPS parent led Durham Volunteer Medical Corps to volunteer at our child's school with symptomatic monitorinG for morninG buildinG entry. My child is ready to be in the school buildinG on March 15th. 2021/02/28 9:58:39 PM EST Patricia Lovell 801 Lakewinds Trail RouGemont, NC. 27572 Please stick to March 15 start date for elementary Grades. Do not delay GettinG these children back to their classrooms. Do not wait until after sprinG break to start back. Every day you delay is harmful for these children. 2021/02/28 9:59:11 PM EST Sarah Miller Academy RidGe Drive Durham As a bioloGist and parent of elementary students, I urGe the board to maintain the March 15th date for elementary school re-openinG. Teachers are beinG vaccinated quickly, and new data show that vaccines are hiGhly effective after even a sinGle dose. Also, Durham hospitalization rates are now within the ranGe shown to be associated with safe school re-openinG* even WITHOUT vaccinations. Many families have terminated childcare arranGements beyond March 15th in response to the board’s prior decision; chanGes to this timeline present substantial stressors for younG families and a potential child safety issue. *Reference for safe re-openinG: A recent study by Tulane researchers (explained and linked to in the NPR article below), took the approach of framinG safety metrics around COVID hospitalization rates rather than rates of positive SARS-CoV-2 tests, as the latter can be easily skewed by chanGes in testinG frequency/population/etc. The authors found that hospitalization rates did not increase after schools reopened (either in 100% in-person or hybrid mode) for communities in which the hospitalization rate was less than or equal to 36-44 per 100,000 people. "In fact, in many of these communities, hospitalizations appeared to Go down after schools reopened — perhaps because of rules and norms around social distancinG and wearinG masks that kids may not be followinG at home." The current hospitalization rate in Durham county (as of 2/28/21) is approximately 38 per 100,000 people and, therefore, within the ranGe noted in this publication. https://www.npr.orG/sections/coronavirus-live- updates/2021/01/07/953961009/where-is-it-safe-to-reopen-schools-new-research-offers- answers 2021/02/28 10:08:55 PM EST Millie Rosen Walltown 27705 Please keep all DPS staff by allowinG us to be fully vaccinated (both shots and waitinG period) before any of us are required to be in-person. Those few short weeks will make the world of difference for both staff safety AND morale - somethinG that is sorely needed these days. We love our kids so much and want to be able to teach them without puttinG our own lives at risk. Thank you for keepinG us safe. 2021/02/28 10:14:36 PM EST Rafe Mazer Knox Street Durham NC 27705 I am writinG to ask you to please not chanGe the start date for elementary from March 15. We cannot keep movinG thinGs around each and every week. Vaccines are rollinG out, families have made plans, and delayinG a few more weeks does not brinG siGnificant benefit if you follow actual science on child to teacher transmission in any study done so far. 2021/02/28 11:10:26 PM EST Charles Askew 119 W Piedmont Ave Durham, NC, 27707 All the data indicate we can safely open schools to in person instruction, which is what private schools have been doinG this entire time. Our kids must be Given the same opportunity by the public system. Vaccines are prioritized for teachers riGht now, look for them from anywhere they're available and not just from what's beinG set aside for the district. 2021/03/01 8:18:56 AM EST Ed McLenaghan 1212 Sedgefield St Durham, NC, 27705 I believe the available evidence clearly shows that it is safe to open schools for in-person learninG under the Board's current plan to allow elementary and specialty hiGh-school students to return to schools on March 15th. However, I understand that there's widespread concern about returninG to in-person learninG until more educators have the opportunity to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.