Rohde: Dear SUSD leadership, get our kids back in the classroom

Parent point of view

"Is their mental health, anxiety, screen burnout, lack of communication and socialization not a concern to you?"”

Tammy Rohde, SUSD parent

Please listen to the SUSD families who made the choice to return to in-person learning.

The district required us to chose either in-person or online learning by July 24, and an overwhelming 75% of SUSD families chose in-person.

Since that date all local virus metrics have plummeted, and we are asking you, at your Tuesday, Sept. 1 SUSD Governing Board meeting, to make plans to quickly get all of our SUSD schools open and honor our choice!

The hybrid return to learn plan you are proposing is only for K-2nd grade and fails the majority of our students. It leaves most Scottsdale schools closed, and students in an inferior online learning environment that has experienced many technology issues over the past three weeks.

The hybrid also appears to be a very confusing, chaotic plan for both teachers and families with less instructional time.

Rather than this unfair and complicated plan that fails SUSD students, there is a simple solution: Open our schools.

You should allow any family that originally chose in-person but now wants to stay online that option. Children in Scottsdale, all across metro Phoenix, across the country and across the world have safely and successfully returned to school or have communicated concrete plans to open schools for all students over the next week.

Please follow their lead and be courageous leaders for our children’s education.

You are doing more harm to them by focusing solely on a virus that is proven to be of little danger to them and has likely already developed herd immunity in our community.

Is their mental health, anxiety, screen burnout, lack of communication and socialization not a concern to you?

Many SUSD parents who chose in-person learning are joining together to make our choice heard! We will do everything in our power to get our children back in school, including exploring whether a school district has a right to pick and chose which students can return to school and who is not allowed to return.

Please put SUSD students first, honor our choice and get our kids back in the classroom on Sept. 8!

Editor’s Note: Tammy Rohde is an 11-year Scottsdale Unified School District parent.