Subject: Keep schools open using a pre-COVID-19 model. I was encouraged by the clear support of our U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia for fully opening our schools within the 25th Congressional District. These remarks are meant to be a call to school boards, teacher unions, and faculty to take note of his advice and deliver curriculum in a format that is pre-COVID-19 to support our children’s and their parents.
School districts must support both a mission and a data-driven focus when making decisions. It is the responsibility of educators to fulfill a mission that supports all children. If a mission requires that students be prioritized above personal concerns (e.g. faculty IN the classroom as front-line providers of learning), then this must be the priority. Current data shows the risks (very low coronavirus infection and transmission in K-12 students) as well as the wisdom to protect all children from the effects of COVID-19 lockdown (now clearly invalidated due to a Johns Hopkins University meta study).
Today, teachers agreed to the mission I have described. Current data shows very low risk of infection for children and teachers (see American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for parents to respond to Centers for Disease Control’s 2022 relaxed masking mandates). As with military mission readiness training, it is important to teach children mission-focused learning. This will help them prepare for life and work. Pre-COVID curriculum delivery format should be adopted, especially for students under 18 years old, according to the recent JHU data-driven results. Additionally, the format must reflect current expectations for parent review (e.g., no controversial non-data-driven ideology like Critical Race Theory, or sexual identity). To ensure that children in the 25th Congressional District have a successful pre-COVID-19 learning experience and development, it is essential that all stakeholders, including parents, work together.
Larry Bustetter
Santa Clarita
