NEW HAVEN, Conn. — As the start of the fall 2020 school semester approaches, cities and towns across the state are putting the pieces in place to get kids back to the classroom safely. New Haven clergy members are part of that process and are extending help to parents with children who are returning to school in the fall.
Pastors said they want to help with the education process and are offering churches as a safe space for children to focus on their studies. The churches are working to provide PPE, WiFi and breakfast and lunch to children who come to the churches to study. So far, 17 churches have signed on to provide this service. At each church, five to 10 kids, of any age, will be allowed in during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will practice social distancing.
Anyone wanting more information is asked to send an email to: Josuahgeneraion15@gmail.com
The Connecticut State Department of Education heard New Haven Public School’s petition to continue in conducting a model of all remote learning for the first 10 weeks of the New Haven Public School’s 2020-2021 school year.
Many teachers and parents in the state are concerned about going back into the classroom so early. Several groups from around the state gathered at the state capitol Wednesday morning, to voice their apprehensions.
"The spread of it throughout the schools from the poor ventilation, people being too close, not having, enough funding to buy individual supplies for everybody and then of course how that is going to spread out throughout our communities," said Marisa Copley, a teacher in Windham.
The groups spoke out against the state's current re-opening plan, which allows school districts to welcome staff and students back for in-person learning.
Some teachers and parents are calling for in-person learning to be phased in, and for online learning to be better than it was in the spring, through more training and support as well as proper funding, especially in districts that are already underfunded.
"We know that in our city we have higher class sizes, we have under-maintained buildings, we have less opportunity for outdoor learning," said Leslie Blatteau, a New Haven teacher.
An art installation was also created on the lawn across from the capitol, created by teachers who wanted to have a visual representation of their concerns.
"There are so many differences from district to district and so many challenges that the districts are facing that the installation represents.
All of these people that are webbed into this process of reopening and how quickly it can get out of control when one person gets sick," said Carolanne Vining, an East Hampton teacher.
While the state says the current COVID-19 numbers give officials confidence about re-opening schools, some argue it's not enough.
"Flattening the curve is not an endpoint. It bought us some time but the real battle with this virus begins now, and it's surveillance, and it's trace testing, and it's eventually vaccination," said Dr. Robert Bayer of Yale-New Haven Health.
