do not start hybrid on Oct

[Jessica Goodman]

Dear Los Alamos School Board Members,

I am writing to again express my concern and disagreement with the Boards decision to transfer LAPS to a hybrid model beginning October 19th.  My daughter, Angelina, is a fourth grader at Mountain Elementary.

I have been told that each illness will be handled on a case by case basis.  This is not a plan and will only lead to more disruption in students' education especially with the cold and flu season upon us.  Will an entire school shut down when one student presents with fever?  Will it just be that students' learning cohort who must quarantine?  What will happen if an ill student has siblings in other learning cohorts?

Additionally, it has been pointed out that the COVID case numbers in Los Alamos are low.  Yes, COVID cases in Los Alamos are low but LAPS has students attending from out of district where cases are not as low.  New COVID cases across New Mexico are again rising and surpassing numbers we saw during the peak in July.

Finally, I urge you to listen to concerns expressed by LAPS teachers.  Those I have spoken with do not see hybrid as a viable option for education.

In my opinion we are doing more harm than good by starting hybrid now.  Please reconsider your decision to start the hybrid model in Los Alamos schools.

Regards,

~Jessica L. Goodman, Ph.D.

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"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin