Cresta Bateman
Elected School Board Members and Educators,
It is with complete dismay, that we parents are yet again blindsided by the collusion between the Los Alamos Federation of School Employees and the LAPS school board with the last minute addition to the agenda to further delay hybrid and in person school.
The teacher's union letter to the board provided zero facts or substantive data relevant to our County. Yet the school board quickly added the LAFSE request to the agenda.
Advocates for in-person learning have sent facts, relevant data, statistics, and more to the school board. Our comments have gone ignored. Our requests have not been added to the agenda. In fact, President Ben-Naim silenced this population at the September marathon board meeting when she said "if you emailed us your comments, we have those and we do not need you to speak tonight." Predictably, the board only spoke about all the speculative, what if, fear mongering comments that were made. None of the facts, statistics, or data was even mentioned.
There are SO MANY teachers that have privately reached out to me to express their support for our movement to advocate for in-person learning. They all fear reprisal and retaliation against them if they were to publicly support in-person learning. They are completely forced to be silent for fear of losing their jobs because they want to teach in-person. How horribly disgusting is it that the LAFSE rules with that kind of coercion and power? And teachers that are against in-person learning are able to freely speak out about 'not going back to school' without any fear of retaliation from LAFSE members. The alliance between the school board and LAFSE is more than apparent.
There are 37 covid-19 cases in our county since March and 0 deaths. Does it even matter at this point the recommendations to return to school from pediatricians, the CDC, the WHO, or the well documented evidence of schools all around the USA that have been open since early August- full time, in-person, and with very low transmission rates? How about the real data we have from all the kids going in-person for small groups? This is actual relevant data we should be using to justify opening the schools. Yet board members quote generalizations about colleges closing and extreme outliers in other cities outside our state. Let’s focus on the relevant facts for our county. Many board members state they follow science and data driven decisions, but we have yet to hear any actual scientific evidence to substantiate all the board's fear based decision making.
This is absolutely the worst and most detrimental display of leadership I have ever witnessed. The continued inability to stick with a decision is almost humorous at this point. The duties of the school board are being neglected due to gross speculation, fear mongering, and tyrannical control. Our children's education is far too important to be played as pawns.
Remote learning is absolutely failing our children. Teachers are completely un-impactful in remote learning. It is completely inadequate to teach my elementary aged kids virtually. Remote learning is absolutely causing mental, social, emotional, and developmental issues not just for my family, but so many families across the county. Are these tertiary issues something the school is prepared and ready to manage? Are you all aware that these tertiary issues are completely in your hands at this time? Are these issues worth keeping kids out of school? There are real statistics on these issues that we have all seen and heard. Why aren't we talking about this? The data shared by the CDC shows the transmission rates are low in schools, and the death rates are extremely low (I previously sent all those numbers). We have met all the state requirements to return to school, and we have met all the required gates set by the school board. What are we waiting on? Our children's education is far too important to ignore the real data and evidence.
As elected school board members, what are each of you doing to follow the actual data relevant to our county and make decisions based on factual evidence and not speculation? Our children's education is far too important for speculation.
There are districts all over the Country being sued over neglecting learning with remote learning, failing special education students, and board members being recalled. This is occurring in counties with much higher case counts than ours.
This county is the highest per capita of PhDs and millionaires in the Country. I think we can most certainly figure this out. This line in the sand mentality has to end. It is further dividing teachers against parents. Parents that advocate for in-person learning have absolutely zero options. Our hands are tied while the school board sits on their hands unable to make and stick with a decision. Can there be no compromise or options for in-person advocates?
The goal is to return to school as soon as possible, which every board member has stated previously. I have worked on-site every day since March, and people are not getting sick at work or dying. If LANL, if Smiths, if the gas station, if restaurants, if Lowes, if all these places can figure it out- surely our smart teachers and administrators can too.
Do the right thing. Open the schools. Educate the children in-person. Stop delaying and stop speculating. Focus on what is most important here- our children’s education.
Sincerely,
Cresta and Ben Bateman