“The adjusted school, bus, class, and bell times, strict mask and social distancing mandates, daily wellness screenings, polycarbonate barriers, simultaneous virtual and traditional teaching, and cancelation and major changes to many courses, sports and clubs will be a huge distraction to the teachers, staff, and students.
“The state's Department of Education is prioritizing military-style policy enforcement based on haphazard political opinions instead of a quality educational experience for our youth. Teachers and staff will be preoccupied with reporting sneezes and coughs and jumping through COVID hoops handed down by the state and district leaders instead of academic progress.
“Not to mention, the first time a child tests positive, entire classrooms and/or teachers will be forced to quarantine for long periods of time. I would be surprised if any class can complete a single lesson before the first quarantine. The school experience this year is sure to be a miserable one.
“I can’t afford to leave the workforce, but I may have to adjust my work hours and offset lost wages and the cost of homeschooling and tutors by canceling some services and cutting back on discretionary spending.
“I hope to meet or exceed our academic goals this year in a relaxed setting that allows us to maintain focus on studies and retain some freedoms of youth by avoiding the hyper-vigilant ‘virus policing’ theme of the public school systems this year.
“We may only homeschool temporarily. Time will tell.”
Jamie Mitchell
Olive Branch, Mississippi