Shen School District Parents Angry Over No Remote Learning Option

School districts all over the country have been rolling out their plan to reopen schools this fall in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. To say this has been a stressful undertaking for parents, educators and students would be a huge understatement.

Most school districts in the Capital Region seem to be on the same page when it comes to their plan...or at least their own variation of the plan.

As school districts announce their plan for fall it's clear that options and flexibility seem to be key. Most schools are having the younger kids K-6 go to school full-time in a classroom setting with social distancing and new coronavirus safety guidelines. The older kids 7-12 will have a hybrid school year that has some of them going to school for two or three days a week and some staying home for remote learning. Then they would switch. Averill Park, where my daughter is a student, is doing a system like that with "A" and "B" days for the older students. In addition, in most of the proposed plans students will have the option to do full-time remote learning. According to The Times Union, North Colonie, Saratoga Springs, East Greenbush, and Guilderland are among some of the school districts offering full-time remote learning.

However, parents and students in the Shenendehowa School District are not currently being given that option for any student at any grade. The only option would be homeschooling. There are students with underlying medical conditions that make it dangerous for them to return to school. Those kids especially need this option.

Hundreds of concerned parents have signed a Change.org petition asking for an online remote learning option. In part, the petition states:

"Shenendehowa is a diverse community and a one-size-fits-all approach will not work during a global pandemic with serious health risks. As a community, we implore the Shenendehowa School District to offer a full-time remote learning option."

The Shenendehowa Teacher's Association has also thrown their support behind offering a remote learning option.

I have thought about this for my daughter who has a less than stellar immune system. If we can work from home, remote learn part of the time, and we have the technology to teach these students while they are safely at home...why wouldn't you offer that option?