OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha educators are asking the Omaha Public School District to not open their doors for the start of the school year, but to use remote learning to protect staff, students and families.
The school district has proposed a Family 3:2 model for the return to school that have students separated by name. Those with last names A-K would attend school Monday and Tuesday, students with last names L-Z would attend Thursday and Friday and on Wednesdays students would rotate between the groups.
The Omaha Education Association said in a press release on Friday that they appreciate the effort by the school to find a responsible return plan, but they believe reopening the buildings at all is a risk for those inside and outside the school.
"We believe that opening school buildings with this model brings a great deal of risk, anxiety and fear for educators, students, families and our community," the OEA said. "While OEA stands in support of reopening our school buildings, the health and safety of all parties must be at the center of any considerations. The increasing number of COVID-19 cases being reported in Douglas County and the number of students involved in extra-curricular activities testing positive for COVID-19 clearly illustrate the need to continue the safety measures identified by the medical experts."
The OEA instead suggests that remote learning continue, saying the teachers have already adapted to using a virtual classroom.
"We have faced unprecedented challenges during this pandemic," the Omaha Education Association said in a press release on Friday. "We had no playbook, guidance or roadmap at the beginning of this crisis. Yet teachers, assisted by parents and administrators, led the response to the challenge and began to reach out to their students and to teach virtually. Teachers continued the learning for their students – and our OPS educators accomplished this literally on the spur of the moment, with little to no training."
The OEA said they believe in-person learning is best under normal circumstances, but going back into the classrooms and hallways poses a danger to all.
"Teachers want nothing more than to return to our classrooms to see the smiling faces of all our students," the OEA said. "However, as we continue to navigate these challenges, we believe that you must go slowly to go fast. We cannot rush to fill our schools with students and staff without first making certain it is safe.
The Omaha Education Association represents 2,800 members of the certificated staff of the Omaha Public Schools.
