Buffalo Public Schools released its 99-page working draft to reopen schools Friday evening.
Parents and parent groups said they aren't happy with the reopening plan.
GOOD EVENING... I'MJEFF RUSACK.OFFICIALS FROMBUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOLS HAVESUBMITTED THEIRRE-OPENING PLANS TOTHE STATE ...BUTSOME PARENTS ANDUNION MEMBERS SAYTHE DISTRICT NEEDSTO GO BACK TO THEDRAWING BOARD.THE CITY ISPROPOSING A"PHASED IN" RE-OPENING... FOCUSINGON EITHER A HYBRIDMODEL OFCLASSROOM ANDVIRTUAL LEARNING...OR VIRTUAL LEARNINGONLY.THE SCHOOL YEARCOULD START A LOTLATER AS WELL.SEVEN EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTER ALAERREBHI HAS HER EYEON EDUCATION ASOUR REBOUNDCONTINUES HERE INTHE QUEEN CITY.BUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOLS RELEASEDITS WORKING DRAFTTO REOPEN SCHOOLSFRIDAY EVENING.IT'S 99 PAGES, BUTPARENTS AND PARENTGROUPS SAY THEYAREN'T HAPPY WITHTHE REOPENING PLAN."WE'RE CONCERNEDAS PARENTS THAT WEDID NOT SEE A FINALCOPY OF THE PLANBEFORE IT WASSUBMITTED.
MYSELF,AND SEVERAL OTHERPARENT LEADERS AREON THE DISTRICTREOPENINGCOMMITTEE, AND ALLWE SAW WAS ACOUPLE OF WEEKSAGO, A VERY DRAFTPLAN, AN OUTLINEDFORM."CHAIRPERSON OFSPECIAL EDUCATIONPARENT ADVISORYCOMMITTEE KIMHERNANDEZ...WASALSO ON THEREOPENINGCOMMITTEE.
SHE SAYSSHE DIDN'T SEE THEPLAN UNTIL FRIDAYEVENING, AND THAT APLAN SHOULD HAVEBEEN PUT IN PLACE INAPRIL."WE SHOULD HAVEBEEN SAYING LET'SPUT SOME PLANS INPLACE IN CASESOMETHING HAPPENS.IN CASE COVID GOESLONGER, IN CASE YOUKNOW THIS IS THENEW NORMAL.
IN CASEWE HAVE TO BETOTALLY REMOTE."PARENTS GROUPS SAYTHEIR VOICES ANDSTUDENTS VOICESHAVEN'T BEEN HEARDBY THE DISTRICT."PARENTS WHO HAVECHILDREN THAT HAVESPECIAL EDUCATIONNEEDS, WHO MAY NOTSPEAK ENGLISH AS AFIRST LANGUAGE,PARENTS LIKE MYSELFWHO ARE SINGLEPARENTS ANDWORKING FULL-TIME,"TEACHERS ALSO SAYTHEIR INPUT WASN'TTAKEN INTOCONSIDERATIONEITHER."SOME OF THECONCERNS THAT WEHAVE ARESPECIFICITY.
NOTGENERALIZATIONS.WHAT ARE THEDETAILS ABOUT HOWTHE SCHOOLS AREGOING TO BECLEANED?
AND KEPTCLEAN?
WHO EXACTLYIS GOING TO BERESPONSIBLE FORTAKING THETEMPERATURES?"LARRY SCOTT, BPSBOARD MEMBER-AT-LARGE, SAYS THIS ISJUST A DRAFT AND THESITUATION IS FLUID.THE PLAN STILL NEEDSTO BE APPROVED BYTHE STATE."THERE NEEDS TO BECONSTANT FLEXIBILITYWITH THIS, CONSTANTCOLLABORATION.""THE REASON WENEED THE SCHOOLDISTRICTS TO PUT INTHEIR PLANS, ISBECAUSE THEPARENTS NEED TOREVIEW THE PLAN,UNDERSTAND THEPLAN AND THEY HAVETO HAVE CONFIDENCEIN THE PLAN.
IF THEYDON'T HAVECONFIDENCE IN THEPLAN, I DON'T CAREWHAT THE SCHOOLDISTRICT SAYS,THEY'RE NOT SENDINGTHEIR KIDS BACK."BUFFALO PARENTSPLAN TO HAVE APRESS EVENTMONDAY TO VOICETHEIR CONCERNSWITH THE REOPENINGPLAN.IN BUFFALO, AE, 7
Governor Larry Hogan is authorizing all schools in the state to reopen, but some parents in Baltimore feel it’s still not safe..
