LIHU‘E – The Department of Education is considering pushing back the reopening of public schools from Aug. 4 to Aug. 17, after receiving feedback that their original planned date for welcoming students back to classrooms was too early.
The Board of Education is considering the issue on Thursday and Kauai teachers, parents and legislators are all saying some of the same things: that teachers need adequate time to plan for the year and students need to return to a safe environment.
Florence Tavares, a second-grade teacher at Wilcox Elementary School in Lihu‘e said one of her main concerns is for parents to feel comfortable with DOE decisions. She acknowledged the delicate balance the DOE faces of education and safety.
“I am confident that the decision makers are working hard, looking at data and trying their best to come up with a well-informed decision to delay the opening of school,” said Tavares. “To be honest, I am worried that keeping schools closed will have a negative effect on student’s education, social and academic growth. And in some cases, (schools) double as not just a place of learning, but child care as well.”
However, Tavares’s greatest concern is the pandemic itself.
“I often think about all that is required to make it happen in order for a school to be a safe place,” said Tavares.
July 29 is the official start date for teachers and Tavares pointed out new challenges for ensuring proper pandemic protocols in school buses and the cafeteria; questions about how to enforce social distancing and how to do temperature checks; concerns about whether schools will be able to provide enough hand sanitizers, wipes, masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Those are just a few of the new pieces of information teachers have to integrate into their plans for the upcoming school year.
“As you know teachers put in endless hours to get ready for the school year. We could benefit from the extra time,” said Tavares.
Tavares, who is a mother herself, understands that parents need to be comfortable with the plan for reopening public schools to students and “if parents don’t feel uncomfortable with sending their kids to school, and can manage it at home, that is totally a legitimate choice.”
Kauai Representative James Tokioka said he would like to see the reopening of schools when the DOE has all the health and safety protocols in place.
“One thing we all agree on is teachers want to teach and parents want to send their children to school, however, we have to find a way to ensure the safety of all of our students, teachers, staff, and ohana,” said Tokioka, explaining he and Senate President Kouchi appreciate the DOE in taking into consideration the concerns about reopening that the Kauai legislation sent to Superintendent Christina Kishimoto on July 23rd.
Senate President Kouchi said, “While we are fortunate that the Kaua‘i Educational Pilot Program provided a jump start on remote instruction, it is imperative to establish and communicate clear minimal statewide policies and procedures to ensure the health and welfare of students, families, faculty, and staff.”
Kishimoto acknowledged the continued conversation about schools reopening in a July 27 statement, as well as the feedback DOE has gotten from families, educators and community members from across the state.
“My expectation is that if the Board approves the two-week delay, that our labor partners will do an aggressive push to their members to be at schoolhouse doors on day one for our students,” Kishimoto said in the statement.
State Rep. Dee Morikawa thinks reopening the schools on a later date is a good idea.
“We shouldn’t rush opening and we need to be absolutely sure that all safety concerns have been addressed,” said Morikawa. “Although, I am confident that the school I send my hanai (adopted) daughter to is ready and able to begin a blended learning process, many other schools with larger populations will not be able to work out the details by next week.”
