Why are we being pressured to return to school?

“I am concerned about how the government, district and schools are continuing to make efforts to have students return to an unsafe environment. I received an alarming call from the district regarding my child who attends the virtual setting at her school and has made all learning gains and straight As, which I only note because if I’m a parent being called for under-performance to return to school, who is not being pressured? You should know that this pressure is being applied to all families, which will likely lead to scenarios where our already overloaded hospitals collapse and our teachers and schools cannot possibly follow safety protocols.”

— Louanne Peterson, Parkland

Only 26% of Broward students are attending school in-person, and school officials have been startled by high rates of academic failure among the majority of kids who are learning from home. I was under the impression that only students who are getting Ds and Fs were being asked to come back, so after getting this note I started researching the exact criteria Broward schools are using as they urge students to return.

I took a look at the 2021 Spring Education Plan the district submitted to the state last month and found they are calling students who have “demonstrated a lack of adequate academic progress.” This means problematic report cards, insufficient headway in reading and math skills, and low scores on end-of-course exams. Almost all English language learners in their first year are also being asked to come back.

In middle and high school, a student who earns two or more Fs in core subjects, is below their grade in reading or math, or lacking enough credits to get promoted are also getting phone calls from their school administration.

I’m sure it’s jarring to get one of these calls, but families have to weigh their children’s academic progress with the risk of contracting COVID-19 at school. No one HAS to go back, and families who are concerned about the virus’s spread can tell their principals that they are opting out and will keep their children home.

”Broward County teachers received their raise. Did the raise really bring all teachers to a minimum annual salary of $47,500? Also, I read that Palm Beach County is negotiating a 3.5% or 4.5% raise. Will this bring all teachers to a minimum annual salary of $47,500?” — Lloyd Weinberg, Margate

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in June that raised Florida teachers’ minimum salaries to $47,500 and also raised the salaries of veteran teachers. The bill released $500 million to boost starting teacher pay and another $100 million for raises for those already working. The exact amount of the raises had to be negotiated with teachers unions.

Broward’s teacher negotiations concluded in September. Besides the $47,500 salary minimum, everyone got a raise ranging from about $1,000 to $3,700.

Palm Beach’s negotiations were more contentious and concluded in December. Here’s what Justin Katz, the teachers union president told me: “The school district is putting 1.8% on top of the 1.7% from the state to create a 3.5% increase for most teachers. Those getting more from the state via (the bill DeSantis signed) will get more, depending how far below $47,500 they currently are.”

Starting pay for a new teacher in Broward and Palm Beach used to be about $41,000. Any teachers who had been making less than $47,500 will now be brought up to at least that amount. Finally some good news on the education front.

”At-home schooling is not working for us. Can I send my child back next semester? We live in Palm Beach County.”

Yes, Palm Beach County is asking you to let your school know by Jan. 11 if you want to come back. The new semester starts Feb. 2.

Learning remotely during the pandemic has proven challenging for many families, whose children have found it difficult to focus with the many distractions surrounding them at home. Many students are failing; these students have gotten notices in their online portals, and those families have to confirm that they still want their kids to learn at home despite the academic obstacles.

The district is asking you to make a commitment to either classroom or remote learning for the rest of the year so administrators can figure out the proper allocation of teachers. It’s a big decision; they posted some frequently asked questions to help you figure it out.

”Parent surveys about second semester intentions were due back by Dec. 21. Has the district shared the results?” — Broward parent via Twitter

The Broward school district is expecting more kids in school buildings next semester, but not a lot more. The survey found 39% are planning to come back, up from 26% who attended before winter break.

These numbers show there’s still tremendous reluctance to return to classrooms during the coronavirus pandemic, even though lots of kids are failing by learning at home. Parents of about 76,000 children in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties will soon receive letters saying their kids are failing at distance learning and they need to come back to campus.

Whether the kids actually return will be up to the parents. Those who still want to keep their kids in virtual learning due to COVID-19 concerns will have to sign acknowledgement forms saying they understand their kids are performing poorly, but they still want them to stay home.

The at-risk students are being asked to return for the second semester, which starts Jan. 13 in Broward County, Jan. 25 in Miami-Dade and Feb. 2 in Palm Beach County.