Some of our PTA units have been approached and asked by school parents to advocate strongly for immediate on-campus (in-person) instruction at their school. As you know, Poway Unified School District has been wrestling with this question for some time, and has vacillated from one position to another several times during the summer. It is a difficult dilemma, with many different viewpoints and considerations. There is no one perfect answer for all families. Consequently, we should be mindful that there are differing opinions throughout the district from parents, students, administrators and others. Not all families are comfortable with returning to the school site for in-person instruction, just as not all families are comfortable with virtual learning. California State PTA's mission is to positively impact the lives of all children and families. ALL children, and not just the ones that prefer in-person instruction or virtual instruction. We should not recommend or advocate for one type of instruction over another. Any decision to reopen schools should involve parents, families, students, educators, school employees, public health experts, health practitioners and community leaders in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of stages of reopening. If you are asked to advocate for either virtual or on-campus instruction, we suggest that you offer to facilitate a PTA town hall type discussion with the school leaders (principals, counselors, teachers), or district leaders, to allow parents on all sides of the question to voice their concerns. You may also find the National PTA's position statement on reopening useful. It can be found here.
