Support for Full-Time In-Person Learning

Open Letter to the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education

Dear President McKibbin and Board Members,

On behalf of the San Juan Unified Parents Association, I write to you to express our unequivocal support for full-time in-person learning in the San Juan Unified School District. Simply put, shutting down schools poses a greater threat to the health and wellness of students than COVID-19, evidenced by last year’s school shutdowns.

First and foremost, current positive rates do not warrant a shut down or reduction in activities. As of this writing, 30 students out of 40,000 are positive for COVID-19. While we are currently on break, the positive cases come after months of in-person instruction and school gatherings for extracurricular activities. Due to the cold and rain in recent months, most of those activities were conducted indoors with safety protocols in place.

Beyond simple case rates, there are two broader issues that cannot be ignored.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the second leading cause of death among adolescents, after unintentional accidents, is intentional self-harm (suicide) with 11.4 kids per 100,000 dying by suicide.

“During 2020, the proportion of mental health–related emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents aged 12–17 years increased 31% compared with that during 2019... In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ED visits for suspected suicide attempts began to increase among adolescents aged 12–17 years, especially girls. During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019; among boys aged 12–17 years, suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7%.” (CDC, 2021)

A return to distance learning, or a reduction in recently restored extracurricular activities will compound social and emotional stressors already caused by the pandemic. School and activities are good for kids' social and emotional health.

Academically, iReady test scores from the early weeks of the 2021-22 school year demonstrate that the rate of learning loss was as bad as feared. At one elementary school 37% of 3rd graders were two or more years behind in Math with 56% of the same class one year behind. In reading, 31% of 3rd graders were two or more years behind, 27% were one year behind. Distance Learning was a temporary measure entered under duress without a clear understanding of its effectiveness. We now have data to show that academically it was a major loss and will have negative long-term impacts on vulnerable students district-wide for years to come.

Thankfully, unlike last year, all school employees have the option to become vaccinated against COVID-19 creating a buffer against the public health threat many feared.

It is for these reasons, and the dozens of first-person accounts from district families last year, that we support full-time in-person learning in San Juan Unified School District.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of our thoughts.

Sincerely, Ben Avey

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President San Juan Parents Association