Photo Courtesy of Advisor Scott Nairne.
As the writers and editors of San Luis Obispo High School Expressions student newspaper, it is our responsibility to represent our student body and voice our concerns and the concerns of our peers.
In light of the school board decision on November 17 to return to on-campus learning, the staff at Expressions has decided to express student concerns regarding this decision.
Frankly, we feel that returning to school at this time is far too dangerous due to the irresponsible conduct of some of our fellow students and their blatant disregard for others’ safety, not to mention the dramatic increase in cases in San Luis Obispo County, moving us from the red tier into the purple tier.
We stand with board member Walt Millar’s dissent on returning to in-person instruction and we hope that the board will reconsider and hopefully reverse their decision on returning to campus before it is too late.
It’s not that we don’t want to return to campus. However, we are concerned for families of both students and staff, as well as the general health of our city. We are deeply worried that this decision will negatively affect all those around us. It is out of good conscience that we write this and plead that the San Luis Coastal Unified District school board reconsider their decision on resuming in-person instruction.
We must remember that on March 13 of this year, schools closed down due to one case in the whole county, but with 766 active cases when the board voted to return us on the hybrid-learning model, they still voted 6-1 in favor of returning to campus.
It is SLO County’s second day in the purple tier.
Cal Poly currently has 850 quarantined students after resuming partially in-person learning. Cuesta College is not returning to in-person learning for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. It saddens our staff to see the district not follow the examples nor learn from the mistakes of other educational institutions in our county.
The San Luis Coastal Unified Teachers Association survey showed that over 70 percent of secondary school teachers prefer to stay on the distance learning plan for the rest of the year. For school to be as beneficial as possible to students and teachers alike, both parties have to feel safe and in agreement that returning to in-person learning is a safe option.
While we understand that most students learn better in person, and we agree with this, we need to understand the other circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and we need to think critically. Can we trust ALL students to be responsible on and off-campus about this virus?
We have seen the way our peers have reacted to and handled this pandemic, and this is why we do not have faith that students will respect the suggested COVID-19 guidelines upon returning to school. Over Halloween weekend, we saw our peers throw parties and participate in unsafe practices that are known to lead to the spread of COVID-19, an obvious contributing factor to why SLO County has seen a sudden sharp rise in cases, pushing us back into California’s purple tier.
We don’t want SLOHS to go down as another Cal Poly.
It will be too big of a task to micromanage students, and unless we have rapid result testing, there is no way to reassure that COVID-19 does not find its way onto our campus.
Realistically, we do not see us going back into red tier two weeks prior to the set reopen date on January 21, 2021. Even so, if we did stay in the red tier for two weeks, we’d be on a very slippery slope. We can easily slip back into the purple tier (or to where SLOHS can cause the county to go back into purple).
The date of our coming back to campus is concerning as well. This is after winter break, where we cannot trust families and students to not have big gatherings for New Year’s or the holidays, whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other winter holiday. We also cannot trust our classmates to stay safe and to follow the recommended guidelines while on campus.
We publish this statement with concern for our beloved staff and the families of our students and hope that the district board will take our concerns into consideration and reconsider the vote to reopen January 21, 2021.
Anonymous • Dec 17, 2020 at 2:47 am
The fact that the article didn’t even show empathy towards students that are struggling is very disturbing. Suicide rates are at an all time high and students grades have plummeted! WE NEED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOl!!!!!
Olivia R • Nov 21, 2020 at 12:08 pm
Returning to school is a risk not only to students but also their families and teachers. I really hope this decision is over turned, as it will only increase the risk faced by multi-generational families. This is only going to encourage the spread of cases, and I hope that they can understand this and prioritize community safety.
Emily • Nov 20, 2020 at 11:58 am
I appreciate the time and energy San Luis Obispo High School and San Luis Coastal Unified School District have dedicated to creating a rich learning experience for all students in distance learning, and working to reopen schools safely.
I believe that the athletics program has worked out very well in providing students with a wonderful opportunity to interact with their teammates and coaches in a fun and safe manner. However, this is not an appropriate time to reopen school itself.
While offering in person learning for select groups, such as athletics, special education, or elementary school students is reasonable in that each group is separated into pods and if a positive test occurs, only the specific pod of students will need to quarantine, it is not a wise decision at the secondary level.
At the high school, students have six different classes, meaning they will interact with different students each class period (roughly 150 students over a 2-day period).
When one student tests positive, that means all students in each of their classes, plus all six teachers will need to quarantine for 14 days.
The probability of a student testing positive off-campus is likely; therefore, if schools reopen, it will only be a matter of weeks before a majority of students need to quarantine and study from home. In turn, this contradicts the point of reopening schools.
Going through the extensive process of trying to reopen schools is not worth it because inevitably, schools will need to close once more.
Anonymous • Nov 24, 2020 at 8:18 am
I am surprised at the apparent disdain shown for your “Fellow” students. No wonder you don’t want to go back to school, you don’t like the very people you go to school with. This article doesn’t address the high rate of student depression and suicide. The sentiments expressed instead shows how little the staff thinks of the students.
snairne • Nov 30, 2020 at 12:26 pm
Emily is a commenter and not on the Expressions Staff.
Ed Harris • Nov 20, 2020 at 10:33 am
Thanks for an excellent and thoughtful article. Your views are spot on! As a ten year substitute teacher with the district and as a parent of a former student, I agree with you 100%.
Chris • Nov 19, 2020 at 5:30 pm
It was beyond disheartening to listen to Eric Prater argue his position for over 20 minutes to convince the School Board to vote in favor of returning to classes on January 21. Walt Millar explained it is a terrible idea and explained the science behind his decision to vote against opening schools to in-person classes, but the other School Board members voted yes, as Dr. Prater urged them to do. COVID-19 cases will rise because of this irresponsible decision and people will die.
Wait for rapid tests to be available. Wait for the vaccine, which is currently being shipped to four states and will be available to the general public within a year. Returning students to classrooms under the circumstances, as pointed out in this opinion piece, is the wrong decision!
Lauren Avjean Parzanese • Nov 19, 2020 at 9:17 am
I applaud the students of SLOHS for speaking up and giving pushback to the administration that is supposed to make decisions driven by safety and equity – but is instead making decisions driven by state pressure and parents who are tired of having children at home in the midst of a pandemic.
As a parent of an elementary school student, my very loud objections have continually fallen on deaf ears in this district. My concerns have been ignored, dismissed, and diminished in the process. Even worse, I was given empty words and assurances in an effort to assuage my anger over the phone by a principal and the superintendent both – only to have those words mean nothing when I witness their actions after the fact. Of course I cannot substantiate any of this since it was done verbally. I have since requested all correspondence in writing, though that has not been honored either after receiving a phone call from my daughter’s school just yesterday. I am so disappointed in the SLCUSD administration and school board. I am disappointed in the deliberation I witnessed during Tuesday’s school board meeting and that Walt Millar was the only voice of reason.
Let’s also take a moment to realize that Walt Millar, the only board member to dissent, was also the only board member to have lived through the Polio epidemic. Shame on the administration for ignoring such a valuable resource of knowledge and experience. Shame on the administration for ignoring our community parents, scientists, doctors, and other experts in the field of epidemiology. Shame on the administration for only taking advisement from the local loud voices who agreed with them, and continually diminishing expert opinions that did not support the administration’s stance on reopening.
I am appalled at the decision to return in person, as well as the loophole that the district has made crystal clear that they have every intention to take advantage of come January. Because of various Pilot Programs happening now, our district has chosen to take advantage of this loophole that allows us to remain open while in the Purple tier – and they have shown us through their actions that hiding behind legal technicalities as well as caving to dangerous ideas that they are not in a position to make decisions for the youth in our community.
Thank you, SLOHS students, for speaking up and making your voices heard. You are not alone, and we as a community stand behind you to fight for your safety and that of our entire community. This fight is not over, and we must show those in charge that we are not backing down and will continue to fight for the equitable wellbeing of our entire community as well as the health and safety of our families.
We are in this together.
Annelise • Nov 19, 2020 at 9:09 am
I can’t stand being at home anymore, I think it’s bad for me mentally. I just can’t do this at home anymore, I don’t get why everyone is so against this. I want to go back to school so bad, I hate this so much, everything is so messed up.
Mike • Nov 19, 2020 at 9:50 pm
You are not alone.
Osmo Burkhard • Dec 17, 2020 at 2:22 am
ANNELISE I totally agree bro, doing zoom school is terrible. We need to go back to in person school, screw COVID. It’s the teachers job to teach and they are not doing a good job. My best friend lives in Washington and is doing in person school, why can’t we? Suicide rates are up 145%, lockdowns are deadly!!!
Ryan • Nov 18, 2020 at 10:42 pm
The school board made a political decision to reopen the schools and held up “science” and “metrics” as buzz words to justify it.
The school board said it’s not safe to reopen the schools if the county is in purple. With this in mind, they pushed back the reopening date to January 21st and added a requirement that the county be in red leading up to the reopening.
With that in mind, they’re currently returning some elementary students to in person classes on November 30th. Despite the county’s return to purple. Despite the expected travel and exposure over the holiday, and subsequent expected increase in cases.
Yes, the school board stated they based their decision on science, metrics, and state policy. They’re also actively working within that framework to return students to in person classes when it’s contrary to their stated position.
Susie • Nov 18, 2020 at 8:11 pm
As a parent and member of a multigenerational household reopen in person classes is a very bad idea.
Elliot Graham • Nov 18, 2020 at 7:48 pm
The decision to re-open our campus is a completely inappropriate and irresponsible way to handle the Covid crisis in SLO. Going off of the countless examples of schools nationwide and their failure to prevent a rise in cases, the school board has made a mistake that will have serious consequences. While I understand that there are some benefits for students struggling with online learning, many students have expressed their concerns about returning too soon. I’m angered with the school board’s obvious disregard of student safety and comfort during this pandemic, and can only hope that they will reconsider their decision.
Chloe Orton Cartnal • Nov 18, 2020 at 7:10 pm
As someone with a degree in child and adolescent development, I understand the fear that students may fall behind if we do not have in person classes. With that being said, it simply isn’t safe right now. As mentioned by the SLOHS Expressions Staff, over 800 Cal Poly students are in quarantine right now and our county just moved into the purple tier. Not to mention, there is no way of managing whether students follow the guidelines on and off campus.
In August of this year, a school in Georgia resumed in person classes after believing it was safe to do so, but within a week of returning, they had to resort back to remote learning because of the significant number of students and staff that tested positive for the virus. While this is just one example, I do not want something similar to happen within our own school system.
Now, while it is true that those that are young have a better chance of surviving the virus if they get it, that does not mean that it won’t affect them. A friend of mine who is 25 tested positive for covid and although she was negative after two weeks, she is still feeling the long term effects nearly six weeks after her first positive result. Once again, this is only one example, but I’d hate to see anyone that is a part of SLCUSD get this virus and then suffer long term consequences because they were forced to return to in person learning.
Overall, I am very disappointed in SLCUSD for making this decision and I hope that they read this piece as well as the comments and ultimately do what is best for all involved.
Charlotte Bigler • Nov 18, 2020 at 7:33 pm
I really hope the school board reads this. As much as I miss having in-person classes, I am not willing to take chances with the virus. Cases are still on the rise and we are in purple tier right now. Going back is a huge health risk, not only for myself, but for my friends, family, and all of the staff. I know people in my personal life who are immunocompromised and/or have conditions that make them more susceptible to getting a severe case of coronavirus. Lots of other students and teachers do too. We are not comfortable gambling that. There are vaccines showing positive results so far, so I would rather wait things out until we know for sure things will be safe.
Paul Miser • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:43 pm
Being in person would be a really stupid mistake. Being given the option between in person and online could also complicate learning and cause confusion. Although a lot of people don’t like online learning, the restrictions coming with in-person would be worse.
sara • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:42 pm
Having schools reopen at this point would be a risk that we can’t afford. As a Cal Poly student that has seen how quickly COVID-19 can spread, it’s better to be safe and continue with the plan for distanced learning for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. This would not only protect community members, but the students and their families themselves. I agree with Expressions as it is always important to hear from those who will be directly affected by this issue, and I hope that the district board listens to their statement. By reopening schools, this pandemic is only going to continue. It’s not something that’s going to go away magically one day, so we need to do our part and help prevent the spread.
Karissa • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:34 pm
I am in solidarity with the students and staff who are urging the school board to continue distance learning. It is irresponsible and hazardous to go back to in-person learning at this time as we are back in the purple tier, and quite frankly, it’s impossible to make safe plans to go back in the spring. DO NOT put students, teachers, staff, and the whole community at risk with a decision that is based on chosen ignorance rather than scientific facts that have already been presented. By forcing students and teachers back into the physical classroom setting, the San Luis Obispo Coastal Unified District school board is making itself liable for the community spread and possible deaths that will come from this reckless decision. Thank you to the SLO Expressions team who has brought this forward, it is a shame that students are once again left pleading with adults to care about their safety in school settings. I’m with you, I hear you, and I am outraged with you.
Olivia • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:25 pm
As a SLOHS ’20 grad and resident of SLO, I agree with the members of Expressions. Our country is handling Covid-19 embarrassingly, and SLO is not exempt from this. Even with current precautions and remote learning, students still partake in activities that quicken the virus’s spread. It’s no question that Cal Poly students (and other SLO county residents) also contribute to the spread. My father is a faculty member at Cal Poly, so I know of dire social practices and am worried for their effects on both him and others. Bringing back even more students will only yield negative results—deadly ones, at that. It is immoral and irresponsible to forge ahead as though students or their families will not be put at risk, as though our community and the US at large will not be put at risk. We must all staunchly advocate safety and compassion during a /pandemic/.
Dom Harris • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:22 pm
I don’t go to SLOHS, but opening up would be a serious mistake.
slo student • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:30 pm
As a student here in slo, i do not at all feel it safe to go to school yet. with cases still rising, and the holidays coming up, we definitely need to take even more precautions and not put students and their families in danger.
Dan Krieger • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:06 pm
The Expressions’ staff editorial is spot on! The last thing that Coastal Unified needs is to follow the example of college campuses which infect vulnerable staff and faculty and virtually paralyze surrounding communities by reopening the high school.
Liz an Dan Krieger, Parents and longtime community members
lily rogers • Nov 18, 2020 at 6:06 pm
i fully agree, the choice to go back to school really worries me considering our county is not doing great controlling covid cases already. i’ve already signed up to continue distance learning and not to go back to in person school.