Speak Up: Delaware school districts warn virtual learning could become necessary due to COVID surge

Local school districts say they are committed to in-person learning during the latest COVID-19 surge but have alternative plans at the ready in case a shift to virtual learning is needed due to staff shortages.

• I think it’s safe to say virtual should be implemented immediately until the hospitals are not near or at capacity. A slap in the face to overworked medical professionals that some districts have not made this call yet. — Eddie Curley

• I think this is a great idea. — Amanda Biddle

• As an overworked health care professional, the added stress of the impending transition to virtual isn’t something I am looking forward to. Having to be two places at once to make sure my young children get an education when I am not able to take off work is the reality for most health care workers with school-age children. What I need is consistency and reliability to know that I can count on my day care and the school system to be open, so I can do my job helping the sick. I understand your point and your support, but closing schools and day cares doesn’t help the health care workers be at work. — Sara Anne

• How does that work for the parents who have full-time jobs and young children? Oh, right, it doesn’t. Everyone is going to get it. Get vaccinated, do your best to stay sanitized and safe, and hope that if you or your family members get it, it will be a mild case. Quarantine to keep others safe. Life must go on. My child’s suffering education is at stake, too. — Bethany Thomas

• Here’s my response with a plan I detailed. I’d love to hear an opposing plan; however, nobody has made one available. “Sara Anne, as a small-business owner, this wave has had a financial impact five times that of the past few years. I understand the frustration with the younger children. High school students can deal with virtual, same as junior high. I propose virtual for seventh-12th grade. Move the younger kids into the high school and middle school and continue in person with these age brackets held in the bigger, now-empty high school and junior high. It would provide more room for proper social distancing, hopefully helping staffing issues (including bus drivers) and student attendance.” — Eddie Curley

• No. Kids need to go to school. Stop ruining the education. Especially if the kids are vaccinated. This is not fair. My kids do not do well with virtual. — Stacy McAfee

• Exactly, kids need to learn the importance of a comma. — Bob Hice

• You know, in some schools, it’s not the students driving a shutdown. It’s lack of bus drivers or not enough teachers. — Dale Bert