July 14, 2020
Dear Bishop Robert McElroy,
We would ask that you open our San Diego Catholic Schools to in-person learning this Fall. While it is politically easy to follow the lead of the San Diego and Los Angeles Unified School Districts who are teaching on-line this fall, this is the wrong thing to do for our kids, for our teachers, for our parents, and for our society.
There are a number of reasons to reopen our schools to in person learning.
Children have been clearly demonstrated to have no symptoms or very mild ones when they contract COVID-19 (1). Of all COVID related deaths, less than 1/20 of 1% was in the 0-19 year old age bracket (2). Opening the schools is not a health issue for our children.
However, having children not go to school is a huge educational issue. We as parents send our children to Catholic schools for the high quality, caring teachers, the emphasis on morality, guided by our Catholic faith, and better discipline. Education by Zoom is a poor substitute for the real thing.
Teachers teach better in person, can see where kids are struggling, are able to interact with the kids in creative ways, and are better able to build a rapport with their class. These teachers will inspire their kids as a mentor, example, friend, and authority figure. All of these benefits are extremely hard to do remotely.
Additionally, forcing education to be remote destroys jobs, productivity, and companies. Any parent can tell you that trying to work and coordinate their child’s learning at the same time has serious impacts on your productivity. If you run your own company, it means reduced income. Many parents are simply unable to work if they are required to stay at home with their children due to closure of schools.
Of course, if our kids or families were (or are) at risk, we would make sacrifices willingly to keep them safe. But science and the past 6 months demonstrate our children are not at risk.
Please allow our families to thrive once more instead of placing more burdens on us. Choices can be made which will allow our schools to reopen, provide for safe education, and let parents and teachers make appropriate choices as needed to keep ourselves and our at-risk loved ones safe.
And you would not be making this decision to open our schools without precedent. Many European and other countries around the world have already chosen to open their schools with no apparent bad effects (3).
We pray for you as you make these highly charged decisions,
David & Christine Carta
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6914e4.htm
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-babies-and-children
http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/c/coronavirus
(2) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/health_policy/Provisional-COVID-19-Deaths-ages-0-18-years.pdf
(updated link https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/health_policy/Provisional-COVID-19-Deaths-ages-5-18-years-508.pdf)
(3) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/18/french-minister-tells-of-risks-of-missing-school-as-more-pupils-return-covid-19
https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-52575313
https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-it-safe-to-reopen-schools-these-countries-say-yes-11590928949
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
July 23, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
July 18, 2020
July 16, 2020
I am honestly overwhelmed by the response this has received so far. If anyone has a moment to send this link to a few others, we might just hit that first milestone today.
202 Comments
We must reopen our school for the academic and emotional well being of our children. It breaks my heart that they are the ones suffering and being left behind the most. Put the politics aside and do what is best for our children.
Agree 100%! Our principal and a special council worked extremely hard to develop a plan that puts safety first and is in compliance with all CDC recommendations, including paying for plexiglass around all desks. Please do the right thing and let our kids learn!
My two granddaughters go to Saint Michaels in Poway and my three grandsons go to St Gregory in Scripps Ranch. It is extremely important that all five of my grandchildren have a Catholic education in the classroom. Please open the Catholic schools. God will take care of all of us
Our school is able to maintain CDC requirements, with smaller numbers in the classroom. You will have the cooperation of all who attend. However, if we do not open, our little school and parish may not survive
Hello please please do not have us pay full tuition and have to do distant learning, my kids for nothing out of learning and it was a very stressful time for me and my husband. I think the school will lose a lot of families if this happens again. Please help us thank you.
Please Open you schools ...lt is causing harm to the family unit ..challenging mental health of the family...the children need the one on one educational and Catholic enrichment in person ...please open the schools. Thank you for your help in this matter ...Kathy Digiglio
Please open the Catholic schools in the Diocese of San Diego. The children are not a heath risk from COVID19. As an engineering professional, I'm very familiar with ZOOM, WEBEX, etc meetings. They are not nor will they ever be as productive as in-person meetings. Their drawbacks in professional effectiveness are being ignored at this time. In addition, I've observed my grandchildren during their ZOOM-public school classes. As learning venues, they are very poor substitutes for in-person classes. Catholic children need to learn secular subjects and the teachings of their Faith. Please open the schools; end this panic of fear called COVID-1984.
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July 14, 2020
Dear Bishop Robert McElroy,
We would ask that you open our San Diego Catholic Schools to in-person learning this Fall. While it is politically easy to follow the lead of the San Diego and Los Angeles Unified School Districts who are teaching on-line this fall, this is the wrong thing to do for our kids, for our teachers, for our parents, and for our society.
There are a number of reasons to reopen our schools to in person learning.
Children have been clearly demonstrated to have no symptoms or very mild ones when they contract COVID-19 (1). Of all COVID related deaths, less than 1/20 of 1% was in the 0-19 year old age bracket (2). Opening the schools is not a health issue for our children.
However, having children not go to school is a huge educational issue. We as parents send our children to Catholic schools for the high quality, caring teachers, the emphasis on morality, guided by our Catholic faith, and better discipline. Education by Zoom is a poor substitute for the real thing.
Teachers teach better in person, can see where kids are struggling, are able to interact with the kids in creative ways, and are better able to build a rapport with their class. These teachers will inspire their kids as a mentor, example, friend, and authority figure. All of these benefits are extremely hard to do remotely.
Additionally, forcing education to be remote destroys jobs, productivity, and companies. Any parent can tell you that trying to work and coordinate their child’s learning at the same time has serious impacts on your productivity. If you run your own company, it means reduced income. Many parents are simply unable to work if they are required to stay at home with their children due to closure of schools.
Of course, if our kids or families were (or are) at risk, we would make sacrifices willingly to keep them safe. But science and the past 6 months demonstrate our children are not at risk.
Please allow our families to thrive once more instead of placing more burdens on us. Choices can be made which will allow our schools to reopen, provide for safe education, and let parents and teachers make appropriate choices as needed to keep ourselves and our at-risk loved ones safe.
And you would not be making this decision to open our schools without precedent. Many European and other countries around the world have already chosen to open their schools with no apparent bad effects (3).
We pray for you as you make these highly charged decisions,
David & Christine Carta
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6914e4.htm
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-babies-and-children
http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/c/coronavirus
(2) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/health_policy/Provisional-COVID-19-Deaths-ages-0-18-years.pdf
(updated link https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/health_policy/Provisional-COVID-19-Deaths-ages-5-18-years-508.pdf)
(3) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/18/french-minister-tells-of-risks-of-missing-school-as-more-pupils-return-covid-19
https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-52575313
https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-it-safe-to-reopen-schools-these-countries-say-yes-11590928949
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
July 23, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
July 18, 2020
July 16, 2020
I am honestly overwhelmed by the response this has received so far. If anyone has a moment to send this link to a few others, we might just hit that first milestone today.
202 Comments
Please allow St. Michael’s to reopen. There have been so many safety precautions put into place, that I feel it is a very safe environment for students and teachers. They have gone beyond CDC requirements with their plans to safely reopen in the fall.
We must reopen our school for the academic and emotional well being of our children. It breaks my heart that they are the ones suffering and being left behind the most. Put the politics aside and do what is best for our children.
Agree 100%! Our principal and a special council worked extremely hard to develop a plan that puts safety first and is in compliance with all CDC recommendations, including paying for plexiglass around all desks. Please do the right thing and let our kids learn!
My two granddaughters go to Saint Michaels in Poway and my three grandsons go to St Gregory in Scripps Ranch. It is extremely important that all five of my grandchildren have a Catholic education in the classroom. Please open the Catholic schools. God will take care of all of us
Our school is able to maintain CDC requirements, with smaller numbers in the classroom. You will have the cooperation of all who attend. However, if we do not open, our little school and parish may not survive
Hello please please do not have us pay full tuition and have to do distant learning, my kids for nothing out of learning and it was a very stressful time for me and my husband. I think the school will lose a lot of families if this happens again. Please help us thank you.
Please Open you schools ...lt is causing harm to the family unit ..challenging mental health of the family...the children need the one on one educational and Catholic enrichment in person ...please open the schools. Thank you for your help in this matter ...Kathy Digiglio
Please open the Catholic schools in the Diocese of San Diego. The children are not a heath risk from COVID19. As an engineering professional, I'm very familiar with ZOOM, WEBEX, etc meetings. They are not nor will they ever be as productive as in-person meetings. Their drawbacks in professional effectiveness are being ignored at this time. In addition, I've observed my grandchildren during their ZOOM-public school classes. As learning venues, they are very poor substitutes for in-person classes. Catholic children need to learn secular subjects and the teachings of their Faith. Please open the schools; end this panic of fear called COVID-1984.
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Please allow St. Michael’s to reopen. There have been so many safety precautions put into place, that I feel it is a very safe environment for students and teachers. They have gone beyond CDC requirements with their plans to safely reopen in the fall.