OSD308 Displays 'Broken Democracy' With Remote Learning: Resident

OSWEGO, IL — The Oswego School District 308 opted for remote learning to begin the 2020-2021 school year amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the possibility of returning to in-person learning during the second quarter of the fall if COVID-19 conditions allow.

However, this has sparked a heated debate among parents and teachers, who either strongly agree or disagree with this decision. A parent whose kid is a sophomore in the district told Patch they feel the board of education is "robbing my son of his future."

"Unfortunately decisions are made without thinking of the long term effects this will have. They say they make decisions based on science, clearly inaccurate. The CDC has come out saying that keeping children out of school is detrimental," Sandy Erias said. "On top of not listening to the 'science' they clearly did not listen to the 80 percent of tax paying parents who filled out their waste of time questionnaire stating they want their kids back in school. Instead, they listened to the teachers."

Erias asked that if the teachers can partake in day-to-day activities such as visiting the grocery store or the shopping mall, why can they not feel comfortable coming to school to teach the students because this "will be the generation that is left behind...their hasty, rash unfounded decisions have taken so much from our kids and the damage they are doing is irreversible because e-learning doesn't work."

Oswego resident Les Lopinot, who watched the Aug. 3 board of education meeting said that there was no discussion regarding the results of the prior surveys sent to parents and teachers, in which, a "whopping 75 percent of parents want in-person and a whopping 77% of teachers wanted the opposite."

"The board, in a dystopian display of broken democracy, ignored the runaway majoritarian wishes of the very public which elected it and which it serves. It chose the teacher-preferred remote-learning-for-all option. Except for one member's mention in passing, the board did not discuss the survey results as a factor in their decision," Lopinot said. "The board's function is not to advance or promote teacher/district staff preferences. Its responsibilities involve making decisions about education with students, their families and the wider community at the center of decision-making."

A Patch reader said the board has turned "our kids education into a game of politics and costs," mentioning that while it freely discussed spending $1.2 million on new computers, it was worried about added costs required for sanitizing classrooms.

"Essential workers should be working and not whining about having to work. Doctors, nurses, first responders go to work each day, and they can’t threaten to not work," the reader said. "If teachers don’t want to teach, them just like the real world there are acceptable reason and protections or you get replaced."

Another reader said OSD308 in "my personal opinion is not open for a majority reason of politics and not the welfare of our children." He added that about 88 percent of folks in the district voted for in-person learning, "so why the school district does not decide to open in-person is that 75 percent teacher union vote, and 100 percent unreasonable burden given from the state, which equals political decision-making.

However, there are also those who support the board's decision, such as Janie Johnston, who is both a parent and an educator. She said the only way to contain the spread of the virus that "spreads like wildfire" is to avoid contact with others until the incubation period for the virus has passed.

"Until we reach an acceptable level of new virus cases, I am in total agreement with remote learning. It is the safest option. Yes, it is not as personal nor is it as satisfying or rewarding for either students or educators," Johnston said. "But, it will reduce the spread of the virus. My students and their well-being are paramount to me. And, this is the best option to diminish the occurrence of the virus."

She continued: "I think we need to face the fact that we are in a new era of teaching and learning, at least for the next year or two. I have been teaching remotely since early March, and continue through this summer. I will also teach remotely this fall. I have made adjustments in my teaching, something all educators do when the need arises. But, in no way am I perfect. I still learn from my colleagues and students."

A reader on Patch said: "I’m a parent of younger children. My kids aren’t going to D308 schools, but they will be doing e-learning where they do go, and would’ve been were the school physically opened or not. The reasoning is very simple, e-learning worked out very well last year, and there is no good reason to take on unnecessary risks when the same thing can be accomplished without those risks. Also, my kids will never be fodder for anyone’s political statement so long as I am alive and well."

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