Stop the Spread:
Go Virtual Until It's Safe!
As of today, Gov. Ducey refuses to take even basic responsibility for this statewide crisis, passing the buck to unpaid volunteers serving on local school boards. Lacking leadership from the state level, several Arizona school districts are violating public health guidance and voting to remain in-person even as positivity rates skyrocket each week, losing community trust and endangering teachers, staff, students and families alike.
When Arizona parents, educators and community members were surveyed by school districts for our opinions about returning to in-person schooling versus virtual learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Health Department recommended a return to virtual schooling if any ONE benchmark was in the “red.”
As of today, several Arizona school districts are violating that agreement while others are voting to remain in-person even as positivity rates skyrocket each week, losing community trust and endangering teachers, staff, students and families alike.
Email your local school district and respectfully ask that they GO VIRTUAL UNTIL IT’S SAFE:
Maricopa County Schools
Pima, Yuma & Yavapai County Schools
USE YOUR VOICE to demand public school Governing Boards put educators’ and families’ lives first by voting to return to virtual schooling until all areas in their district have returned to green or yellow positivity rates.
Screenshot the graphic below and post on social media, tag your district and help our state avoid becoming a dangerous, irresponsible hot spot once again!
What Should I Say?
YOU know your school community best, so write from your heart. Here are some talking points other Arizonans have shared:
Dear ________ Governing Board members and Leadership:
- I am a parent/educator/community member and I am asking that you follow the science and recognize that in-person schooling is no longer safe for our teachers, staff, students or their families.
- Many other Governing Boards across Arizona have made the tough decision to do what is best and safest for their community.
- When we re-opened, our area had low levels of spread. Today, benchmarks are in the red and it is a dangerous, life-threatening situation.
- Please prioritize the lives of our educators, support staff and family members first and vote to return to virtual learning until our district’s benchmarks are back in safer territory.
- Please encourage all community members to make wise choices in terms of sports and other social gatherings so we can all get back to more normal, healthy lives sooner.
- If your area is not yet “fully red,” urge the board to do the right thing before it’s too late: Positivity rates are rising faster than ever before - don’t wait until it’s too late to return our schools to safe, virtual learning.
- If your board has already made the safest decision, encourage them to stay the course: Your courage is saving lives - thank you for voting to go virtual and stop the spread until a post-holidays re-assessment.
Where Can I Learn More?
