TPS Board Meeting To Discuss Return To In-Person Learning For Middle, Jr. High, & High School Students

Monday, Tulsa Public School board members discussed bringing middle school, junior high, and high school students back to the classroom. The board voted last week to bring pre-k and elementary students back to school in phases. 

One Tulsa Public parent said her children spend hours in front of the computer working on school assignments. 

“The hardest part of having online school is seeing our kids locked in their room all day long. It can start at 8 a.m. and not stop until 8 p.m.," said Melanie Falling. 

Tulsa School Board is trying to decide how the end of the semester is going to look for Melanie Falling's three kids and the rest of the students. Teachers and parents have a lot of questions they hope get answered. 

“It’s all of the unknowns. The district is doing the best they can. They are and further more there are decisions they shouldn’t have to make. They are decisions no districts should have to make because of a total lack of leadership from the state,” said Shawna Mott-Wright. 

Mott-Wright is the president of the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association and said a recent teacher survey showed a majority of teachers believe it's too soon to send students back to in person learning. She said teachers question how it's going to impact their own families. “It’s the unknown and it’s very scary to think that I could make one of my babies sick or that they could give something to me that I could carry to my immune compromised child," said Mott-Wright. 

Mott-Wright said if the board votes to phase junior and high school students back to in person learning the district needs to be on the same page. 

“We need clear and precise directions from the district. We need consistency, not this principal says this and that principal says that," said Mott-Wright.

Falling said she hopes the school board will give both virtual and in person learning options to teachers and students. “For so many years we’ve been telling our kids we want you off your computers and here we’re saying you have to be on your phone and computer to make it all work," said Falling.