THREAD To: @tweetelissa @RobertWhite_DC @charlesallen @ChmnMendelson @marycheh @cmdgrosso (To parents/teachers: I just sent this email to above CMs, I am sending again here on Twitter because if you agree, you too can share): RE: Following Up on the so-called hearing 10/23

Parents &teachers have been begging to be heard about a fundamental issue: the health & safety of our students, ourselves and our families. We have voiced to you over and over how ill-conceived this Mayoral plan is for partial reopening –

that it leads to deep fear and leaves more questions unanswered than answered. Which is the definition of NOT a plan.

It is a plan that scrambles to put kids in school without reaching out to every individual family who is struggling to find out what they actually need- the Mayor just assumed that it’s in person. DO WE KNOW THAT?

I have heard that many families, particularly those EOTR are both struggling and compromised or scared to come in person due to higher risk for COVID. So this plan DOES NOTHING FOR THEM.

Instead of doing circles around this non-plan, the administration FIRST should have been doing all it can to help those families in whatever way they need. JOB NUMBER ONE. Yet no one has done anything.

And today I learn – after many of you applauded that the education committee called a hearing for 3 pm on October 23rd – that this hearing is GOVERNMENT WITNESS ONLY.

This is appalling. There is no way that you can adequately understand, learn or know what it really feels like to be in parent and teacher shoes if you don’t hear from us first. You don’t know what our school situations are.

You don’t know what our buildings ACTUALLY look or stand up like. You don’t understand the deep and paralyzing fear that our educators and some families are facing. You say we can submit questions but you won’t get to them all. That is not standing with your community.

You are choosing affirmatively NOT to hear the truths because it’s HARD. You are choosing to applaud yourselves for doing something which is listening to the Admin say they have it all handled. And you will do that without a deep understanding of how problematic their plans are.

I have listened to two different presentations already by the Chancellor and his team on the “plan.” I can tell you that they cannot answer 90% of the questions that parents and teachers pose.

They also cannot provide any evidence they are ready. And the testimony in these conversations of families with asthma, underlying conditions, & teachers fearing that they are responsible for too much to have to safeguard theirs and their students’ health in an unsafe condition--

– is too much to ask of individual teachers, not to mention they too have underlying conditions. And fundamentally, teachers were not part of creating this plan.

I have been listening to my fellow parents and teachers across the city. Their stories are real and they are deeply concerning. There is NO ONE that cares more about the welfare of our children than parents and teachers. NO ONE.

And for you to deny us the right to share our stories & give you the insight you need as our elected leaders to push hard on this administration & hold them accountable is wrong. Parents & teachers are watching to see how you lead and right now you have failed us. It is shameful.

I ask that you reschedule the hearing at a time when we can give a full day to parent/teacher testimony. So that you can deeply understand the problems/holes with the plan.

So that you can stand by the people most affected – students, parents, teachers – and not just give air time to the administration to do what they will without us. And only then invite government witnesses. Either you are complicit in the problem or you are part of the solution.

Yes, I am angry. I just want you to be angry with me.

Danica Petroshius
Ward 6 parent
Working with parents and teachers across the city in solidarity

P.S. I long - and still hope - for the day when I can say to all/Tweet/rejoice in: Thank you @MayorBowser & @DCPSChancellor for doing right by all public school families. And Thank you CMs for holding them accountable for it. Today is NOT that day. #OnlyWhenItsSafe #listenfirst