PUSHBACK

exclusively with the children.

“I’ve been very clear with CFSA [that] it’s about COVID,” said Kasargod-Staub, whose children are enrolled at Powell Elementary School in Northwest.

Kasargod-Staub said her decision to keep her children home stemmed from misgivings about elements of D.C. public schools' [DCPS] safety plan and school officials’ ability to consistently execute it.

Weeks before the start of the school year, Kasargod-Staub watched closely as school officials, and later Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, attempted to secure HVAC repairs for Powell.

She said the decision to reopen without giving parents a virtual option doesn’t take into account their concerns about COVID-19 or the severity of the Delta variant.

“We have incredibly high numbers and pediatric beds are being filled up at Children’s National,” Kasargod-Staub told The Informer.

“The mayor is asking me to choose between in-person instruction and the health of my child,” she continued. “We are very committed to our public school and staying and seeing it thrive [but] we are in a very difficult position.”

A TUG OF WAR BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PARENTS

District law mandates CFSA referrals for cases when students between the ages of 5 and 13 have more than 10 full days of unexcused absences. As of September 22, CFSA received 73 reports of what’s considered potential educational neglect, 43 of which have since been examined.

Out of those 43, a dozen turned into investigations. The other 30 reports currently remain under review by the Educational Neglect Triage Unit.

The group, through interviews with school officials and parents, endeavors to resolve attendance issues and determine if a situation requires child welfare investigation.

If that occurs, a social worker collaborates with the school for an intervention plan and conducts an investigation centered on whether there’s evidence of educational neglect.

A CFSA representative told The Informer that each referral goes through an independent review with consideration of all factors, including parents’ apprehension about COVID-19.

CFSA, in accordance with District attendance laws, has expressed no intention to give deference to parents concerned about COVID-1.

Though DCPS has virtual options available, students can only receive it with an approved medical exemption.

That’s why parents and elected officials have rallied around the call for expanding virtual options. Ward 8 D.C. State Board of Education Representative Carlene Reid recently sent D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) a letter making the request.

Last week, nearly 100 parents and community leaders followed suit, writing individual letters to Bowser and the D.C. Council with a list of demands, including the creation of a virtual option, mandatory vaccinations for teachers, expansion of outdoor learning spaces, punishment for administrators who report parents to CFSA and D.C .Health’s stewardship of contact tracing in schools.

COMPARISON from Page 11

countries, needs help,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland said.

“When I came back from Africa, I realized that I didn’t have to go far to see health disparities. Many communities need that grassroots outreach, and I wanted to serve and live in the community, so I decided to stay in Ward 8.”

Dr. Lewis-Ragland said she chose to work at Children’s Hospital because of her love for kids. However, she said the U.S. must do a better job of caring for children.

She also decried the politicization of the COVID vaccines.

“We have parties who have decided we are now infringing on rights and freedoms when we ask people to vaccinate,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland said.

“It is preposterous. This is a public health issue. You have to protect the entire public because [the virus] is highly transmissible.”

Dr. Lewis-Ragland likened the debate over vaccines and wearing masks to driving.

“In your car, you have an airbag,” she offered.

“When deployed, the airbag stops you from serious injury or death. If it’s not there, you might die or seriously injure yourself. So, it’s not stopping accidents,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland emphasized.

“When people say that you may

MONROE from Page 24

She told The Informer that, in addition to its mission, The Monroe School launched its College and Career Readiness Program that piqued her colleagues’ interest because of the way it countered the negativity often facing young people.

“We need to create places for children to be successful,” Irving said.

“One of the things we talk-

D’Armani Barnett, a 2021 graduate of The Monroe School, credited her alma mater with quelling her anger and keeping her focused on her college and career goals.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

still get COVID if you are vaccinated, that is true. But you won’t get seriously injured, and you’re not going to die. When we talk about masks, the N-95 mask offers 87 percent protection against the virus. That’s like having that seatbelt on; it will keep you safer. You are less likely to die from impact because you have on that seatbelt. Social distance is like the traffic light; it keeps you from running into things.” WI @StacyBrownMedia

Dr. Lewis-Ragland likened the debate over vaccines and wearing masks to driving. “In your car, you have an airbag,” she offered.

ed about is the belief that each child is a unique individual who needs a unique atmosphere to grow emotionally, intellectually, physically, and mentally,” she added. “Those are key components when dealing with Black and brown children.”

D’Armani Barnett, a 2021 graduate of The Monroe School, credited her alma mater with quelling her anger and keeping her focused on her college and career goals.

She enrolled in The Monroe School to follow in the footsteps of her father who also gained an education on the campus when the Nannie Helen Burroughs School was in operation.

In July, Barnett walked across the stage as class salutatorian.

That journey, she said, didn’t come without its hurdles. The pandemic took its toll on Barnett, who worked to raise her grades after they dipped during her junior year. As she juggles a part-time job and her studies at Prince George’s Community College, Barnett reflects on the lessons and the people who helped her get back on track.

“Teachers have no problem helping you with anything,” Barnett told The Informer.

“They take their time helping you get on the right path. If you don’t want to go to school, they can help you find a path that’s productive. They even help students and do things for them that they don’t get paid [to do].”

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As of Sept. 15, DCPS has reported 656 COVID-19 cases for the academic year. That amount accounts for nearly 40 percent of the COVID-19 cases reported across all District-based schools.

During the D.C. Council’s education roundtable on September 21, Chancellor Lewis Ferebee touted a systemwide strategy centered on prevention, screening and disseminating information. Schools mandate universal masking and social distancing amid HVAC system enhancements and an ongoing campaign to boost vaccination numbers.

In terms of asymptomatic testing, DCPS has pledged to test 10 percent of students per week, particularly those who haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine.

When a student or staff member contracts COVID-19, schools follow health and safety guidelines outlined by DC Health. They also jumpstart a contact tracing investigation, notify the school community and initiate a process to clean and disinfect affected spaces.

People who qualify for quarantine would have to have been within six feet of the infected person for more than 15 minutes within two days of that person testing positive.

“I want to acknowledge [that] this school year feels different for our parents,” Ferebee told council members on September 21. “Every aspect has been rethought and our students and staff are working hard to learn new routines and protocols.”

However, a growing contingent of teachers, including David Ifill, said following the new protocol has been easier said than done.

Since the school year started, Ifill, a public school music teacher, has become fearful of contracting COVID-19 in an environment he described as stressful for teachers juggling their responsibility to their craft and new procedures.

As a member of the DC Caucus of Rank and File Educators, Ifill has advocated for virtual options, much like what he said DCPS central office staff already have available to them.

“I definitely see kids without masks running around. The three feet social distance is not maintainable,” Ifill said. “Contact tracing is nearly impossible because kids are switching cohorts. It feels like the things [administrators] were trying to do are out of the window. It's visually frustrating for us but we have to keep a smile on our faces.”

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