Berkshire Parents Petition for In-Person Learning

October 27, 2020 by Ann Wishart

A Burton Township parent received more than 300 signatures on a petition calling for Berkshire Schools to go back to in-person teaching and posted the petition online over the weekend.

As of 11 a.m. Oct. 27, Amy Hissa said she had 316 signatures on the petition and lots of comments on her Facebook page urging the Berkshire Education Association to vote to have the school reopened for classes.

The petition states the case Geauga Public Health announced last week there is no current need to close the schools as the schools have not been a source of virus spread in the county and she quotes Health Commissioner Tom Quade, who said:

“We do not believe at this time that the increase is associated with the return of children to the classroom and are not recommending changes to the schools’ plans for in-school learning. I met with the superintendents this morning for our weekly call and we were in agreement that we would keep on the current plan for schools.”

The petition also cited the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Act that she said list in-person education as a fundamental right.

“Forcing students to e-learn is questionably legal, certainly immoral and, by all evidence, medically unnecessary,” the petition states, adding there has been no in-school spread in any of the districts in Geauga County.

“How can we stand idly by and let the union rob our children of their much-needed education? We shouldn’t. We can’t,” the petition said. “If you don’t want your kids to learn in-person, we respect your decision. We support e-learning for those who choose it. We ask that you please support us by giving families the choice.”

In a phone interview Oct. 26, Hissa, who lives in Burton Township, said she posted the petition Oct. 25.

“I really just feel the members of our community and parents of the students… need to advocate for the kids,” the petition said. “We need to hold the (Berkshire Schools Board of Education) and the union accountable.”

The board and the BEA signed a memorandum of understanding last summer to go to remote learning if Geauga County gained enough cases of the coronavirus to become a red state — which it was declared last Thursday.

Hissa said knowledge and handling of the pandemic has changed since then.

“When the agreement was signed, the landscape of COVID-19 was unsure,” she said. “When you evaluate the current situation, (the agreement) is just not warranted.”

Kenston, Chardon, Cardinal and West Geauga school districts have not gone to remote learning as of Oct. 26.

The Berkshire school board voted virtually in a special meeting Oct. 23 to waive the MOU and allow classrooms to reopen providing the BEA calls a meeting and the membership votes to do so, as well.

Hissa has one child attending preschool at Agape Christian Academy. Her second- and fourth-grade daughters were home Monday and the family was adjusting to e-learning, but would have preferred having a normal school week, she said.

“Their desire is to be in school,” she said, adding it is difficult for children to concentrate at home where there are so many distractions.

“Their world has been turned upside down,” she said.

Hissa said she doesn’t want to discount anybody’s job or risk factor.

“I’m not trying to get in a fight with anybody. I’m just trying to make sure the teachers’ union knows what (parents) want,” she said. “What’s best for (the students) — that’s the bottom line.”