Multiple demonstrations took place across multiple schools in the Santa Clarita Valley on Oct. 19, where parents and teachers carried signs demanding the city re-open schools.
For over eight months, schools in the SCV have been holding classes online as a response to COVID-19 restrictions that began in March. With businesses slowly reopening, many people feel that now is the time for schools to reopen.
“It seems like the people in charge only look at public health as the only issue of COVID-19,” said Rebecca Gugler, a demonstrator who stood in front of Valencia High School. “I think everyone is well aware that mental health is a crisis among our youth, so you can’t look at just one issue of COVID-19, you have to look at the entire picture of public health.”
The demonstrations appeared across multiple schools, including Saugus High School, Valencia High School, Sierra Vista Jr. High, West Creek Academy and Meadows Elementary.
“Students are not receiving the rigor that is involved in a true academic course. They are not being challenged enough because it’s hard to challenge them online,” said Shaunasey Lane, a mother of three who protested in front of Saugus High School. “Being able to appropriately test the students on what they learned is gone, because now all of the tests are open book, and the assessments are gone.”
As of now, most school campuses will remain closed for higher grade levels, such as third grade and up. In the meantime, students will have to continue their studies using the offered online classes.
