A rally to reopen schools drew approximately 175 community members to downtown Manhattan Beach on Wednesday afternoon.
The "
Kids Need Classrooms" parent group - which now numbers more than 700 members - organized the rally to call upon Manhattan Beach schools to return to in-person learning as quickly and safely as possible. The rally featured local education leaders and return-to-school activists. Community leaders such as Manhattan Beach Mayor Suzanne Hadley and Councilmember Joe Franklin were also in attendance.
"It is clear as a Manhattan Beach day that school closures have been a costly mistake, and we need to pivot," said Tiffany Wright, a Manhattan Beach parent and one of the organizers of the rally. "School districts like ours that can open safely need to lead the way. It's really important because other school districts that are in disadvantaged areas have been remaining shut closed tight for the disadvantaged families that they serve. The only way we can help those communities is to lead the way by opening our school district and showing others how it can be done...We really need to get behind the opening of our schools, and help others open theirs too."
Nevertheless, following the rally, other parent advocates expressed disappointment about a divisive tone expressed at the event toward board members and the teachers union.
Medical Community Shows Support
Among the speakers on Wednesday was Dr. Alice Kuo, a vocal advocate for school reopening. She is a professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at UCLA and past president of the
American Academy of Pediatrics Southern California chapter.
Kuo, who is also the parent of children in the Manhattan Beach schools, said that research has shown that schools can open safely if they follow five basic mitigation strategies: universal masking, social distancing,
frequent handwashing, wiping down of high-touch areas like doorknobs,
and symptom screening.
"We can see that schools are not drivers of coronavirus transmission," she said. "With the proper protocols, school can be a safe place."
Additionally, she said, in her practice she is seeing many students who are suffering from the isolation of distance learning. She said that some parents have told her that their previously high-performing students have hit the limit with Zoom and have "given up" on school. She also noted that in her practice she has seen pediatric patients who have gained 30, 40, and even 50 pounds due to inactivity during the pandemic.
"With the science behind us, we think that schools need to reopen immediately," she said.
'A Slow Slugfest'
The rally also featured school and parent activists, including
L.A. School Uprising founder Ross Novie and Palos Verdes Peninsula school board president Matthew Brach.
Brach drew attention last summer as the lead plaintiff in Brach v. Newsom, a lawsuit against Governor Gavin Newsom over banning in-person instruction in schools.
"We have been fighting since June to get our kids back in school - and it's been a slow slugfest all the way through," said Brach.
Although schools are slowly reopening to small cohorts, it is not enough, he said. "What will be good enough is when kids can have a rich and meaningful experience at school."
Quoting a famous "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip, he added that his philosophy at this point was, "If you can't win by reason, go for volume."
Back-to-school activists have tried reason, using science and data, he said, but that hasn't gotten through. "Now we need to raise our voices and get them heard."
Other Parents Express Disappointment
However, following the rally, several parents reached out to DigMB to express disappointment with a divisive tone at the rally; specifically by organizers displaying large photos of four out of five school board members, MBUSD Superintendent Mike Matthews, and Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association president Shawn Chen. Those photos prompted booing from the crowd.
"What took place at that rally on Wednesday was appalling," said Wysh Weinstein, president of Manhattan Beach's PTA Council and a Manhattan Beach parent who has also been an advocate for returning kids to school. "That is not what our community was built on. We live in a small town,
but it is feeling smaller every day. And not in a good way. I understand that we are all emotional. But that doesn’t give anyone the right to be outright mean."
Weinstein continued: "I
get that this is hard.. but no one signed up for this. no one asked
for this. So here we are. And the only questions we should be asking
are: 'What will move us forward?', 'How can we get there safely?' and 'What are the specific limits that are holding us back?'. This town and our schools were built on community and coming together. I challenge everyone to be a true advocate for Manhattan Beach
Schools and to bring this community back together stronger than ever."
Wright responded: “We agree that this is a small town and we have tried working with the board and Matthews in a collaborative way for a year now. It is time to make it clear who is blocking our district from making the most of what the state and county allow. The superintendent, the teachers union, and the board need to be called out for their actions and lack of action.”
