Tarrant County principal worried about students returning to school amid COVID surge
Colleyville Heritage High School principal James Whitfield says he’s concerned about students returning to school next week when the state isn’t providing safety protocols or funding for remote learning.
Whitfield took to Twitter with his concerns.
“So…We plan to bring all staff & students back to campuses, while the highly transmissible delta variant is on the rise, with ZERO safety protocols in place, & think this will go well? The lack of regard for the health and well-being of our people is appalling! #ProtectOurFolks”
Whitfield said he is not criticizing the Grapevine-Colleyville school district, as administrators hands are tied.
“These larger districts (Fort Worth and Dallas) that are coming out in defiance of a larger statewide order are being forced to break the law. I’ve got tons of respect for them,” he said.
The state is asking teachers, principals and students to go back into an even more volatile situation because of the delta variant of COVID-19, Whitfield said.
When students go back to the classroom, Whitfield asked how children will receive instruction if they are out with COVID for 10 days as funding is not in place for remote learning as was the case during the past school year.
Also, it is up to parents to quarantine their children.
“They have yet to address that. All they’ve said is that all kids have to be in person.”
“It’s making people anxious. Our number one goal is to keep people safe. That’s when they (students) do their best work. When they are in fear, it’s hard to learn,” he said.
Whitfield said he hopes the larger districts issuing mask mandates will spur conversations among officials.
“We look at science and data and say what is the best way to minimize COVID.”
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 1:24 PM.