By Rick Lawrence
Mayor Richard Irvin;
The decision of Aurora’s school District’s announcement of 100% online school is a huge issue for Aurora.
Given the diverse population of our districts, economically, language challenges, family situations, the ability for more than half of the students in West Aurora and East Aurora to have the environment to receive an education, is in doubt.
Speaking with many teachers we know, they all say that last semester, they were lucky to have a very small percentage even log on for learning. One teacher from Hill, only had seven students out of 28 attempt to participate. Hill Elementary, as you know, has an extremely high-poverty rate, most from single-parent families with one parent either gone, or incarcerated, and tough home situations.
A teacher we know from District 131 said the policy is that you cannot fail a student. Students are permitted to advance, regardless of their achievements, or participation. I hear the same about District 129. It does not help the student or the City as whole. We cannot afford a sector of our students to miss the opportunity for success. If we allow it, many of the students never will recover and will face very challenging futures.
On the technical side, notwithstanding in-home challenges and lack of resources available to a significant percentage of our students, does the bandwidth even exist in Aurora if 30,000 students log on with video data along with all the businesses and stay-at-home workers?
Just in our block, every person trying to work from home is experiencing issues with speed, being blocked, or, dropped calls. The capacity, whether it is AT&T or Xfinity, during the day is being pushed to the limit.
The decision seems to made based on appeasement and fear rather than the best interest of the students. The school districts are fully aware they are not prepared, or able, to provide a quality education in this manner to a significant number of students.
Hopefully, you will demand the Districts fulfill their obligations to the students and taxpayers. They should prove to you and all of us that the system will work and our students will receive a good education. It’s criminal to think they will just go through the motions, say they are doing their best, and just move kids through the system regardless of their achievement. It’s not fair to them and their futures.
Maybe the city government of Aurora and Fox Valley Park District could be partners with the Districts to provide learning center space and allow for social distance. For many kids, school is the only structure they have. We can do better than pretending this 100% online approach is the best answer, and hope it works out.
—Rick Lawrence, Nuyen Awning Company, Inc., Aurora