Parents form 'Oregon Moms Union', call for full return to classroom
While Oregon students have started returning to classrooms this year for hybrid learning, many parents say going to school a couple of days per week is not enough.
Some moms are so fed up with the slow progress of kids returning to the classroom that they have created their own group, called the Oregon Moms Union.
"If our kids had a union, would they already be back in school full time? We always see the government teachers union lobbying for teachers, but who is advocating for our kids and parents," said MacKensey Pulliam of the Oregon Moms Union.
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Founders of the group say they want their students back in the classroom full time by May 1--with summer break fast approaching, it wouldn't give students a lot of time back, but they say it's still worth it. They say the shorter weeks and hours currently spent in the classroom are just not enough.
"Our kids have been through so much this year. It's affected their mental health, it's affected their confidence," said Pulliam. "I have seen it in my own kids and I say, why not get them back for a month and a half. Yeah, it's not going to catch them up for what they went through this year, but it's a step in the right direction."
KATU News has reached out to the governor's office regarding the decision to return students back to the classroom full-time. A spokesperson sent a statement saying some school districts have already returned to in-person instruction five days per week. However, if others want to do the same, measures need to be taken to stop the increasing spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
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While these parents want students back full-time, there are still others who do not agree. They don't think students should be rushed back into the classroom. Instead, those parents say the district should wait until next year to come up with a safe and effective plan to bring students back full-time.