WASHINGTON, D.C.— Recently, U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) wrote an op-ed that appeared in Arizona Central on schools giving parents and children an in-person learning option this fall. 

Read the full op-ed below: 

Education is essential. Our teachers are essential. The livelihoods and future opportunities of our over 1 million students in Arizona are essential. We all want students, teachers and all those who work in our schools to be safe. We must get students back to school and back to learning.

In March 2020, the world changed as we grappled with the new reality of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it would have on all facets of our daily lives. Schools were closed and rushed to find solutions to ensure that our students were not left behind. Schools had to rethink instruction in a way that had not been contemplated.

As we embark on the 2020-2021 school year, however, we have to be prepared to serve all of our students in a better way.

Our schools must provide parents and students with the option to return to school in person on Aug. 17.

Closures risk having kids fall farther behind

This does not have to be the only option, but it needs to be an option. I have always been a proponent of parental and school choice. Parents need to be able to have the options to make the best choices for their students’ education.

Parents should be able to find a school that is willing to offer in-person instruction, whether that be via a school district, charter school, private school, or a mixture of options through Empowerment Scholarship Accounts.

There is an ever-growing chorus from the education establishment and the teacher’s union calling for the indefinite closure of our schools. Our kids cannot afford this. When schools closed this past spring, many students were left with irregular instruction, inadequate support systems and a lack of infrastructure to make virtual learning meaningful.

Too much is at stake to put students behind any further. According to a Brookings Institute study on the impacts of learning loss during COVID-19 school closures, “students may be nearly a full year behind in math compared to what we would observe in normal conditions.” This is unacceptable. Students will never be able to get this time back.

Benefits of kids in school outweigh health risks

The facts are clear. We can reopen our schools for students and find ways to keep our teachers and students safe. In a recent NBC Nightly News report, all five pediatricians interviewed agreed that the benefits of kids getting back in the classroom far outweigh the risks. Furthermore, they reported that kids only account for 2% of all novel coronavirus cases, and doctors do not expect this to significantly increase when schools reopen.

All of our schools are different and unique and have to make the best decisions for their local communities, but great strides have been taken to provide them with the resources they need to be fully operational for students. I voted in support of the CARES Act, which appropriated billions of dollars to K-12 education, colleges and universities.

In total, Arizona received $850 million to help with supporting students in both K-12 and higher education. These resources will provide schools support to purchase technology for hybrid instruction, personal protective equipment and other resources needed to bring kids back to school.

Parents should press school boards to act

Gov. Doug Ducey also took bold action in his June 24 executive order to give schools the regulatory and financial flexibility so schools could make the necessary decisions to get students back to learning without worrying about the impacts on their budgets.

As schools are making decisions about when students will be allowed back on campus, I encourage parents to contact their school district or charter school governing boards.

If your child goes to a district school, these individuals were elected and are accountable to you. You should make your voice heard. And when you reach out to them, let them know that you want options and that you want students back to school and back to learning!