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Monroe teachers protest district's plans to bring first-graders back to classrooms

Monroe school district teachers say it's too soon for in-person learning. Administrators say they're following the guidance of county health officials.

MONROE, Wash. — Teachers in the Monroe School District are urging administrators to halt plans to bring first graders back to their classrooms next week as COVID-19 cases soar.

“We all want our kids back in school. We miss our students so much and we know we need to be back in buildings, but we can't do it until it's safe,” said Robyn Hayashi, a sixth grade social studies teacher and president of the Monroe Education Association.

Teachers held a drive-in rally at district headquarters on Monday evening, honking and chanting while the school board met virtually.

“We are the frontline people, we know what works in classrooms with kids and what doesn't work,” Hayashi said.

The district plans to bring first-graders back to classrooms for a mix of in-person and at-home learning starting next Monday.

RELATED: Rising COVID cases delays return to many Washington classrooms

Monroe School District administrators say they're just following guidance from the Snohomish Health District, which recommends limited in-person learning for younger students, even as COVID cases rise.

“We will be best when we have students in front of us,” said superintendent Dr. Justin Blasko during Monday’s board meeting.

The district said it's also leaning on research which shows schools can safely bring back small groups of students when there are strict safety measures like distancing, masking, and handwashing.

“We care about our students, we care about our staff, we are trying to make the best decisions at this point for our community, for our students, and to continue to progress our kids moving forward,” Blasko said.

Teachers said they have not been included in the decision-making process, and think the district needs to slow down.

“It is absolutely too soon,” Hayashi said.

The district said it'll monitor how this next phase of in-person learning goes before making any further decisions on whether to bring more kids back to classrooms in the coming months.

RELATED: Washington schools could limit COVID testing with countermeasures, report finds

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