Thursday night’s North Penn School Board of Education action meeting began with a 45-minute period for public comment that remained civil and respectful, despite weeks of community discourse that often dipped into the opposite.
Before opening the public comment session, Board President Tina Stoll took a moment to make a statement with regard to all those who have contacted board members since the start of the school year, to voice frustration, sing the praises of teachers, lodge complaints, and vent frustrations.
“I want to thank them for reaching out to us…” Stoll said. “[The] constructive feedback is certainly appreciated.”
She also denounced those who have bullied and even threatened board members whom Stoll said are just trying to do their jobs and make the best decisions they can for students in the district.
“We do not find this behavior to be acceptable. It’s bullying, and it’s what we teach our children not to do,” Stoll said. “And the bottom line is, it’s just not helpful.”
Stoll urged anyone who has a comment, concern or question to reach out to the board anytime, by contacting them on npenn.org, and clicking on the School Board tab. She simply requested that any discussions remain respectful and constructive.
During the extended public comment session, many residents of the district, most of whom are parents of children currently in North Penn schools, expressed frustration about the current situation, in which students are going to school virtually, full-time, through at least Nov. 6 due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
“We need to learn to live with [the virus], while mitigating the risks,” said Owen Wilcox, of Hatfield. “The data supports in-person learning, so I urge this board to stop experimenting with the education of our children, and get them back in school.”
Sarah Periera, of Lansdale, has three kids in North Penn schools, and said as a healthcare worker, she’s seen first-hand what the virus does, but that the potential harm of having students remain isolated could be worse.
“My kindergartener has told me twice in the past two-and-a-half weeks of her virtual learning that it’s been the worst days of her life, because of her frustration, and that just makes me want to cry,” Periera said. “I’m scared for these kids because they are suffering with the social ramifications this is causing.”
Some parents, while recognizing the circumstances and feelings of others, said they still felt the current virtual situation is the safest thing for students and teachers, even though it’s far from ideal.
Shaykh Anwar Muhammad, of Lansdale, has a first-grader in North Penn, and said that the board needs to stand its ground and make decisions with the health and safety of students and employees being paramount.
“One child losing their life over this pandemic is too many. One teacher losing their life is too many,” Muhammad said. “I know this is difficult… we have never been though anything like this in our lifetime.”
“Yes, parents are going to have to do some things that they wouldn’t typically do,” Muhammad said. “The problem is people can have these complaints all they want, but the complaints are… they’re alive to have made these complaints.”
Eric Knobloch, of North Wales, said his two daughters have had positive experiences with virtual learning, and having received his Bachelors degree online through a distance-learning program, he believes this is a trend that will continue.
“Virtual learning is the future,” he said. “I think it’s something we need to accept, get used to, and just try to make it better, make it better for our kids, make it better for everybody involved.”
One thing both groups had in common, a comment that was ubiquitous among just about every person who spoke, was that North Penn’s teachers are to be commended for their efforts, despite the challenges of teaching virtually.
“I think the teachers are going to do a great job. They’re going to keep getting better,” Knobloch said. “You know with all the struggles that everybody’s having, this is the low point.”
“My comments are in no way a reflection of the teachers or support staff that are in the classes with these kids every day,” Wilcox said. “They’re doing an amazing job, despite being dealt a bad hand by this board.”
See also:
Editorial: North Penn Continues To Show It’s Up For Challenges Posed By COVID-19
North Penn School Board Avoids Furloughs, Votes To Reduce Hours For 600-Plus Employees
In A Split Vote, North Penn School Board Approves High School Fall Sports For Upcoming School Year
For The North Penn Marching Knights, The Band Will Play On
School Board Issues Statement Following Decision To Start School Year Virtual Only
