By Sophia Birner
More than 93,000 students enrolled in Denver Public Schools will not be attending in-person classes until mid-October at the earliest due to the coronavirus Pandemic. DPS had announced in early July that school would start a week later than planned, with only remote learning for the first two weeks.
Susana Cordova, superintendent, said on a live online news conference, “DPS is working to ensure a robust, remote learning for all of our students,” and that DPS expects to begin in-person learning later on in the year.
The decision is based on directions from the World Health Organization and the percentage of positive tests for COVID-19 in Colorado. The superintendent said she is working to send high-priority students back to school before October.
Clint Johnson says he is worried about the education of his three children in the next year due to the coronavirus.
Johnson’s children are enrolled in Denver Public Schools. One of his children has Dyslexia and needs extra help at school. Johnson and his wife, Sarah, have full-time jobs and do not have a babysitter or nanny to help with their children.
“Schooling and education should be the main priority and it is unacceptable and inexcusable that so many children will not be going back to school in the fall,” Johnson said. “Many parents cannot take care of and teach their children every day because of their jobs.”
Susan Kneup teaches math at Denver East High School and says she is worried about the health of teachers at schools in the fall.
Knuep has taught high schoolers for over ten years. She is in her early 70s with Asthma, putting her at a higher risk for getting the virus.
“I think more people need to consider not only the health of the children at school but also the teachers who could be more susceptible to getting the virus,” Kneup said. “I think Susan Cordova made a smart and considerate choice to push the start of in-person learning to October.”