COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — Monday morning, in front of Collierville High School, dozens of parents and students urged the district reconsider and return to an all, in-person learning model this fall.
"Given the taxes that we pay and everything else we have done to support our school district, they need to work for us," Collierville Schools parent Anne Calderwood said.
"We need the five-day," Collierville Schools parent Brett Buckhold said.
Those in the group argued the district's decision this past Friday to switch to a hybrid virtual and in-person learning model puts many working parents in a bind.
"They are literally going to have to choose between, you know, putting food on the table, paying the mortgage, and trying to somehow, untrained, home educate their children," Buckhold said.
A district spokesperson said the change came after new national recommendations on classroom social distancing and the rising numbers of local COVID-19 cases, including three district students and one teacher to date.
About Monday's presentation, that spokesperson said, "we take parents feedback seriously as we also look at other variables, such as guidance from the Shelby County Health Department."
The district also pointed to a recent parent survey, which asked, 'If health guidelines and/or health agencies prevent schools from returning at full capacity in August, which do you prefer?', which 81% voted for a hybrid model versus five-day a week remote learning.