Tell us your biggest concerns about the upcoming school year (Sampling of

responses).

"Not being able to go back to work if school doesn’t open.”

"The lack of social distancing in classrooms and that DISD is solely relying on young children to
wear a mask all day long when that is not feasible. "

"My child getting sick, my child getting me/our family sick, my child's teachers getting
sick/dying."

"District’s lack of prep/training for virtual instruction. Very little engagement or learning took
place after the shut down — and it seems from what was revealed at the recent board mtg that
not much has been done to prepare and train teachers for a better virtual learning model to
emerge once school starts back up. Also, lack of trust regarding ability to keep kids and staff
safe once in-person has resumed later on. "

"-For their engagement and emotional connection, I’m concerned about my kids having their
own teachers or at least teachers from our campus, Dealey Montessori. -Too much screen time.
-Teacher/staff safety. Overburdening of teachers. -Compromising our children’s and our family’s
safety through the politicization of the pandemic. As well as the safety of our teachers/staff. "

"Children do not learn at home online monitored by parents as well as they do in a classroom
with a teacher. "

"Parents and students need stability. If we all start online I’d like it to stay online the first
semester. Then perhaps start in person the next semester."

"No in person school. Private schools are planning on in person, so should DISD"

"Not having in-person learning. I think the time away from the classroom is more detrimental to
our kids than the risk of sending them back. My kids have no underlying health conditions so I
do not fear sending them back in. "

"Our biggest concern is our daughters' health and safety if they are required to return to school
in person. We don't believe loss of academic instruction is worth the risk of exposure to
COVID19. As long as there is life and health, there will be an opportunity to catch up on
education, but without life and health, education will not be possible. "
"I checked send the boys to school, but that terrifies me. As a home with two working parents,
what do we do?!? It’s an impossible choice to make and quite frankly, I feel like I’m rolling the
dice with my children’s health. "

"My biggest concern is how strange it would seem to our children to attend school wearing
masks all day and sitting in acrylic cubicles, unable to really interact normally with peers and
teachers. It's unfortunate that they wouldn't be moving around to new environments throughout
the day or benefiting from the instruction of specials teachers. I believe the district is doing the
best that they can under the circumstances, but the circumstances are such that I would rather
just keep my kids home until school is back to some semblance of normal."

"The flu season will add a double whammy to the situation. Plexiglass dividers at the lunch table
will do no good. High school kids will make light of the situation and would likely not cooperate.
My soon-to-be 9th grade daughter is very much a hands on, hugger type. This scares me to
death. Opening up schools is going to create a nightmare."

"Not going to school. Kids not being socialized, falling behind, not being able to work because I
have to stay home with kids. "

"Moving the end of school till June 18. The district failed to prepare for online learning when
other districts and schools worked to get prepared. This interrupts next summer and my child
will not attend school in June. My family will have to enroll in private school, another district or
unenroll in May and enroll in another district to avoid truancy. DISD failure should not be
remedied by punishing families. "

"No one seems to be taking into account the fact that Dallas County infection rates are out of
control and far above the national average. We cannot simply offer our children up as guinea
pigs for this uncontrolled and ill-advised experiment. "

"We are a two parent working family. Having this kids at home and trying to supervise home
learning is a huge lift for working families. In addition, for the younger ages kids (I have a rising
1st grader) are very resistant to having their parents manage/oversee the learning process. I am
most concerned about figuring out a way to have in person school that is safe for students,
teachers and administrators, even if it means some reduced hours and changes. "

"Health and safety of teachers, staff, and kids. People who can't eat. People who are
quarantined with their abusers. Public schools not getting enough money. "

"Having a high risk parent, yet we want our child to be able to interact with friends and teachers.
Could they do week in person/week online so there would be less need for major deep clean
since the kid’s would be the same for a week? Working from home is extremely difficult with
children around and needing to educate them at the same time. I don’t want schools to lose
funding, but if we have to hire help for in home education or a parent has to take leave from
work, it’s a financial burden on families too. It’s a crazy time, and I understand we all have to
make changes to get through this. "

"Child and teacher safety. There are too many unknowns about this virus and if its host will
perish or have long time damage from it. In only 23 days the state of Texas has had 2095
people die. People’s actual lives should take priority over their social lives. Furthermore, there
will be plenty of time to catch children up if they are alive and healthy versus us taking a chance
and exposing them to a fatal illness. It took 99 days for the US to have its first million cases. It
only took 15 days for the US to go from 3 million to 4 million cases. How fast will it spread when
we bring hundreds of thousands of students and staff back? How many students and staffs’
funerals will you be willing to attend before you decide it is too many? For me it would be one. "

"Keeping my multi-aged children healthy while balancing their intense need for socialization!
We’ve been isolating almost completely since March 13th. This is unsustainable. As a single
parent, the stakes are pretty high. If COVID hits our family, it will be incredibly challenging to
care for myself, my 3rd grader, and my 3-yr-old simultaneously. My 3rd grader is brilliant and
out-going. Distance learning last year nearly broke us. I’m doing everything I can to preserve his
love of learning and his mental health. Thank you all for taking such a thoughtful approach to
the school year. I know there are no perfect solutions. I know everyone is doing their best. Good
luck to us all!"

"I want to ensure that my son will be taught online by teachers from his school, TAG Townview.
"

"Sped services. IEP accommodations, Dyslexia services and inclusion with aids. "

"We are considering all of the above as we monitor community transmission. I don't fault the
school district with their lack of prepardness. I fault the governor and the president for conflicting
messaging and guidance for the nation and states to prepare a response. "

"Poor leadership that reacts rather than initiates; the overhyped mess the media is perpetuating
to keep families fearful of returning to school; my kids’ missing out on the in-person school
experience; lack of face-to-face instruction; online TAG class quality; new AP subjects without
an in-person instructor; the decline of the PTA’s ability to perform at its best. "

"i was initially supportive of FTF learning but now i realize there are WAY too many factors to try
and control in order to keep kids and staff safe. I don’t have the support to do distance learning
because we both work but we are definitely changing our job commitments to support the
distance learning for as long as possible now. "