Parent Group Wants Pasadena Schools To Reopen Fully

PASADENA, CA — A group of Pasadena parents wants the city's school district to return to full-time on-campus learning when classes resume in the fall, according to Spectrum News.

A group calling itself "Open PUSD Schools" sent a letter to the Pasadena Unified School District and the United Teachers of Pasadena urging a return of full in-person instruction during the 2021-'22 school year.

Group member Corey Hegger told Spectrum it’s been tough juggling working from home while also making sure her three sons get their school work done through hybrid learning, in which students use a mix of online and in-person instruction.

“It’s nonstop. Every day, I’m on one of them,” she said. “I get one of them on track, and the other one, the wheels have come off on the other one. So it’s just constant work for me.”

Pasadena Unified phased in a hybrid learning model for students in April after spending much of last year doing online distance learning because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Classrooms are limited to a maximum of 14 students, and desks are spaced out at least 6 feet from each other, according to the district. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended spacing desks at least 3 feet apart.

“Our [memorandum of understanding] with our labor partners is based on a 6-foot guideline, so we will honor this planning for the remaining months of school,” the district said.

Neither the district nor the teachers union has responded to the parents letter, according to Spectrum News. Patch reached out to the organizations for comment.