Letters to the Editor: L.A. is dragging its feet on reopening schools. That’s abhorrent

To the editor: Parents in Los Angeles County have been left in the dark on education, so I thank reporter Howard Blume for his explanatory piece on reopening schools.

The fact that L.A. County is imposing reopening restrictions on itself beyond what the state is requiring is abhorrent. Since the state has allowed counties to consider waivers on allowing in-person classes up to the sixth grade, why are children in L.A. County being held hostage?

A whole generation of children is being required to stare at screens most of the day because employee unions are given control over whether a school district reopens. This does not serve the needs of children. It is as if we are just handing computers to small children because no one wants to be bothered with the labor of making changes to accommodate classes during the pandemic.

Our children deserve better.

Karleen Basch, Los Angeles

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To the editor: I’ve seen the signs and heard the yelling since the beginning of the pandemic that “this is a scam,” and now I’m wondering just what that scam might actually be.

Aside from removing the chance of infecting children and staff, there is nothing to be gained by a school district refusing to open. On the contrary, it would be much easier and much less expensive to just bring everyone back and continue as if nothing is going to happen.

That is, it’s easier until the district becomes ground zero for transmission of the virus from the schools to the community, as the science and experiences elsewhere have shown.

The children and the community are not well served by bringing them back to an environment that is not adequately prepared and does not have the protocols in place needed to protect them.

Martin Wauson, Anaheim