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School board member speaks out against return to classroom
A Cobb County School Board member is speaking out the district's plan to return to face-to-face learning at the end of the month.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A Cobb County School Board member believes it might be time to rethink sending children back into the classrooms as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
School board member Dr. Jaha Howard said educators are coming to him scared they might get sick.
"They are scared. They are scared and we have to take them seriously," Dr. Jaha Howard said.
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Dr. Howard believes it might be time to rethink sending kids back inside the classroom.
"My concern is not just for children but the educators and staff. We have already lost one of our educators, Patrick Key. We have others that have been in the ICU," Dr. Howard said.
Key died Christmas Day after his battle with the virus. Key is one of several Cobb County educators that became sick.
According to the Cobb County Schools website, the semester is set to start Wednesday, January 6 with those students that signed up for face-to-face learning to return Thursday.
"I’m encouraging my fellow board members and superintendent to look at a delay in opening up face-to-face option until our numbers come down significantly in Cobb County," Howard said.
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Atlanta and DeKalb County are set to phase-in in-person learning at the end of the month.
Dr. Howard said he wasn’t sure if he felt Cobb County Schools were ready to welcome back students.
"I don’t know. As a leadership team, we don’t talk much about it and it’s a shame. Our families deserve better and more transparency and communication," Dr. Howard said.
The Cobb County School Board is set to meet Thursday.
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