MUSD Board president: 'Allow students to come back daily'

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The head of the Menifee Teachers Association said she is surveying members for their opinions after the president of the Menifee Union School District Board this week urged the district to bring students back on campus “on a daily basis.”

“My own kids are going back to school here in Menifee and they have reported that they are somehow so much more productive now that they are in school," said school board President Jackie Johansen, a teacher outside MUSD and a mother of five, during Tuesday’s board meeting. “We have also seen school districts in our neighboring cities recently allow students back to class at all hybrid scheduled times.

“I’m asking our district employees to do the same, to allow our students to come back to school daily. As a board member elected to represent the voice of the community on behalf of the students, I can’t ignore the pleas of our community for more in-person time.”

Because Johansen’s comments were made during her regular report and the specific topic wasn’t on the agenda, it was not appropriate for district officials to respond during the meeting. But Shelli Sullivan, president of the Menifee Teachers Association, told Menifee 24/7 the next day that she is surveying union membership to determine the majority feeling about increasing in-person instruction.

Early this month, MUSD welcomed back students who chose the hybrid option, but only two days a week. Half the hybrid students attend class two days a week and the other half on another two days, with everyone remaining in distance learning on Wednesdays. At the time, district officials reported that 55 percent of students wanted to return to school in a hybrid format and 45 percent wanted to remain in distance learning.

As a result, teachers have been juggling the duties of teaching one-half of the hybrid students part of the week, the other half in another part of the week, and distance learners full-time. Since then, state guidelines have reduced the required social distance between desks from 6 feet to 3 feet, making it more practical to consider having all the hybrid students in class at one time.

Last week, Romoland School District announced a plan to do just what Johansen is requesting for MUSD, beginning on Monday.

“Despite all the shortcomings of the hybrid schedule, over half of our students returned to campus [two days a week],” Johansen said. “Even more impressive is the fact that we saw an unprecedented – since I’ve been here – total of 26 students returning to our district in a single week after we returned to in-person learning.

“By physically showing up for school, our students and parents have voted for more in-person time with their teachers. I believe that teachers understand this input, and that’s why it’s no surprise to me that that many teachers have expressed interest in combining hybrid cohorts.”

Sullivan said she could not accurately assess the feelings of teachers until her survey of MTA members is completed.

MUSD Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Root didn’t give a direct answer when asked if she planned a response to Johansen or whether she believed that the many teachers wanted more students back in the classroom for the majority of the week.

“Throughout the year, and currently we have, and are, engaged in open dialogue with our union partners to determine the best options for providing instruction to our children,” Root said in an email to Menifee 24/7. “We have had a number of committees and teams that have established priorities as well as provided input and feedback on our reopening plans.

“All relevant information to reopening will continue to be shared via these presentations and the presentations are posted on our district and school site websites to ensure that all of our stakeholders have a convenient location to access the most up-to-date information.”

Asked whether she believed a combination of both hybrid groups could be safety seated now that restrictions have been somewhat loosened, Root provided the following response:

“Guidance provided to the schools has allowed for students in the classrooms to be seated 3 feet from each other. In order to determine whether or not everyone could come back in every classroom would necessitate us to restore desks in the rooms and measure appropriately.”

Johansen says the time has come.

“While we know that some students have thrived in digital learning, we also know that physical distance matters for some learners,” Johansen said. “I know there will be those that will want to run this model for the next few weeks until the school year ends. They would rather not make one more change. As a parent, a school board member and a teacher, I have experienced nothing but change the last year, but our kids are worth it.

“Additionally, by utilizing existing schedules, I hope that this decreases the workload for our adults. Instead of worrying about hybrid group A, hybrid group B and distance kids, this change would allow teachers to plan for just one hybrid group and then their distance learners. It’s an amazing savings in time and will result in a much-needed change for the kids. I urge the district staff, employees and elected board members to work together to increase access for in-person instruction.”