Tri-Cities parents, teachers protest virtual learning at Open Our Schools Rally

About 30 educators, parents and students rallied in Pasco late Monday afternoon, demanding that kids be allowed back in classrooms.

The Open Our Schools Rally was organized by a Hanford High School paraeducator on the eve of the first day of the 2020-21 school year.

Tri-Cities public schools are starting Tuesday with virtual classes based on the recommendation of health officials because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relatively high rate of infection in Benton and Franklin counties.

But the handful of demonstrators, most of them without facial coverings, waved signs at passing cars at Road 68 and Burden Boulevard in protest of the reopening decision.

Tara Childs, a school librarian Barbara McClintock Elementary in Pasco, said that she feels the number of reported COVID-related deaths is overblown.

“Currently we do not have a pandemic. People are healthy in our community and kids should have a right to go to school if that is what’s best for their family,” she told the Herald.

Others were concerned about single parents and their ability to work and guide their children through at-home learning.

And some were worried about special needs children who are losing vital social interaction skills, they said.

“(I feel) helpless. I have no control over it. No say in what the school year looks like for her,” Brittany McLaughlin of Kennewick said about her daughter. “I really think it’s doing more harm than good by keeping our kids at home.”

Some members of the Chiawana High football team also showed up. “Our team is family. We need our team,” said Kevin Garcia, 15, of Pasco.

Organizer and paraeducator Krissa Peterson wrote on her Facebook post, “I think it is important for the schools to open. There are kids that need the safe place that school provides. We need our schools open. Not one kid in Washington state has died at least the last time I checked. We are now declining in COVID numbers every week ....”

But her post about the rally on the Facebook page for Parents for Partnership with Pasco Schools drew some sharp criticism.

“In addition to putting educators and staff at risk, I have a higher standard for the health of my child than ‘not dead.’ There are long-term health consequences of COVID-19 that we don’t know enough about yet,” said the comment.

Another person said, “I am glad that our school district is relying on the advice of health professionals rather than ‘patriots.’

This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 8:12 PM.