After a teachers union failed to halt reopening, CPS starts in-person classes

BY ERIN ALBRIGHT, Staff Writer

Despite failed legal action by a Cincinnati teachers’ union, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) have reopened in a hybrid format. Students attend class in-person some days and online others.  Union president Julie Sellers said that internal polling showed that 80% of Cincinnati teachers felt uncomfortable with the COVID-19 precautions for their in-person learning spaces. 

“We are disappointed the Board of Education and Superintendent (Laura) Mitchell refused to seek input from teachers about when and how to reopen schools safely, even as Hamilton County remains rated ‘red’ on Ohio’s COVID rating,” Sellers said. 

We asked Xavier students if they believe this is safe for the teachers, students and faculty of CPS.

“They should go in person. My high school is in person now, and I think most kids do better from an in-person setting. Being safe and social distancing can keep the school open.”

“I do think  Cincinnati Public Schools should reopen because (they provide) kids a better learning and social experience. It is important to maintain a sense of normalcy. They should be able to interact with their peers at school.”

“I don’t think Cincinnati public schools should reopen. While learning online is not the easiest task to ask a student, with the unpredictable weather and the COVID-19 virus on the rise still it would still be unsafe for the students and their families.”

“I don’t think they should reopen in person. I don’t think it is safe enough to put a bunch of children together like that, especially when… you most likely will not be able to tell when a child is sick or not with the coronavirus. You make standards and guidelines for how schools react, but at the end of the day, are you really going to be able to control all these kids? 

“I definitely think they need to be in-person… God forbid, if there is poverty or disruption in the home, I think that’s really important to consider. But I don’t think it should be all at once, everybody in-person. There should definitely be some integration with the public school system, not even just here but all over the country. At the same time, Cincinnati, the whole country, you name it, staying in helps keep this virus under control.”