After a year of online schooling, students of the Glendale Unified School District had the option to attend classes on campus beginning on different starting dates depending on their grade level. Students in grades TK-2 returned for in-person learning on Monday, March 29, students in Grades 3-6 returned on Monday, April 5, and finally middle and high school students returned on Monday, April 26.
Despite the move to in-person learning, this decision was overall a mistake, and many students decided to finish their year at home for several reasons.
First off, students are used to the format of online learning. Since a year has passed, students have adjusted their schedules to align with the one we previously had for remote learning. Because of this, it is going to be really difficult for them to adapt to a brand new schedule this late in the year.
Another reason why we should have kept to our at-home schedule is because there is only a little over a month left until the end of the school year. There was no point to open up schools to students with such a short time left. A better idea would have been to wait until the next school year, in order to better prepare for the opening of schools.
Finally, the protocols set in place are also a big factor as to why most students, including myself, did not sign up to return to campus. For example, students are still receiving their instruction via Zoom, but students in classrooms still must log on to this platform during class time. It is the same distance-learning procedure, just at a different location. Therefore, a majority of students prefer entering class from their homes, since this allows them to manage their time better.
Therefore, this return to campus was a poorly conceived idea. Nonetheless, I wish everyone good luck regardless of their decision and hopefully the best is still ahead.
