Prince William County teachers hold school reopening protest

Teachers hold school reopening protest

In Northern Virginia, we’re learning more about what teachers in Prince William County say needs to happen before they’ll feel comfortable returning to the classroom.

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A protest took place in northern Virginia Wednesday with members of the Prince William County Teachers' Union making their voices heard about what needs to happen before they’ll feel comfortable returning to the classroom.

The demonstration via caravan took place ahead of Wednesday night’s school board meeting where the superintendent was scheduled to unveil the results of a parent survey on how many want their kids to go back next month.

Demonstrators are hoping to get the board's attention by protesting. The plan included driving to the school board meeting at the Kelly Leadership Center, which is about five minutes away.

The county’s education association held town hall meetings earlier in the week to express concerns about members returning to the classroom. They’re advocating for continued virtual learning saying they don’t think it’s safe to return to the classroom.

Prince William County has a pretty aggressive plan to return to school, with 50 percent capacity in-person classes currently planned to start for all grade levels on November 10.

FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis spoke with a parent off-camera who says she did select the in-person instruction option, but now she’s having doubts — she said very little information has been released about the district’s plan and how they will address potential COVID-19 outbreaks on campus.

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Late Wednesday, FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis reported that Superintendent Dr. Steve Walts is now recommending a phase-in for Pre-K through third grade beginning Nov. 10. This is a shift from the initial plan for all grades to return to the classroom at 50 percent capacity.