Students aren’t required to learn in-person

Gone are the Walter Cronkites of the world who strictly reported the news without cutting it short and twisting it to their point of view. We no longer have news media, but rather, political action organizations.

We are continually inundated with stories that are often incomplete. We are told that our governor is requiring students to physically attend classes at least part of the time and that we should be up in arms about this danger.

Just recently Gazette columnist Lyz Lenz states that 'Iowans are being required to send our kids to school in-person.” Nothing could be farther from the truth.

If these 'professional” reporters would research the actual proclamation by the Governor, they would find this:

'IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION: Section 1. Under Iowa law, 'in-person instruction is the presumed method of instruction” for all school districts and accredited non-public schools during the 2020-2021 school year ...

'Section 2. Pursuant 2020 Iowa Acts Chapter 1107 (Senate File 2310), section 15, subsection 1, I hereby authorize a brick-and-mortar school district or accredited non-public school to provide instruction primarily through remote-learning opportunities only in the following circumstances:

'A. Parental consent: If a parent or guardian voluntarily selects the remote learning opportunity from among multiple options provided by the school district or non-public school in accordance with its Return-to-Learn Plan.”

The final decision goes to the parents not the government.

Let us deal with facts and not lower ourselves to finger pointing or name calling.

Wayne Shannon

Vinton