AN OPINION 

Who knew that tragedy could hold a little silver lining. 

Over 300 days ago, the nation, Ohio and the little community of Tallmadge were all shut down in the blink of an eye. As the Covid-19 virus swept the nation, online learning became the “norm” for millions of students. As we could all probably conclude, it was not the most effective way to continue education. 

However, in August of 2020, Tallmadge High School returned to a hybrid in-person learning system.  The school was divided in two, and students attended class every other day. On days off, students had assignments to complete but were never mandated to attend online classes. 

Although the lack of routine and daily schedules left some students estranged from their usual learning processes, the hybrid schedule has benefited other students in a multitude of ways. 

Personally, as an honors student, three-sport athlete, community volunteer and teenage girl, time management is something that molds my day to day. With more opportunities on remote days to sleep, complete schoolwork, and decompress, my mental health, physical health, and grades have drastically improved. I support the hybrid schedule for the remainder of the school year because although on March 13th, 2020, our world was turned upside down by a global pandemic, myself and others now have the time to not only enjoy but thrive in our daily academic and personal endeavors. 

When arguing for a five-day school week, one must not forget about the factors that led the district to the hybrid learning schedule in the first place.  

 “It seems like there are still lots of people at school catching the virus, and even though teachers will have had the vaccine, students will not.  I just don’t think it’s worth the risk of infecting kids and their families.  I think we should stick with the hybrid schedule because it has been pretty effective at limiting the number of people at the school who get the virus,” senior Claudia Palmer said. 

Social distancing is still heavily enforced and mandated through the State. However, with the new plan to return to school, Tallmadge is allowing students to sit three feet away instead of six. Overall, with teachers being vaccinated and cases going down slightly, a still very real threat is being downsized in return for only a couple more days in the classroom a week. 

So, as this extraordinary school year is slowly coming to an end, the responsibility to keep students of all grades happy, thriving, and in good health, should be taken with the highest concern. 

If you think students should remain on the hybrid schedule for the rest of the semester, email or talk to Superintendent Steve Wood with your opinions. Speaking up can help ensure our students remain in a beneficial and safe environment for the rest of the year. 

For more information regarding this topic, please watch Broadcast Editor Jackson Queen’s interview with Superintendent Steve Wood at the link below.  The live interview took place Feb. 26 and is content on the Tallmadge Schools Broadcast YouTube channel.

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