D.C. public school students plan to walk out from classrooms Tuesday calling for improved health protocols and a more flexible virtual learning policy amid a COVID-19 surge.
In the week since it formed, Students for Safe Learning — which describes itself as a group of District students acting to safeguard their own health — has used Twitter and Instagram to muster support for a walkout from classes at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday.
“We aren’t just kids talking to talk. We know that we have to advocate for ourselves and families,” the group said on Twitter. “There’s so much stress that comes with not knowing if you’re bringing something home to your family and friends. It all takes a toll on our mental health.”
The plan calls for students to leave classrooms en masse before a virtual rally set for Tuesday afternoon — in an Instagram post, organizers said they had forgone a physical march and rally to avoid overcrowding.
Online flyers asked students to wear red during the walkout and sought support from parents and teachers, while encouraging participants to share images of the walkout on social media and contact D.C. officials to explain their reasons for protesting.
Their demands include a temporary pivot back to virtual learning until the omicron surge eases off, and a virtual option for all families who choose it — DCPS currently limits remote instruction to students who meet certain medical requirements.
Students for Safe Learning also calls for the weekly testing of all students and staff, free KN95 or N95 mask distribution in schools, better classroom ventilation, safer meal spaces and the reinstatement of regular deep cleanings — measures organizers see as important in ensuring the safety of themselves and their families.
Thousands of high school students across the country, including at public schools in Oakland, Denver and Chicago, have taken part in walkouts for safer classrooms ever since infections set new pandemic-wide records earlier this month.
Tuesday’s D.C. walkout also comes less than a week after students in neighboring Montgomery County held a similar action pressuring local officials to go virtual due to surging cases. A major shortage of drivers led the Maryland county to request National Guard assistance to bolster school bus service.
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