Washington parents, teachers weigh in on anxiety surrounding return to school

Parents across Washington have expressed uncertainty over their kids returning to in-person classes when school resumes this fall. KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula Show fielded calls from parents and teachers to get their opinions on whether they believe a full return is safe.

“I’m sure there’ll be increased anxiety the first couple weeks, but for us, it’s worth the risk for our kids’ social, emotional, and academic development,” said Tara, a Mercer Island mother.

“I am not ready for my kid to go back — I think there are too many things we haven’t taken into consideration; we just don’t know this virus works yet,” said Derek, a Camano Island dad.

Seattle teachers union: Plan for resuming classes in person is ‘reckless’

Teachers share those concerns as well, including Cece in Tacoma.

“I’m concerned about going back to school, because if we have kids or staff that come down with the virus, you might not be able to get a test right away, and you might not know what the turnaround might be,” she noted.

You can listen to all the full discussion and comments from parents and teachers here:

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.