Sac City Teachers, District Still At Odds Over Distance Learning Plan

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento City Unified schools are already underway, but the teachers union and district still are at odds over distance learning.

This comes as the full distance learning schedule starts on Tuesday.

"It's a little tough. We are going this way and that way," said parent Junior Goris.

It's been a busy first few days for Goris. He has three kids in different school districts, including one in Sac City Unified. He calls the impasse over the screen time part of distance learning disheartening.

"I think they should say, 'This is the hours, this is the plan, let's go,'" said Goris.

READ: Homeschool Community Helping Parents Struggling With Distance Learning

The district decided to move forward over the weekend to provide direction and sent a cease and desist letter to the teachers union, asking members to stop ignoring their plan, saying it is an attempt to create confusion for students and families.

District superintendent Jorge Aguilar slammed teachers Monday for refusing to accept the new instruction plan.

"That is going to create confusion and inconsistency, we cannot have alternative schedules across the district," District Superintendent Jorge Aguilar said. "We have an obligation to our families, they have a constitutional right to a free and public education and we take that very seriously."

The SCTA says there should not be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to screen time and recording, given the individual needs of the 42,000 students there.

"The district is trying to intimidate teachers into not implementing our agreed-upon schedule and plan," said David Fisher, a representative for the Sacramento City Teachers Association.

"There was no plan presented by the district to work with students who have issues," said teacher Preston Jackson.

Speech pathologist Erin Macy says the district's plan goes against what research shows for screen time and brain development.

"We cannot support a plan that puts our six, seven and eight-year-olds on Zoom for 185 minutes for three or more hours a day," said Macy.

ALSO: Sacramento City Unified First Day Starts With Technical Difficulties, Ends Successfully

Christina Croshal, who is both a parent and teacher in an outside district, agrees.

"They want my kindergartner sitting on a Zoom from 9 to 1 p.m., which is longer than he would sit in class," she said.

Goris says a solution cannot happen soon enough.

"We are the quarterback on the field, the teachers and the district are calling the plays and one coach is calling one play and one coach is calling another play - so what do we do? How we gonna win the championship?" Goris said.