The “Open Up SJUSD” movement is an effort to educate and advocate for our students of all ages and grades

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - There’s a new movement inside the San Juan Unified School District Community and it’s spreading like wildfire! After almost a year of no in person learning, parents, teachers, and students have come together to push back!  Parent organizers within the San Juan Unified School District inside Sacramento County are assembling at schools around the district and the District Office for a Sit-In Protest on February 23, 2021. Students will be zooming into their classes from the sidewalks in front of their schools. They will log-into their classes on time and continue to distant “learn” until their dismissed from class at lunch time. Lead parents will be at each Sit-IN site, will have critical data to distribute and available for further comment. 

The “Open Up SJUSD” movement is an effort to educate and advocate for our students of all ages and grades. Students mental health and academics are declining and as parents and teachers we have a responsibility to make it clear that we are no longer going to sit and watch the deterioration of our children continue. Classrooms need to be opened immediately for the physical and mental wellbeing of all children.  This is the second time we have assembled this month in our district and we are anticipating participation numbers throughout the district to overwhelmingly exceed the previous number of attendees.

Greg Russell, a parent of a student at Oakview Elementary school comments “I need a better answer to my daughter’s question- “Why can we go to Costco, but I can’t be at school with my teacher and friends?” What kind of message are we sending to our kids by ignoring data backed by scientific research in favor of following outdated models? They deserve for us to fight for their basic fundamental need- to be back in school, in person, indefinitely.” He goes on to comment “Why is our district so slow to follow guidance to start reopening schools when they were so quick to follow their advice to shut us down?”

Our Open Up SJUSD movement originally launched in July 2020 and has steadily increased in size, the group is now over 1,100 members strong. The lead administrator of the page, Keri Wannerses, has backing from the group in her efforts to recall the sitting school board members. Currently she is serving board members with The Notice of Intent and is confident that they will be served by the time of the Sit-In where petitions will begin circulation of the # of signatures needed. 

Below are some of our main concerns:

•              Learning Loss

•              Declining Attendance Revenues

•              District Transparency

•              Teachers Prioritized over Students

•              HS Drop Outs/Retention Rates

•              Mental Fatigue & Depression

SJUSD Parent & Teachers for In-School has recently collaborated with the EGUSD Parent Coalition and is now partnering with them and other Districts up and down the state to bring awareness, data and hopefully change. Our students are struggling and they deserve to be seen, be heard, and LEARN!