Houston Republic

Deer Park Independent School District career and technology teacher Melissa Martin is ready to return to her classrooms, and she wants her students there too.

Martin also serves as an adviser for the Family Career and Community Leaders of America, and she is a former adviser for the Texas Association of Future Educators.

“I believe schools need to be open for in-person education as soon as possible,” she told the Houston Republic. “The decision on when and how to open should be a local district decision. We elect school board members in each district who should collaborate with their communities to make decisions that best meet their needs.”

Human services teacher Melissa Martin | https://www.dpisd.org/

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agrees.

“Schools are an important part of the infrastructure of our communities, as they provide safe, supportive learning environments for students, employ teachers and other staff, and enable parents, guardians and caregivers to work,” the CDC announced online last month. “Schools also provide critical services that help meet the needs of children and families, especially those who are disadvantaged, through supporting the development of social and emotional skills, creating a safe environment for learning, identifying and addressing neglect and abuse, fulfilling nutritional needs and facilitating physical activity. School closure disrupts the delivery of in-person instruction and critical services to children and families, which has negative individual and societal ramifications.”

As for the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the CDC is of the opinion that standard safety protocols should provide enough protection to allow for in-school learning.

“The best available evidence from countries that have opened schools indicates that COVID-19 poses low risks to school-age children, at least in areas with low community transmission, and suggests that children are unlikely to be major drivers of the spread of the virus. Reopening schools creates opportunity to invest in the education, well-being and future of one of America’s greatest assets — our children — while taking every precaution to protect students, teachers, staff and all their families.”

Deer Park has announced that it will not provide in-person education to start the school year.

“Our district is starting with virtual instruction for the first four weeks, and remote learning begins Aug. 19,” Martin said. “As conditions are changing, our district’s plan is also fluid. I believe the most important factor is community needs. These needs include both safety as well as education of our children.

“The risks of keeping our buildings closed to children include cognitive deficits as well as mental health issues,” Martin continued. “Those two issues are my biggest concern as we can’t deny that remote learning isn’t as effective as having students and teachers together. Additionally, the CDC has noted the risks our students face for mental health problems amid isolation. I’m hopeful that the surrounding districts that are bringing students back into their buildings are successful so they can serve as a model for the rest of us.”

Martin is a board member and treasurer of Innovative Teachers of Texas, a nonprofit, non-union organization created to give Texas teachers a choice in their professional representation. She was previously appointed to the Texas Commission on Public School Finance. 

Martin currently serves as a board member for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, a post she was appointed to by Gov. Greg Abbot. She received a bachelor of science degree in family and consumer science and a master of education in education administration from Lamar University.

Deciding if a child is safe at school is not just a theoretical discussion for Martin.

“I do have a child who desires to and will be attending in-person instruction at our high school as soon as we are open to students,” she said. “I trust that my colleagues will be responsible, and our district has a plan which will keep us safe.”

Innovative Teachers of Texas is the only teacher organization in Texas that believes school re-openings should be decided on the local level by parents and teachers. To learn more about Innovative Teachers of Texas, click on this link.