Parents demand right to in person PTA

Parents push back to demand right to meet in person with their children's teachers, in response to a school's attempt to shut down PTA:

The parents are circulating a petition to all parents asking them to add their name the following letter ( spelling mistakes are in the original):

We the parents of Bnos Esther Malka request in person PTA in December 2020 to meet our daughters teachers.

The relationship between the teachers and parents are integral to the sucess of our daughters. A phone relationship does not give the parents and the teachers the ability to understand each other. There is little ability for nuance without seeing facial expressions.

As PTA is not the time to discuss real issues, but to give an overal summary of our daughters progress, phone conversations don't flow well and little information is learned. We have already spoken to the teachers over the phone and do not feel that significant information was shared and a rapport was not established.

When our daughters see that we take time and go out to their school, see their desk, their bulletin boards, projects and teachers, it gives them a sense of pride in their school, work, and class.

Lastly, any parent who is concerned about covid19 can have the option of a phone conversation at a mutually convenient time. Parents and teachers can sit far enough from each other and will be in contact for a short amount of time as to not contract covid. The PTA can be spread out over a few night to lessen the number of people in the school. The staff has been meeting with parents in school and PTA is not a differrent risk.

[Parents names redacted]