Governor Kim Reynolds has instituted a plan in which Iowa students have two choices for third-trimester attendance: 100% in-person school or 100% online. The hybrid option, which was a very comfortable middle ground for many students, is eliminated by this plan. Unfortunately, it isn’t safe for students, their families, or teachers. The institution of 100% in-person school will harm Iowa families. 

There’s a reason the hybrid plan was popular among students; The combination of in-person and asynchronous work struck a vital balance between getting to go to school, not only for the sake of education but for that classical high school experience. While obviously imperfect, the hybrid plan worked, and it worked safely. Now, many students are being forced into a decision where neither option works for them. 

Many hybrid students chose the hybrid plan because they understandably had trouble with online learning. When learning online, it’s truly hard to find the motivation to finish assignments on time and to be held accountable to do so. The hybrid plan let students choose what was best for them while being relatively safe. Now, students have to choose between two extremes; Either an unsafe learning environment or an education system that doesn’t work for them. 

Governor Reynolds is knowingly putting student’s health and education at risk by instituting this new policy. Schools had developed a system that worked for almost everyone, and now it is being thrown in the trash. Students, teachers, and their families will get sick, and Governor Reynolds will be directly responsible.