Parents rally for more in-person learning outside Maine Legislature meeting

Some Maine parents are continuing to push for five days of in-person learning for students.

Tuesday night, some of them held a rally outside of the Augusta Civic Center, where the Maine Legislature is meeting.

Parents who were at the rally say their kids are struggling with remote learning, and that the education isn’t as great as it was during in-person learning.

The protest for “Back to Five” outside the Augusta Civic Center just ended. Organizers say they hope they’re sending a message loud and clear to legislators, that in person education should be prioritized. pic.twitter.com/fLh6l5o4ld

— Taylor Cairns (@TaylorWGME) March 30, 2021

The Maine Department of Education says all schools that could reopen to fully in-person learning safely have done so, and that they are doing what they can to help kids struggling with remote learning.

“We continue to hear that there are no studies that show it would be safe to put kids closer than the three-foot recommendation,” Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin said.

“I have two kindergartners at home,” South Portland parent Laura Foss said. “I think it’s a lot of screen time with not a lot of instruction.”