west u's complaint

West U parents protest online learning for 2020-21 school year

West U parents aren't happy about kids learning at home.

Photo courtesy of Pixlr

The Houston Independent School District recently announced that students will return to school in the fall, but via virtual classes. Some parents in West University aren't happy about that decision.

"Let's try this out. Hopefully, this isn't going to last very long. If things improve, there will be some opportunities for back to face-to-face learning. We'll see how it goes," Lydia Zatopek with Harris County Department of Education says.

A group of parents at West University Elementary School believe that's counterproductive, and their little ones need to learn in person.

"Children thrive from social interaction, learning from their peers, competing with their peers, comparing themselves to their peers, putting on clothes and presenting themselves, and learning manners each day inside the classroom," local mother, Christine Flood, says.

Flood and her neighbors plan to have a Red Apple protest on July 27 to make their voices heard.

While they understand the seriousness of COVID-19, they feel like there shouldn't be a "one-size fits all" plan.

"A month ago, there was a forum where it was a consensus that we would have more than just one option of only virtual learning. That there would be more options of in-person learning," Flood continues.

Harris County Department of Education said, for the sake of our children, parents and teachers have to make the best of it.

"They didn't sign up to be fully online, but that's unfortunately the situation that we're living in. Hopefully, it's not permanent. We know that. It's going to end eventually," Zatopek says.

Flood said there's no time to wait, and there's risk factors with every job.

"Virtual teaching is only half the job, so it will only be half the pay or less because parents are giving up their time that could be spent otherwise at work."

Red Apple organizers say they will continue to protest each Monday at West University Elementary School at 8 am until their request is taken seriously or HISD reverses its decision.

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For more on this story, including video, visit our news partner, ABC13.

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Legislative news

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues last-minute veto of bill banning THC

The THC limit in medical cannabis products is also increasing.

Photo courtesy of TOCC

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill Sunday to ban all THC consumables, allowing the booming market flush with THC-infused vapes, gummies and other products to continue to be sold across the state.

Abbott, a Republican, waited until the final moment to veto the bill in what would have been one of the most restrictive THC bans in the country and a significant blow to the state’s billion-dollar industry.

The law would have made it a misdemeanor to own, manufacture, or sell consumable THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, products and was the latest push by states to regulate THC after a 2018 federal law allowed states to regulate hemp, a similar plant to marijuana that can be synthetically processed to produce THC, the compound giving marijuana its psychoactive properties.

Loopholes in existing law have allowed many THC-infused goods to enter the market across the country, including states with strict marijuana laws.

Texas has some of the strictest marijuana laws in the country, prohibiting all recreational use and providing a limited medical marijuana program. The consumables market has allowed residents to legally access goods giving a similar high to marijuana.

Republican lawmakers have criticized the products as dangerous due to a lack of federal oversight in how the goods are manufactured. Texas’ ban is one of the more far-reaching among states that have taken similar steps. Several states, including California, have imposed age limits and restrictions on the potency of THC products.

Critics of the Texas bill say it allows people who cannot access marijuana through the state’s medical marijuana program to acquire goods that can provide a similar relief. Many retailers across the state also pointed to the thousands of jobs and millions in revenue the industry brings each year.

Last year, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have put age restrictions on THC consumables, claiming it would hurt small businesses.

cannabis politics