AP

Families despair over post-holiday return to remote learning

Jan 6, 2022, 11:00 PM | Updated: Jan 9, 2022, 3:43 am

DETROIT (AP) — Parent Latonya Peterson sums up her frustration over Detroit schools returning — at least temporarily — to virtual learning in three short words: “I hate it.”

Facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Detroit district this week joined a growing number of others in moving classes online after the winter break. The shift involving 50,000 students once again leaves parents juggling home and work schedules around the educational needs of their children.

A single parent who works more than 60 hours each week at two jobs, Peterson sometimes had to miss work to help her teenage son during more than a year of online learning.

“I will have to take time off, but I’m looking at how long this is going to last. You only get so many off days and so many paid time off days,” Peterson said Wednesday, a day after the district announced that students would resume classes at home with laptops through at least Jan. 14.

The vast majority of U.S. districts appear to be returning to in-person learning, but other large school systems including those in Newark, New Jersey, Milwaukee and Cleveland have gone back to remote learning as infections soar and sideline staff members. Dozens of smaller districts have followed, including many around Detroit, Chicago and Washington.

The disruptions also raise alarms about risks to students. Long stretches of remote learning over the last two years have taken a toll, leaving many kids with academic and mental health setbacks that experts are still trying to understand.

President Joe Biden, who campaigned on a promise to reopen classrooms, is pressing schools to remain open. With vaccines and regular virus testing, his administration has said there’s no reason to keep schools closed.

“Look, we have no reason to think at this point that omicron is worse for children than previous variants,” Biden told reporters on Tuesday. “We know that our kids can be safe when in school.”

But the reality for some districts is not so simple: Testing supplies have been scarce, and many districts face low vaccine uptake in their communities. In Detroit, just 44% of residents 5 and older have received a vaccine dose, compared with a statewide rate of 63%.

In a letter to parents, Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said that in light of low vaccination rates among students and families, a return to the classroom would lead to “extreme levels of positive cases.”

“The only way we’re going to get to the other side of this pandemic is if we move to higher rates of vaccination,” Vitti said.

The closures are often driven by waves of teachers calling in sick. More than a third of Philadelphia’s 216 public schools have switched to remote learning through at least Friday, drawing an outcry from families that were given little time to prepare.

On Friday, Chicago students remained out of school for a third straight day after school leaders failed to reach an agreement with the teachers union over virus safety protocols. The union wants to revert to remote instruction because of the infection surge.

In Detroit, both Peterson and her son, Joshua Jackson, 16, are vaccinated. Joshua would rather stay in-person and said it was more difficult for him to focus in a virtual classroom.

“I feel like I learned less,” the high school junior said. “I’m worried that we won’t go back to class. They (the district) did it before and said it only would be a short while. It turned out to be the whole school year.”

Officials in districts that are returning to online instruction insist the move is only temporary, with most intending to go back to in-person classes within a week or two. As infections reach record levels in some areas, some parents say it’s the right move.

Nicole Berry’s three children returned to Detroit classrooms last fall, but she has been keeping them home since she caught COVID-19 herself around Thanksgiving and got scared. Detroit gives families the option of full-time remote learning.

Berry, 48, juggles teaching them on her own while also working more than 40 hours per week.

“My children weren’t going back anyway. I’d already made the decision,” she said.

But this week’s return to virtual learning could have gone better for them. The school-supplied laptops she received earlier for her two youngest children are at their father’s home, who she said was in the hospital.

Berry said Friday afternoon that the district would not replace the two devices until the others were returned.

Her eldest son has been using the laptop he initially received from the district. Another son has been using his cellphone to access classes.

As far as her third son missing school, Berry says he “has an extended vacation.”

“I’m not even concerned about it. I will get them tablets when I can,” she added.

In Chicago, Jennifer Baez said she hopes the district will allow remote learning until the surge slows down. She and one of her sons got sick recently with COVID-19. She is not certain her kids will keep their masks on or that other precautions are in place.

Baez works remotely as a legal secretary. Because of her youngest son’s developmental delays, she is forced to sit with him for much of the school day in his general education classes, where he typically has a classroom aide.

“You just kind of learn to roll with the punches. I feel like as a mother we adapt,” Baez said. “If I got to be a lunch lady and a gym teacher and whatever else on top of my law office job, we just do it. Same way we’ve been doing it since 2020.”

___

Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Chicago and Collin Binkley in Boston contributed to this story.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Republican presidential candidates, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, talking with forme...

Associated Press

The GOP debate field was asked about Trump. But most of the stage’s attacks focused on Nikki Haley

The four Republican presidential candidates debating Wednesday night mostly targeted each other instead of Donald Trump.

2 days ago

Law enforcement officers head into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus after reports of an ...

Associated Press

Police say 3 dead, fourth wounded and shooter also dead in University of Nevada, Las Vegas attack

Police said a suspect was found dead Wednesday as officers responded to an active shooter and reports of multiple victims at UNLV.

2 days ago

President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, leaves after a court appearance, July 26, 2023, in Wilming...

Associated Press

Republicans threaten contempt proceedings if Hunter Biden refuses to appear for deposition

House Republicans are threatening to hold Hunter Biden in contempt if he does not show up this month for a closed-door deposition.

2 days ago

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., listens to a question during a news conference, March 30, 2022, in W...

Associated Press

Tuberville is ending blockade of most military nominees, clearing way for hundreds to be approved

Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced Tuesday that he's ending his blockade of hundreds of military promotions, following heavy criticism.

3 days ago

An employee works inside the Hanwha Qcells Solar plant on Oct. 16, 2023, in Dalton, Ga. On Tuesday,...

Associated Press

US job openings fall to lowest level since March 2021 as labor market cools

U.S. employers posted 8.7 million job openings in October, the fewest since March 2021, in a sign that hiring is cooling.

3 days ago

Megyn Kelly poses at The Hollywood Reporter's 25th annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast, Dec. 7,...

Associated Press

The fourth GOP debate will be a key moment for the young NewsNation cable network

By airing the fourth Republican presidential debate, NewsNation network will almost certainly reach the largest audience in its history.

3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(KTAR News Graphic)...

KTAR launches online holiday auction benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

KTAR is teaming up with The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a holiday auction benefitting thousands of Valley kids.

...

Dierdre Woodruff

Interest rates may have peaked. Should you buy a CD, high-yield savings account, or a fixed annuity?

Interest rates are the highest they’ve been in decades, and it looks like the Fed has paused hikes. This may be the best time to lock in rates for long-term, low-risk financial products like fixed annuities.

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) wants to help Valley residents address back, neck issues through awake spine surgery

As the weather begins to change, those with back issues can no longer rely on the dry heat to aid their backs. That's where DISC comes in.

Families despair over post-holiday return to remote learning