California Schools Working To Provide Alternate Resources For Students Stuck At Home
WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Many questions still not answered as California's massive education system begins to face a new reality:
The school year may already be over.
California Public Schools serve more than six million kids alone. Parents now are asking if their kids will have to repeat this year, and how they will be able to keep their jobs while their children are home.
"If school is out until the start of next year what does that look like for her?" Stephanie Riley said.
Riley, a Washington Unified School District mom, picked up an "education packet" for her eighth-grade daughter at Southport Elementary on Wednesday.
READ: California Parents Face Possible Long-Term Homeschooling
"This is a concern for eighth-grade promotion. What happens moving into ninth grade? We are just going to have to be flexible," she said.
She works from home but knows not everyone is that lucky. She says it's the unknown that's scary for both parents and administrators.
"It's challenging, the unknown," said Southport Principal Matt Ainsworth.
He says going from four months of a full curriculum to online and take-home lessons practically overnight was no easy task.
"We have our temporary solution in place but we're always looking for a long term solution," he said.
While kids are home, parents pick up packets or access them online. Teachers are providing digital lessons too.
READ ALSO: California Launches Coronavirus Response Website
District leaders say there is a hunger for learning, 600 packets were picked up at one school in the district alone. But the Washington Unified School District is only planning for this until the first week of April, and Ainsworth says, every day matters.
"Time is already limited, and we're losing a day every time we wake up, we've lost another day with these kids," he said.
Meanwhile, Governor is now saying: expect California schools to stay closed until summer. CBS13 did reach out to the Department of Education about guidance for school districts but has not received a call or email back.
