Without clear details, Charlottesville parents stress deciding on January reopening was difficult - Charlottesville Tomorrow

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While some Charlottesville parents praised Charlottesville City Schools for its survey — or intent form for the proposed January  reopening plans — some had mixed feelings about a major question. 

They had to choose whether to send their children physically to school in January. If they decide to stay virtual, they have to stick to their decision for the remainder of the year. 

Jernika Morton, whose daughter attends a virtual learning center at Christ Episcopal Church downtown that serves residents in the Prospect neighborhood, said there should’ve been more adjustability in case something happens in between January and June. 

“I think there should be more flexibility just in case you have to pull them out of it because of an emergency situation or something,” Morton said. 

Morton said it would be beneficial to have in-person learning as long as they follow COVID-19 measures.  She said she’d like her child to attend the city schools’ in-person learning environment because it would be better for her to get help with classwork. 

“I think the questions were OK — pretty straightforward. I don’t think it was missing anything,” Morton said. “The deadline was pretty reasonable.” 

Beth Ike, whose child attends a learning pod, shares the same sentiment about choosing in-person or staying virtual. 

Ike said she understands that the division is in a tough position to not be able to include more details in the intent form, but she would’ve liked to have known more about what to expect should there be positive cases in Charlottesville. 

“It was a very binary choice,” Ike said.

Ike, who chose to keep her child in a virtual learning environment, added she questions the division’s approach of asking parents to make a firm decision because she wonders what the division would do if she can no longer assist her child with virtual learning at home. She wonders if she would be able to enroll her child to in-person instruction.

In the last School Board meeting, board members discussed case-by-case situations when helping families, but hopefully they look at each case, Ike explained. 

“I’ve been vocal, and I’ll continue to be because I think as complicated as this situation is — and as difficult a time, as I understand, lots of families are having and lots of children are having with an [all-virtual] learning environment — I think to consider returning when cases are rising at the rate they are both nationally and in Virginia feels incredibility foolish,” she said. 

“When the conversation first started about a January return, Charlottesville numbers continued to look quite good, but I feel like the national picture when our conversation started, maybe wasn’t as bad. We knew we were going into colder months. We knew there was going to be a cold/flu season, which would make everything harder.”

Ike said she’s asking for a March reopening. 

“I know that means we will have been out of the majority of the year, or at least half of the year by then. I feel like [going] to try to return in the face of the virus rates going up, but also in the face of colder months when we have to be inside more, I think if we were to wait until March, there’s a chance we could be outside more and really keep risks down.”

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Without clear details, Charlottesville parents stress deciding on January reopening was difficult - Charlottesville Tomorrow
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