AUSTIN, Texas – Working parents are struggling to balance full-time jobs with their kids’ virtual learning schedules. But parents hope for relief as many of Texas’ largest school districts, including Austin Independent School District, begin in-person learning options.
What You Need To Know
- More districts are offering optional in-person classes
- Parents ultimately make the choice for what to do
- A single mom says she's struggling with virtual education
- Sending her child back has downsides as well
Austin ISD recently closed a survey it sent out to parents asking for their feedback on the return of in-person school. The risks have one single Austin mom hesitant to choose that option, but says her current situation trying to balance her job and her son’s virtual learning is unsustainable.
“His attention span is that of a 6-year-old," says Amanda Phillips.
“Every 15 to 30 minutes he's switching gears. It’s either like, a new Zoom call or the Zoom call has ended and I need to step in and help," says Phillips. "I've been able to like, get a little bit done but for the most part after his school day ends, my workday begins. I can't do both at the same time right now.”
Despite working until the early hours of the morning, oftentimes meetings can’t wait.
“I missed his last class of the day. I missed his science class. I just completely worked through his meeting," says Phillips. "I just felt like a horrible mom and I got really upset with myself. And so I just like closed the door, cried a little in my office, and then moved on.”
The scheduling nightmare inspired Phillips to create a recurring “worry if you need to” calendar event for herself.
“It’s just been so stressful lately, like everything. And so, I found myself like just getting really anxious, and like I couldn't focus on what I needed to do," says Phillips. "And so I was like, ‘Cool, I’m actually like losing more time worrying – I’ll just set an event every 4 p.m. I will set aside 10 minutes to worry if I need to.’”
One of the things she’s been worrying about: whether she should send her son Osiris back to in-person schooling.
Austin ISD will be offering an in-person option starting October 5, prioritizing the return of younger students.
“So currently it is clear that our elementary families are absolutely requesting that if at all possible that we open up our campuses, knowing that we will be beginning with only 25 percent of the campus capacity," says AISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde.
The district will be implementing a phased-in approach to the return of in-person school. After two weeks with campuses at 25 percent capacity, it will expand to 50 percent for another two weeks.
“[Virtual learning is] not sustainable,” says Phillips. “Like even right now, like I just feel my whole body shaking.”
The choice is not without complications, though – Phillips depends on her parents for additional childcare, but her dad is immunocompromised.
“I can't have my parents help out because I'd be afraid they would catch it,” she says.
Now she’s trying to decide if losing her childcare safety net is worth it.
“The worst-case scenario is that he just spends his whole first grade on an iPad. I want him to make friends, I want him to make memories that aren’t me in this house," says Phillips. “I don't want to feel like his, his childhood is in isolation.”