Apr. 26, 2020 noon
(WGTD)---With K-through-12 schools closed, parents are having to take on greater responsibilities.
On a recent edition of Education Matters, host Karin Sconzert provided a glimpse of what life is like in a few households by speaking with parents. She also spoke with a teacher and a principal as they strive to stay connected with their students through various online tools.
Kristen Bertsch and her husband are among the fortunate in that they’re able to work mostly from home and are able to rely on brief grandparent respites in the care of their daughter, who’s in kindergarten.
Kristen said one of her big concerns in whether her teaching skills are up to the task. “It’s one thing to help reinforce what she’s learning but if something crazy happens and they don’t start right away in the fall am I going to be able to provide her with what she needs at the first grade level?” Bertsch wonders.
Another parent, Kristin Gustin, says she too is lucky to be able to work from home, and that her six-year-old daughter Alana has settled in nicely. “The kids are only required to do about an hour of work a day. But my daughter thrives on routine so it’s really helping her to have lots of activities and things she can do,” Gustin said.
Sara Smith is a first grade teacher at Curtis Strange Elementary in Kenosha. Through online means and phone calls, teachers are trying to stay in regular contact with their students, to check their academic progress and to make sure they’re okay. “In a perfect world we’d be able to get everybody going with online learning, but right now with some of the families we’re just making sure they’re okay, “ Smith said.
Teachers realize that some parents have greater worries right now than their kids’ academic progress, she adds.
For the full program, click here.
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