Upstate parents share host of concerns about school year starting back up

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CAROL: THANK YOU. AS THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS, PARENTS ARE FACED WITH CONCERNS THEY NEVER HAD TO CONSIDER BEFORE. MANY SHARED THOSE CONCERNS WITH US THROUGH A “WYFF NEWS 4 INVESTIGATES,” BACK TO SCHOOL SURVEY. SARAH: OUR KIDS NEED TO BE EDUCATED. THERE ARE LOTS THAT ARE FALLING BEHIND. NATASHA: IF THEY GO OUT AND BRING ANYTHING BACK TO ME, I COULD ACTUALLY END UP IN THE HOSPITAL. KELLY IF THE TEACHERS DON’T HAVE : ENOUGH TIME TO PLAN HOW CAN THEY DELIVER THE BEST POSSIBLE INSTRUCTION? CAROL: KELLY MCCUEN IS A TEACHER, AND A MOM OF THREE STUDENTS WHO WILL DO ANDERSON ONE’S VIRTUAL LEARNING. KELLY I WAS VERY, VERY SKEPTICAL : ABOUT HOW. ANY SCHOOL I HAVE EVER, EVER WORKED IN COULD SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND MAINTAIN MASS DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTS AND PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT GIVE N WHAT IS GOING ON. CAROL: HER HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HAS ALREADY MISSED OUT. KELLY: SHE MISSED PROBLEMS, SEE NEW YEAR, AND ISN’T GETTING TO DO THE NORMAL SENIOR YEAR KIND OF THING. NOW SHE’S WORRIED ABOUT THE YOUNGER KIDS, KELLY, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS WITH OUR SPECIAL NEEDS EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON. CAROL: BUT KELLY FEELS THE VIRTUAL OPTION WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GUARANTEE SOME LEVEL OF STABILITY. KELLY: WE ALSO DIDN’T WANT A L OF DISRUPTION. CAROL: NATASHA MANUEL’S OWN HEALTH CONCERNS HAVE HER KIDS ATTENDING GREENVILLE COUNTY’S VIRTUAL SCHOOL. SHE’S WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACT ON HER SEVENTH GRADE DAUGHTER. NATASHA: SHE’S THE ONE THAT’S WORRIED THE MOST BECAUSE SHE’S IN BETA CLUB, GIFTED AND TALENTED, BAND, AND SHE DOES SPANISH. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM HER AT THIS MOMENT. SARAH: IN ORDER FOR ME TO WORK, I NEED CHILDCARE. TEACHERS NEED JOBS, BUT HOW DO WE DO THAT SAFELY? CAROL: SARAH MITCHELL IS A SINGLE MOTHER TO FIRST GRADE TWINS WHO WILL BE IN SCHOOL. >> MY MAIN CONCERN HAS BEEN TO MAKE SURE THE TEACHERS WHO ARE EITHER IMMUNOCOMPROMISED OR REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THE IDEA OF GOING BACK, THEY WOULD HAVE AN OPTION TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE IN THEIR WORK VIRTUALLY. CAROL: SHE SAID HER CONCERN COMES FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. SARAH: I LOST MY UNCLE THIS PAST MONTH TO COVID. VERY HEALT GUY, REALLY NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND JUST STRUGGLED FOR A COUPLE WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL AND GOT PUT ON A VENTILATOR AND PASSED PRETTY SHORTLY THERE AFTER IT DOESN’T QUITE HIT HOME UNTIL IT AFFECTS YOU. CAROL: A GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKESMAN TOLD

Upstate parents took part in WYFF News 4 Investigates’ back-to-school survey, which revealed many of their concerns as students head back to class.

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