California Schools Close For Academic Year; Parents Tasked With Homeschooling Kids
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Schools won't return to campus for the rest of the school year. Governor Gavin Newsom made it official Wednesday.
Now parents will need to figure out how to homes school their kids, and make sure they move on to the next school year.
At Franklin High School, math teacher Gerald Hifadr is preparing for distance learning for the rest of the school year.
"I think the unknown is going to be the difficult part, the lack of experience in this situation," Hifadr said.
Parents are now tasked with making sure their kids can keep up, learning new material through distance learning.
"I'm already getting emails from parents saying 'what if they're having trouble, what are we going to do?'" said Hifadr.
The concerns run past high school.
Seniors including Tyler Xeno picked up a computer to finish the year at home. They are nervous about what's next.
"I'm still worried about graduation and all that stuff," Xeno said.
Now every school will be teaching from afar. Limited access to home internet for almost 20% of students in the state has cropped up as a major concern.
Governor Newsom said the state will add 100,000 access points to boost WI-Fi and donated computers too. Districts have also expanded meal service so students are fed.
ALSO: Families Embrace Distance Learning As Schools Could Remain Closed Until Summer
But the governor says this access doesn't make it easier for working parents.
"The additional pressure we have placed on caregivers particularly, women and moms is extraordinary. Moms are already carrying weight. Moms are also working and many of them are teachers themselves," Newsom said.
That's true for West Placer mom Kim Cheers.
"I have my teaching credential, but I don't know how to teach my own kids," she said.
Shes worried about keeping her kids engaged from their own living room and making sure this virus doesn't stop them from moving on to the next school year.
"It is hour by hour sometimes," she said.
It's up to the local board of the school district to make the decision to stay open, but the Governor has said it's likely it won't be safe to return this year.