SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — San Diego and Los Angeles Unified School Districts are asking the state to give public schools billions in emergency funding to pay for distant learning.
California’s two largest school districts are seeking help, as parents are beginning to feel the pressure of online academics with the reality setting in that school may not resume until next fall.
“They’re so helpful, and I really feel like the kids are learning,” said Jen Uy of San Diego.
Uy could not be prouder of her kids. One is just in kindergarten and the other in second grade, yet, they’re navigating online learning like naturals.
But it’s not them she’s worried about.
“As a parent, it’s a little overwhelming for me to check all these links. I feel like I have to put together a whole curriculum for them,” she said.
Uy said she gets a daily spreadsheet with links to educational videos, and then follows San Diego Unified’s “COVID-19 Schedule.”
It’s brightly colored and jam packed.
Including a morning walk, academic time, even chore time, and back to academics. It does not, however, include face to face time with teachers.
“If this is going to go on for months, I think it would be helpful to have some sort of structure in place for the kids, so they see their teachers - interact with their teachers,” she said.
Across California, educators are also asking for more.
Officials with San Diego and L.A. Unified School Districts sent a letter to state legislators Monday, asking for $3 billion to pay for “extraordinary costs” schools are incurring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s hundreds of dollars per student to pay for electronic learning which includes everything from WiFi hot spots to teacher training.
All as parents do their part to keep kids on track.
“I think if it was broken down a little more and structured. I think that would help a lot more but again I am very grateful for the resources that they’ve been giving us,” Uy said.
The full letter can be read below:
