Three Mothers Wrestle To Stability Their Children’ Schooling Wants Whereas Protecting Them Secure
We asked the Texas Standard listeners to tell us what they thought at the start of the school year.
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Courtesy Erica Smith, Alison Cathe, and Tiffany Conner
We asked the audience to share their thoughts on returning to school. We shared some of these earlier this week, but the news kept coming in.
“We decided to take our two older children under 12 at home and skip preschool for our four year old this year. After the emergency room closed around us due to Delta variant and staff shortages, we decided we had no choice but to teach at home until they can be vaccinated. I’m excited, but my kids are upset. You can’t be with your friends. The only thing that would change my mind is mask and vaccination requirements for students and teachers. ”- Erica Smith, Sulfur Springs Texas
“I’m the mother of two children, one in middle school and one in fifth grade. My fifth grader was so excited to go back to school this year and really, really missed the personal training. My two children stayed home for virtual school all year round. Last year my daughter was able to graduate from virtual school very easily. In fourth grade, my son, who was in seventh grade, wasn’t that easy. Going from class to class to class and from different Zoom meetings to different Zoom meetings has been really difficult for someone who has ADHD and is already having organizational difficulties. It was a fight and without my husband and his daily hourly support, I don’t know if he would have made seventh grade. ”- Alison Cathe, Spicewood Texas
“I am the mother of a six-year-old, soon to be seven-year-old child who is registered with AISD. We didn’t go to school last year because we live with my mother who is at high risk for COVID. So my intention was to wait until the adults in the family, in the household, are vaccinated, which we did because my son has special needs, is autistic and needs help. And I couldn’t justify keeping him home for another year because he just keeps falling behind … But I worry that there will be backlash for AISD who need masks or there will be students who don’t wear masks or there is. I will be teachers who are not vaccinated. And my son needs extra care … Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, the leaders responsible for making decisions to keep our families healthy don’t. And it’s very stressful for me. ” – Tiffany Conner, Austin
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