Balancing work and online-schooling: Wake parents worry about digital divide
Some parents are now getting creative on a big scale, after Wake County schools decided to start the year online-only for all students.
Posted — UpdatedThe fear is some will simply get left behind.
Saleemah Adullah has 11 kids in all.
"I have so many children. From 26 down to 7," she said.
More than half of her children attend Wake county Schools.
"Everybody does not have a device, but we are going to get devices," said Adullah.
That is just one of the issues with the upcoming school year starting online.
"Because every job is not able to work from home," explained Adullah.
The large family will also play in her favor this school year. When she can't be home, the older children can help the younger ones with their studies.
"So, we are going to do a dry run on how we will do it, so they will be already accustomed to wake up and help the small ones," said Adullah.
Calla Wright is with Concerned Citizens for African-American Children. She has been an advocate in southeast Raleigh for years now.
She is also a retired teacher and is concerned for other families struggling in the new school year.
"Parents who are working, who may not have time to sit down with the child," said Wright.
Wake County school leaders are working on solutions to provide devices to get online – working with community partners to help with childcare while learning remotely.
Wright worries for the children already struggling in school before the pandemic.
"If we don't put resources in place, we are going to pay for this for another generation, said Wright.
The school district has distributed tens of thousands of devices to get online They are now surveying families to see what needs exist.
They are also in talks with outside partners to try to provide childcare.
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