Wake County parents anxious, uncertain ahead of first day of school
Melanye Welch Potter is a mother of four Wake County students. All four of the children are in different schools. Potter says that it's been overwhelming trying to get ready for the new school year.
Posted — Updated"I can't keep up with it all. Too much confusion. I can't log into some things, I haven't heard about a computer for one of them," she said.
Two of her children have IEPs, which is a legal document that requires schools to accommodate for students with special education. She said that those two children need special education that she can't provide at home.
"So much that I can't keep up honestly," Potter said. "I'd love to give up."
She said during the spring semester, her children weren't very productive. It was hard to get her children to wake up in the morning and motivated to do online school, she said. Potter expressed that she is "now a teacher of all different grades to all of my kids."
School officials said they will begin distributing devices for students on Monday, which is also the first day of school.
Jones said she hasn't been contacted about when she will receive a device for any of her students yet.
Wake County school officials assured parents in an email that it's ok if not every student has access to a device or proper internet connection on the first day of school.
Jones understands that the first weeks of school are just orientation, but said that that children like hers are going to be excluded from the classroom because of this.
"Learning perse is not happening but they are requiring kids to be on live meetings," Jones said. "So kids who can’t will be missing days of interaction with teachers and friends."
Both Jones' and Potter's children are attending Wake County's Virtual Academy for both the spring and fall semester.
Jones signed her children up for Wake County's Virtual Academy because two of her children at high risk for catching the coronavirus. Her oldest child, who is in 10th grade, also has an IEP.
She still said she has no idea how the school is going to work with the IEP.
A spokesperson for Wake County Schools said that teachers will be working individually with students to revisit their IEPs and what needs they may have in the new school year.
Jones said her 10th grader's teacher is expected to reach out to them this week, but Jones said she still hasn't heard anything.
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