AUSTIN, Texas — It's been a rollercoaster ride for teachers, students and parents alike as Austin ISD re-evaluates what school will look like on a week-to-week basis.
This week, the district sent out an email to parents recommending they keep their children home for virtual learning Jan. 19-22.
"It's a tough decision to make. I know I have to work. I have bills to pay. Do I put my kids at risk or other kids at risk?" said parent Nicole Mcneely.
Mcneely has three children in AISD schools and said, as a single mom, it's hard to balance home life when things keep changing. Now, the district is recommending children to stay home until the end of next week.
"I told them I'm not 100% if I will send them next week or if I have to stay another week home," said Mcneely.
Other parents on Facebook are praising the district for encouraging at-home learning. But for some students, "at-home" learning means learning at mommy's work.
"My boss lets me have him with us at work, keep him in his little area, but I'm so stressed doing it. I'm assistant managing the shop with my boss," said Amberlynn Mchaud, a single parent who works at a dog groomers in North Austin.
She said there's good days and bad days.
"I hope he's doing well in school. It's a lot. It's very overwhelming. One day we will have a great school day; the next he doesn't want to do it. He's just sitting there and forgets how to do the Zoom for the day," said Mchaud.
KVUE reached out to TEA to see if schools would be allowed to go 100% virtual without it impacting funding. It told us it is not in a position to discuss that right now.
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