CHARLOTTE, N.C. — School districts are grappling with unprecedented decisions on how to continue learning as coronavirus cases rise across the country, state, and in the Charlotte area.
Tuesday, the CMS Board of Education gave the superintendent the power to switch individual schools to remote learning when necessary for safety.
And in Cabarrus County, after some heated debate, they decided to stick with some in-person learning, and bring students back to the classroom after the holidays.
Meanwhile, students and teachers have been living out what will one day be in the history books, a reinvention of education.
“I get they're trying to keep the kids safe and keep the teachers safe, but our children are suffering with this,” said Cathleen Rogus.
Her 4th grader William goes to a CMS elementary school.
Right now, he has two days of in-person learning a week. But Rogus wants it to be full-time.
“The remote learning is a nightmare," she said. "It’s just an utter and total nightmare and it does not work."
The CDC recently changed its guidelines on schooling. Over the summer, the CDC said the best place for kids was inside of the classroom. Now, all in-person learning is listed as a high risk. Its website now says there's growing evidence children are susceptible to the virus and could play a role in spreading it.
A spokesperson for the CDC released a statement on the changes to WCNC Charlotte. It says in part:
“CDC continuously evaluates and routinely updates all of its guidance to reflect the latest scientific evidence, and to make it easier for audiences to use. CDC will continue to update its COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools as new evidence becomes available.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports a 28% increase in child coronavirus cases in a recent two-week period.
It's why many CMS teachers are pushing for all remote learning.
“They were looking at the CDC before when everything was fine now you're going to ignore it? Again, come on," said Steve Oreskovic, an 8th-grade history teacher in CMS. "Make the call. Make the right call for everybody involved."
Oreskovic said teachers do not feel safe in their classrooms right now and worries about the long-term impacts this could have on kids mentally.
“If you're going to ratchet up the anxiety levels that are already there by trying to bring them into school and then possibly going home and oh look I saw grandpa, oh look grandpas got COVID," Oreskovic said. "Oh great. Can you live with that for the rest of your life? Well, we're going to find out because that’s exactly what the board is putting us in -- is putting the kids in."
As long as consistent cohorts and small groups are maintained, the CDC lists hybrid learning -- a mix of in-person and virtual -- as 'some' risk.