Working parents coping with closed school campuses

A word from our VP of Learning, Courtney Macavinta, introducing our community Resource Guide

Those of us who are parents/guardians navigating this shelter-at-home era expected the COVID-19 pandemic would mean that in-person summer camps and fall classes would be canceled. Still, who hasn’t wished for a miracle that schools would be able to safely open their K-12 campuses, or that our little ones could play patty-cake with all their daycare buddies while we work productively at home – or in PPMM’s essential health centers?

Parents/caregivers are tasked with tough questions and no easy answers:

• How can I telework effectively while having to support or even fully manage my student’s virtual learning program?

• How can I work outside of my home at a health center, for example, when my child’s school plans to keep their campus partially or entirely closed?

• How can I do any of the above when I have several children, of different grades and ages, living under one roof? (Not to mention if my child-rearing partner is a school teacher, now tasked with delivering virtual education from our broom closet?)

• What if I don’t have the support network, funds, or resources to deal with any of my questions?

I actually Googled: “school closed must work,” to try to find a roadmap for myself and my 10-year-old. There isn’t one. So we are rapidly building out resources and tools.

For starters, check out our refreshed and updated community Resource Guide.

We are leaning into our vast network of school partners to get their recommendations on two fronts:

• What are best practices for teleworking parents, based on ages/stages, to facilitate their students’ learning experience? What can we request of our schools to make this, well, easier?

• What are the emerging resources in our counties for essential workers whose school sites are officially closed this fall? Are there new supports or services that these families can access to insure their children “go-to school,” while they have to work outside the home?

And here’s what I’m tapping into this month to glean tips on how to cope with my son’s confirmed school site closure this fall:

• Parent Trap: From Common Sense Media, this podcast offers stories and advice (available in Spanish and English) about juggling work and school with kids at home.

• Ed Source: For those of us in California, learn about a new law that outlines how you can influence your districts’ distance learning plans.

• Educating All Learners: Resources for those of us with children who qualify for special education.

Finally, virtual learning relies on students and their families having the equipment, space, WiFi, or data plans to participate. This is not an equitable norm in our communities. Or even in our own homes.

To address this, our Resource Guide also lists providers who are offering free internet service. PPMM Education will be updating the guide with more organizations that are offering free tablets/laptops, or rapid response for our many students experiencing homelessness.

We truly are in this new at-home school world together.