Parents raise concerns as NHCS to vote on remote learning reopening plan

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — We are in the final week of July, schools in the area should be getting to start class in a few weeks but many systems are changing at the last minute. That is leaving parents wondering what is next and how are they going to cope?

The New Hanover County School Board plans to vote one more time on back to school plans.

The school board is now considering switching to Plan C this fall, a fully remote learning plan.

Earlier this month, the district announced it would go with a hybrid model of Plan B following the governor’s guidelines.

“It seems to me that we should have polled everybody,” Parent Bob Lockerby said. “Teachers, students, staff, school bus drivers, ‘What can you do? What are you willing to do? What do you want to do?’ Then you can fit those answers within the box provided to you by Governor Cooper.”

Lockerby has two rising 5th graders, and worries how their education could suffer based on the plan the district ultimately decides on.

Over the course of the summer, two surveys were sent out to families asking about scenarios for Plan B, but some parents feel like their responses weren’t taken into account throughout the process.

“We have had two surveys now where the first survey put out was slanted to Plan B Scenario 2, and it wasn’t until we took that survey we realized what that was, and that it had already been voted on,” Lockerby said. “So we asked, ‘Why are you surveying us?'”

Lockerby says he feels like a decision was already made before even sending out the surveys. He wishes the school board explored different plans involving in-person, remote, and a hybrid learning option to serve the thousands of children with many different needs.

“Students don’t learn the same way,” he said. “Teachers don’t teach the same way. So a homogeneous solution doesn’t work, in anything.”

Last week, Interim Superintendent Dr. Del Burns recommended schools start under Plan C for the first semester.

“We haven’t even heard what a Zoom-like day would be,” Lockerby said. “Is it do it when you want to do it?”

Lockerby says he supporter each family’s and teacher’s opinion and adds, one size doesn’t fit all.

“And I’m not saying if you have 10,000 students, you have 10,000 options, but it seems as though you should be able to, even if you wanted to have 100% virtual, you could support them,” Lockerby said. “100% in person, you might be able to support that. Then maybe some parents want blended for their own personal reasons, which I support.”

He says the parents should be able to advocate for those different learning needs and circumstances for each of their children.

“They’re our kids and ultimately, we’re responsible for their education and how they grow up to be adults in this society,” he said.

The board will vote on this change at an interim meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.