GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County Schools is adding two remote learning dates at the end of November, right before Thanksgiving break, after hearing about high levels of stress among students, staff, and families.
Students will have Monday, November 22, and Tuesday, November 23 to do work virtually from home to complete missing work, without teacher instruction.
The district says all students should have a school-issued device to use at home. The change does not alter the number of instructional days.
When is Thanksgiving break?
Students are out of class from Wednesday, November 24 to Friday, November 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Like other districts across the state, we have heard from our students and staff,” said Superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras in a press release to News 2. “They need some flexible time to catch up on schoolwork and grading, and we are responding to that need. Students and teachers may use this time to recover academically, personally or professionally and to enjoy their Thanksgiving break with loved ones.”
What parents are saying
Some parents said they're grateful for the added days.
“I’m hopeful that, not only will this time be beneficial to teachers as well, but to parents, if they can spend even more time during the holidays with their children and be able to cook Thanksgiving dinner and stuff like that," said parent Jade Bell. "That's, for me, that’s what I’m planning to do, spend more time with my son and make sure that we can make a little bit more memories and have this time during the day."
Parents said after about two years of pandemic learning, it's been tough on children and teachers. Amanda Mclemore said her son faced serious depression throughout the pandemic, but now he's getting better.
“To be out of school all year (...) and go through depression because of it and then go straight back into school, it’s causing (anxiety)," said Mclemore. "I think it’s great that everybody gets an extra two days.”
With no live instruction, teachers are also getting a break, something Guilford County parent Kasey Yates thinks is well deserved.
"We are forgetting who our frontline workers really were," said Yates. "Teachers, health personnel, all these people who need some breaks. Cut them some slack.”
Not all parents supportive
Not all parents are supportive of the remote learning days. Some say it's only making them more stressed because they have to figure out childcare. The announcement on the Guilford County Schools Facebook page has more than 400 comments, both for and against the change.
"As a working parent (who already has to take a day off to cover Wednesday) -- having to manage remote learning and figure out child care during these two days will do nothing to help my stress levels," wrote Kate Silton on Facebook.
"It stresses me out having to rearrange child care to accommodate these random unjustified remote learning days," wrote Sadie Mae on Facebook. "Have many parents of GCS families have full-time jobs? Because I feel like these remote days are chosen lightly without considering the parents that have to make alternate child care arrangements."
Yates thinks there is still enough time for people to make arrangements.
"School is not a babysitter," said Yates. "I can understand if they (...) made this decision (...) on November 19 but today is the third so they are giving you almost three weeks."
Mclemore said she used to be a single mother and understands the frustrations of trying to find child care.
"I feel for the parents that need to find child care," said Mclemore. "But it's kind of like inclement weather days, what can you do?"
News 2 did reach out to several parents who are opposed to the remote learning days. They either did not respond or refused to speak with us on camera.