GREENSBORO, N.C. — Over the summer, Guilford County parents had a decision to make: enroll in their home school or magnet school - or, sign up for virtual school.
Although the first nine weeks of learning will be online for everyone, students who register for virtual school will spend the entire semester eLearning, even after other students presumably return to the school buildings and classrooms.
Thaitiana Price, a Greensboro mother of 6, says, in the spring her family did what they needed to do to adapt. But with more pandemic uncertainty ahead, she opted to get into a routine by sticking to virtual academies - an entire semester online.
"I have two kindergarteners, a second-grader and a fourth-grader, and I also have an eighth-grader and 11th-grader," she said.
Like so many other parents, she says, this hasn't been an easy year. The spring semester was unusual, to say the least, with all six of her kids learning from home.
"I could not wait for school to be over!" she laughed, "I couldn't wait. I was really happy to get a break because it was so overwhelming but, I think I'm ready for the school year."
To keep things safe and consistent, Price registered all of them for virtual schools. And, she's not alone. More than 7,300 Guilford County Schools students have registered for an entire year of eLearning.
"Once I realized the way this virus is spreading, I just felt like it would be safer for me not to send my children."
With all of her students learning at home this semester, Price is cutting her hours at her Greensboro salon, SnapBack Hair Studio, working only on the weekends.
"There would be no way possible for me to work and homeschool."
Despite the challenges, she believes this is the best decision for her family. When the school year starts on Monday, they'll take it day by day.
"I don't know how it's going to go," she said, "Everyone has been trying to figure out this new routine and I know that the teachers have gone through training, so I'm trying to be patient, but honestly, I don't know what to expect. I'm just trying to be optimistic and hope for a good year."
GCS students can register for virtual schools until the September 15th deadline. Click here to learn more.
