DC region teachers continue to grapple with remote learning challenges
ROCKVILLE, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Families across the D.C. area who are being forced to juggle a full-time job, in addition to their child’s virtual classes are taking several opportunities to sound off about their frustrations. Some are expressing them online – or directing them toward school officials.
A recent Twitter post sparked a conversation among some Montgomery County teachers Thursday night.
Leah Michaels, who is a teacher at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, wrote about her disappointment after hearing some comments from a public testimony given at the county’s board of education meeting Thursday evening.
According to a public transcript from the meeting, one parent expressed how teachers shouldn’t be getting a full time salary during distance learning.
“I find it to be incredulous that we are paying MCPS teachers their full salaries when our children are only learning 40% of the time they would have otherwise been learning in a normal school schedule. If our children do not get 5 day a week teaching in each of the core subjects (Math, Sciences, English, History, Language) then the Board and the County should return 60% of our taxes used to pay for schools.”
Another one wrote, “MCPS, the Board of Education, and the teachers unions should recognize that they are not public health experts and should not engage in a group of public health professionals to help MCPS make decisions and re-evaluate when schools should open.”
“I actually started crying when I heard that,” Michaels said. “I couldn’t put any more of my heart and soul into it but it hurts to think that people believe we are just hanging out at home an enjoying ourselves.”
Michaels, who is a mother of three herself, also does some of her work outside of online teaching.
Friday, she drove over to the high school to prepare some material for her students so they can keep up with their lessons through the semester.
“So it’s a lot of sorting books and carrying things around and making piles,” she said.
Some other parents who aren’t teachers said, the struggle is all too real.
Deep Grewal has three kids. He can work from home, but to say it’s challenging is an understatement especially when it comes to his kindergartener.
“She needs a lot of handholding,” explained Grewal.
“Being able to understand social cues and how to even use her Chromebook while personally for me being able to juggle work and calls,” Grewal said.
FOX 5’s Ayesha Khan also spoke with Jennifer Martin with the Montgomery County Education regarding what they are hearing from their teachers when it comes to the impact of a different way of teaching during this time.
“As with everyone else there are issues with their space for doing their job,” explained Martin.
“It’s where you aren’t free of distractions or where there are interruptions and there are issues of technology particularly when you have school aged children in the house.”
MCPS offers a program called Be Well 365, in which teachers have an option to submit feedback. The portal provides resources for teachers who need help with work-life balance, including coping with stress, troubleshooting technology issues, or anything else that comes up.
Meanwhile, Martin said that the union would like to see the program be ramped up a little more by having additional counselors or mental health professionals that could be provided to support teachers.