Parents uncertain about upcoming school year; express their thoughts in FOX 11 roundtable discussion

LOS ANGELES - More than two dozen parents from across Southern California and beyond participated in a special FOX 11 Zoom Roundtable Discussion moderated by FOX 11’s Stephanie Stanton.

Among the participants, members of the Facebook Group LA Mommies.

Participants watched Gov. Newsom's news conference together as he laid out the parameters for allowing California students to go back to the classroom. The guidelines were pretty stringent. They are based on local health data and that counties need to be off the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list for 14 days. That means that school children in LA County will not be returning to the classroom setting for the start of the upcoming school year.

During our Zoom call, parents from Santa Monica to Orange County, Castaic and Palmdale weighed in on that news.

“As parents we should have the option to parents that don't want to send their kids to school and come across with different options for them to take if online classes are available for them as well for parents that want to send their kids to school,” said Crystal from Orange County.

Parent Brandi Burris had this to say: “I just don't feel safe. I don't feel safe with any of this. I don't want the online learning only option, but I don't see how that we can send our kids back with the way that cases are right now.”

And Laura, a mom of four from Palmdale said, “I have a nine year old and 13 year olds and my 13 year old is depressed because she can't see her friends. This is her last year of Jr. High and she wants to go and graduate and their both special education kids and the distance learning didn’t work for them.”

Another big concern among parents was the mental health impact a prolonged shutdown will have on kids. Parenting Expert Donna Tetreault who also Hosts the Podcast, Kids Under Construction offered this advice:

“Our children are suffering in many different ways. And so I think that if you see this in your kids seek help. This is something that none of us have ever gone through and we really need professional help when it comes to our kid’s mental health and wellbeing,” said Tetreault.

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