Lee County mom frustrated after daughter gets new teacher 3 weeks in to virtual school

A teacher switch not even three weeks into the school year. One Lee County mom is mad after she says the district just told her Friday that it pulled her daughter’s teacher.

Six, almost seven, year-old Allison learns from home now. It hasn’t all been easy, but mom Yami Garcia says three weeks in, Lee Home Connect is at least doable now.

“We already know her daily routines with the teacher, what she’s doing throughout the day,” Garcia said.

Not anymore. Allison’s teacher called to tell mom she’s going back to school to teach in person at the end of the month. More students than expected are giving up online learning and heading back to Skyline Elementary. So, her daughter is getting a new teacher.

“Now we have to adapt because more kids are going in. I’m up to my wit’s end,” she said.

Up to her wit’s end because her daughter’s class will now merge with a new teacher’s current class.

“So it’s gonna be, you know, a class of like 30 kids. So what one-on-one time is my daughter going to have with the teacher,” Garcia asked. “That class might be ahead. That class might be behind. So now my daughter has to figure out now, I’m ahead, they have to dumb it down, or I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m lost.”

She spoke with the principal at Skyline and got no satisfaction.

“I understand times are tough and we have to accommodate, I get that, but why does my child have to suffer,” Garcia said.

She’s mad that Lee County Schools still allows families to switch models. 2,500 plus have switched from online to in-school learning since schools opened.

“She needs to have at least some consistency in her education. And that’s what I thought going into this,” she explained.

So what’s next? They’ll have no choice but to wait and see.

Lee Schools says it’s not unusual for teacher assignments to change after classes begin. The deadline for Lee Virtual School students to transfer back to class has passed, but principals can still approve changes for students on Lee Home Connect.