Some students forced to quarantine struggle with e-learning, lack of support

Exposed to the coronavirus, and now in quarantine out of school. It’s happening multiple times to some students and their grades are paying the price.

We spoke to a mother who is like many others we’ve heard from, and she’s worried how this will affect her daughter’s future.

Christina Boyce and her daughter Destiny tried to make online learning work for them. But Destiny needs the personal touch.

“I was flabbergasted. She was struggling so hard doing the distance learning. I mean really really hard,” Boyce said.

So she went back to in-person learning at LaBelle High School. Back to masks, social distancing, and individual teacher time.

She went from failing most classes to finishing up the quarter with only “a couple of bad grades,” her mom said.

Things were starting to look up for her, but then, “Within three weeks, she was told, she’s gotta stay home” to quarantine, Boyce explained. Because the school said Destiny came in contact with a COVID-19 positive classmate.

There is no appeal. No test the school will accept and allow her back in the building.

Boyce added. “Now, she’s back to struggling again because of those two weeks she was out. And she’s gotta start all over again.”

Mom says Destiny depends on routine because she struggles with learning. “If the teacher wasn’t there to help her, she would shut down.”

She hopes there’s more attention on students like her daughter, to find a way to help kids keep up, even when it feels like quarantine might knock them down.

Boyce said, “I want to make sure that the kids are getting the help they need because we don’t want another last year.”