VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's a question dozens of Hampton Roads parents have on their minds as the next semester runs around the corner: is my child ready for the next level?
This past year created a unique challenge for students and teachers trying to go to school virtually. For Mario Rivera, he says he saw both his daughters go through virtual classes differently, especially for his older daughter Victoria, who is set to enter the third grade.
"Lili was fine... but for Victoria, she's a little shy, so she was scared," said Rivera. "It was rough on everybody."
Rivera described some of the days trying to log onto the virtual classroom and they couldn't get in, so they missed a part of the day. He says there were times his daughters would log into class, do the pledge of allegiance, and then not do anything for the next hour. He says it created a lack of consistency for his children.
"These classes were making kids feel depressed," said River on the couch with Victoria and his younger daughter, Lili. "Because they would go to class, and they feel like they weren't doing what they needed to do... you know, in their mind."
"Sometimes it was glitching," said Victoria, describing how her computer wouldn't work during her classes. "It always made my head hurt."
Rivera said he and his wife would work closely with their daughters to make sure they understood their lessons. He even had to go to her school personally to pick up her curriculum packet, so he could read it himself, and tried to help her do math. However, he says it was the mental and emotional frustration over the past year and a half with the virtual classes that prevented Victoria from succeeding.
"I would catch her sometimes [not on the computer]. I'd say, 'Victoria, go to class, what are you doing?'" said Rivera. "So, I don't feel like she got the good education she would normally get in school."
He said they tried getting Victoria into summer school, but the limited number of slots filled up quickly. He even tried getting both his daughters in the hybrid option for the school year, but said even that had limited availability.
Victoria passed her classes, but her parents say they will see how this year goes and determine if they want her to repeat a grade. They are keeping the option of summer school open for next year.
In the meantime, Victoria will enter third grade for the in-person option and her parents hope this will improve her education.