BURLINGTON, N.C. — It’s not the worst call a parent can get, but it’s not good. A few weeks ago, Ebony Pinnix received a call from an administrator at her daughter's school. Right now, classes are virtual, but Pinnix's daughter was either not logging in or having connectivity issues.
“The teachers were emailing me, telling me (my) child was not in a class, I was like 'I’m at work, I don’t have the ability to get her in class,'” Pinnix said.
With kids still learning remotely in Alamance County, many are having problems with virtual learning. The system has also been difficult for some parents who work or can’t be home if they are looking for a job.
“I have no choice, I have to be at work,” Pinnix said.
The school system has now partnered with licensed childcare centers and home centers to provide educational support for students. There are 15 locations in the county where students can be dropped off in the mornings and attend virtual classes. The centers have volunteers and in some cases, educators on-site to assist kids with issues.
“I knew they would be with someone, where they could actually monitor them and if they needed help, they would have the help they need,” Pinnix said.
About 22,000 kids attend school in Alamance County, the district tells us that a little more than 2,000 are taking advantage of the learning centers.
“We have a lot of kids in the community that did not have anywhere to go,” Learning Coordinator Andrea Edmonds said.
One of the locations that help to educate and assist the kids is the Dream Center in Burlington.
“This has enabled me to not be stressed about the learning situation (for my son) and go out and look for a job,” Alejandro Garcia said.
About 30 kids take part in classes at the Dream Center.
“We have a lot of substitute teachers that were normally in the ABSS program,” Edmonds said.
Garcia tells News 2 his son is doing better in school since attending class at one of the learning pods. He also seems to like the social interaction that comes with it.
“He is excited about school again,” Garcia said.