Parents, students face challenges with remote learning amid pandemic

CHICAGO - Parents are working through the pandemic to make school the best it can be for their kids. But many schools that are in hybrid mode are reverting back to remote learning as cases soar, and that comes with a whole other set of challenges.

All semester long, FOX 32 has been checking in with a group of parents who have been navigating this challenging school year to find out what is working and what isn't, and here's what a couple of them had to say on Monday afternoon.

“I'm using current events in the world today to teach my kids government and history, and it's going pretty good,” said Ericka Arocho.

She used election coverage to bolster her homeschooling curriculum, while other parents are grateful to have their kids back to in-person learning.

“Their energy is being released so they're not bouncing off the walls in the house, which is nice,” Ikram Kamal said. “They get to go to school, they see their friends.”

But with COVID seeing a major surge in Illinois in recent weeks, the pressure is up to revert back to remote learning. The Illinois Federation of Teachers issued a statement on Monday, urging districts to "...do the right thing and take immediate action to protect students, educators, staff, and communities by closing school buildings during this covid-19 surge."

Governor JB Pritzker responded to whether he would order schools closed.

“We're always thinking about our schoolchildren and our parents and our teachers. And it's right now it's not something that we're doing,” he said.

So unless that changes, moms like Ikram Kamal, whose kids get to at least be in school part-time, will enjoy it while that's still an option.

“They're actually excited to be back in class,” Kamal said.