VALLEY VILLAGE, Calif. – Kimberly Haim is already decorating her classroom for next year. But instead of her usual room at Colfax Charter Elementary School, this classroom is more of a homepage than a homeroom, populated by avatars representing her teaching team.
Even before Austin Beutner’s announcement this week that the new school year would start with 100 percent online learning, she said she and her colleagues had been preparing for the possibility.
“I was really relieved," she said of Monday's announcement. "Very relieved because I’ve been scared with the not knowing.”
Haim, a mother of two, said recently the idea of going back to her classroom in August had started to feel unsafe.
“As I was watching the news and the numbers were skyrocketing I got this really overwhelming sense, like, we cannot go back," she explained.
Her family has remained vigilant about social interactions but one person they do see is her mom. Returning to her classroom would mean an end to those visits.
“Because I would then be possibly exposed the virus which would then expose her," Haim said. "I would never take that chance.”
She was at the point, she said, where she was even considering quitting.
“I love being a teacher and I want to be in the classroom and I want to be with my students," she explained. "I can’t in good conscious do it if I know there’s a risk involved.”
Haim feels firmly that LAUSD made the best choice for teachers and for students. But she also understands it may not be the easiest choice for parents.
Kat Miller and her husband are both working from home and plan to tag team helping the kids with remote learning. But they know that’s not the case with everyone.
“Everyone is different," Miller said, "whether you're working full-time or whether you are one income or two incomes or have no income.”
Miller, a self described planner, said she's just relieved to finally have an answer, something she’s been anxiously waiting for since spring.
“Whether I agreed with it or not or whether it worked best for my family or not, it was just having that answer so we can move forward," she explained.
One of the hardest parts for her, she says, is coming to terms with what the school year won’t be, particularly for her youngest.
“What I want is my daughter who is going into kindergarten to have the kindergarten experience that my son had, that we all had," she said, "and that’s just not the option, at all, for anyone.”
As a veteran kindergarten teacher, Haim doesn’t necessarily agree. She intends to make the new school year as smooth as possible for her students and their families.
“In my mind I am preparing for the 20-21 school year to be all online," she said, "but I'm also preparing to make it as amazing as possible.”
She expects the lessons learned by educators and parents this spring will greatly benefit the students as they log in for the start of the fall semester.