Despite hardships, some south Phoenix parents want to continue distance learning

After spending some time living in her mother-in-law’s house after her lease expired in May, Angaleena Lindsey and her family moved into a hotel.

She, her husband and their five children plan to stay there for 11 days, which is as long as they can afford.

It’s not ideal, she said, but the hotel has WiFi so her children can connect to their daily class sessions.

As the new school year begins, many educators are focused on offering virtual classes. But an order from Gov. Doug Ducey requires schools to open Aug. 17 for in-person instruction for kids who have nowhere else to go.

Helping working families and children whose needs are best served with an in-person learning environment is a sentiment that’s been echoed by state and local leaders nationwide as a reason to reopen schools.

South Phoenix is a predominantly Black and Latino community, two groups that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 because of their overrepresentation in essential jobs, meaning they are more likely to have had to leave home for work, increasing the risk of exposure.

The neighborhood contains a cluster of ZIP codes with higher-than-average per capita COVID-19 numbers than the rest of the city. The state identified the community as underserved in terms of testing and implemented a surge testing site at South Mountain Park last month.

But some parents in south Phoenix say they want their kids home as COVID-19 rates remain high in Arizona, despite the challenges distance learning may bring.

Making it work

The routine for Lindsey’s family before the pandemic was hectic, but everyone had their role — starting with her 5-year-old who likes to get up at the crack of dawn.

Then it was a race to get everyone their breakfast, get dressed and get their teeth brushed so she could walk them to school at 8:20 a.m.

Now, there's no pressure to get out the door. But her 8-year-old son still keeps his strict routine, just the way he likes it.

“He hates vacations, three-day weekends, spring break, fall break, all that," Lindsey said. "He wishes he could be in school all year.”

After a week of virtual school, Lindsey said they've gotten into a rhythm. Her 6-year-old likes to “do gymnastics” when she gets bored, and her 4-year-old, who is starting preschool, works with her supervision.

While her 4-year-old wasn’t in school when the pandemic first hit, Lindsey said she was just as affected as the other children when she suddenly had to share space with all her siblings during the day.

“She really lost her time alone,” Lindsey said. “Before, she was allowed to scream and run all over the place. Now she can’t without bothering her siblings.”

What hasn’t changed is that her children continue to contribute to their living space by doing chores and helping keep clean and organized.

“We’ve always taught them that when they’re here, they’re a part of the household and they have responsibilities, too,” she said.

Not just surviving anymore

In January, they will return to the outside world.

That’s what Herlinda Calderon repeats to her children, who have barely been outside since the start of the pandemic in March.

Calderon buckled down and made a plan when she knew her two youngest children would have to stay home from school. Her husband would continue to work while she stayed home to take care of the kids during the day. The grocery shopping would be left to her 25-year-old son so she and her youngest wouldn’t have to leave the house.

She worked new health regimens for the children into their daily routines. Between breakfast and school, they do some light exercise and take vitamins. Their meals have a little extra fruit and vegetables these days.

She does not want to send her children out into the world until at least next year, and she hopes that the pandemic prompts state leaders to invest more in Arizona’s schools.

“Ducey is my governor, so I respect him, but I feel like Ducey can do more for us with kids in public schools and he hasn’t,” she said in Spanish.

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There are times where Calderon lies awake at 4 a.m. wondering why this pandemic happened and how it go so out of control. She gets overwhelmed trying to rationalize it, at times finding herself thinking of elaborate theories until she snaps herself out of it.

Now that caring for her kids is her full-time priority, she only picks up jobs here and there cleaning homes. Her husband is the one who takes pride in being able to support his family financially, so she supported his decision to continue working during the pandemic.

It’s not always easy for her kids to focus on their classes. After a while, they start to fidget or call the family dog over to play. But Calderon thinks the transition to distance learning has, in a way, been a blessing.

The family enjoys more time together exchanging stories, exercising and, most recently, starting a vegetable garden – something Calderon wanted so she could provide for her family in an emergency.

“What this pandemic taught us is that we need to be ready to provide for ourselves,” she said. “It’s taught us to calm down and enjoy our time together as a family. Not like before where we were always running around and never had time for anything. We’re not just surviving anymore, we’re living.”

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‘Until the death toll goes down to zero’

Both parents have children with asthma and the new rules that come with the continued spread of an infectious virus are difficult for their kids to understand.

The families don’t see a reasonable way schools can open soon because of the added risks to their children’s health and the difficulty in getting kids to follow health guidelines.

“I have a 4-year-old, and 4-year-olds pick their nose. They put their fingers in their mouths,” Lindsey said. “My 5-year-old can barely keep his mask on for 30 minutes at the grocery store. My 9-year-old doesn’t know how to social distance. He sees someone he knows and wants to run up and hug them.”

Calderon considers herself lucky to be able to commit herself to watching her children during the day and she worries for other parents who she knows are unable to do the same. She’s not sure how state and education leaders should help these parents, but she doesn’t think schools reopening this fall is an appropriate step.

“I understand there are some parents that for them school is like a day care, too,” Calderon said. “They need it because both of the parents work. I sympathize with that, but I think our role as parents is to protect and provide for our children.”

Schools nationwide have opened for in-person instruction with rules for how that looks varying by school district. A school in Georgia faced scrutiny when it suspended a student who took photos of crowded hallways with unmasked students on the first day of school. That school closed for several days after there were several confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The school where Lindsey and Calderon both take their children decided it would not open for in-person instruction until October. That may change depending on case numbers and parent feedback.

The Arizona Department of Health Services released three optional benchmarks for schools to follow as they decide when to open in person, but some believe the guidelines should be far more stringent.

“When the death toll goes down to zero,” Lindsey said. “When we don’t have to be worried about having to go to schools with masks and we don’t have to be worried about getting sick, then we can reopen.”