Many school districts shifted to virtual learning this week and last week due to the freezing weather, but many already put in certain days in the school year to assign lessons for students working at home.
A new state bill would ban schools from having designated distance learning days unless deemed necessary.
“Ultimately, we’re [only] really concerned about the level of education they provide our children,” Jenks Southeast Elementary parent Osas Imade told 2 News
Imade said he and his wife have to plan ahead to be home when their daughter has a distance learning day, the next one being this Friday. Jenks Public Schools set aside six of these for the 2023-24 school year.
Imade said he doesn’t mind as long as there’s advance notice.
“If it’s given ahead of time we can arrange our schedules for it,” he said. “However, the reason we have school is to have the kids be in school. It’d be preferable for them to be in school.”
State Sen. Kristen Thompson (R-Edmond) opposes the idea of pre-planned distance learning days in public schools, and wrote SB1768 with Sen. Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) to ban them in Oklahoma.