CPS High School students discuss challenges faced and hopes for future
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia Public Schools’ High School students voice their opinions on how virtual learning has impacted them, as they hope to return to in-person learning soon.
CPS High School students have learned virtually since the start of the pandemic in March.
The Columbia Board of Education approved the return of in-person for CPS elementary students during a meeting in October, but have yet to decide a date for when middle and high school students will return.
The next Board of Education meeting is set for November 9th. Parents and students are hopeful a plan will be discussed at that meeting.
Two CPS students said learning virtually is overwhelming and is still hard to manage alone.
“You have to be your own teacher,” said Tre’-Von Richardson, Battle High School junior. “In the sense of like, keeping yourself accountable for doing your work and being on top of your work right then and there.”
Richardson said it’s often hard to stay focused on one thing when students are not in the school environment with easy access to teachers.
“You can ask questions,” said Richardson. “But a teacher can only explain so much on here (zoom) because we're online and she can only help us with so much. And so often… with hard assignments... kids get discouraged.”
While Anna Summerall, a Rock Bridge senior also said getting help from teachers is difficult especially in her Advanced Placement classes.
“I think the hardest part is getting help from teachers,” said Summerall. “It’s really hard just to do through emails and even if you set up a zoom call, it's really not the same as face to face.”
Summerall said the interaction between her and her peers is also something she misses, as they were able to talk and work through ideas together.
Richardson said his grades have dropped due to virtual learning and he believes his grades along with other student’s will increase whenever they return to in-person learning.
Both CPS high school students said the unknown of when they will or if they return in-person sometime this year is frustrating and discouraging.
Summerall said it was easier to get through virtual learning when the district had a plan where if cases were under 50, students would learn in a hybrid model. If cases were under ten, then students would return to in-person classes.
Summerall said now that the board voted ‘no’ to return and have yet to set a date, she questions if they will ever go back to school this year.
“Do they even have any type of a plan to try to get us in school,” asked Summerall. “We're a fourth of the way through the year, so it's just kind of frustrating... and I know that they are.. trying, it's just it's hard to see how they're kind of moving forward with trying to get us in school.”
While Richardson said the unknown of when he will go back to school makes him upset and even more discouraged.
Summerall said she’s experiencing the same emotions.
“This might be dramatic,” Summerall said. “But I kind of feel like we're forgotten about and I know that’s not the case, but that's just kind of the way it makes me feel. And I do feel isolated. I just feel like I'm missing out on a lot of things that I was supposed to get this year as my last year in high school.”
When asked if this experience has made the students value in-person learning more they both said they didn't realize how much of a luxury it was and wish they could go back.
“I never knew how important being in school was until now,” said Richardson. “That's the only way most of us know how to school and know how to do our work. That's what we are... used to. Now... that's taken away from us for I don't know how long.”
