Cameron family chooses homeschooling over in-person learning

The covid-19 pandemic has made virtual learning a new reality for students, parents and teachers.

But learning through a screen isn't working for everyone.good evening, i'm kilee thomas as local reports show a rise in failing grades- now an area school district is asking struggling virtual students to return to the classroom-but one family feels they're being pushed against a wall.

Kilee thomas reporting for jossie johnson-she felt enrolling her kids in cameron's virtual school was the best option for her family sot: jossie johnson, cameron mom- "if my kids get covid at school, i could be risking giving it to my residents."

She and her husband are health care workers-working at a local nursing home.

The family taking the virus seriously wants their 5 kids from 5 to 13... to learn online.

But they're falling behind.sot: johnson- "my oldest is doing pretty good with the chrome, but without her.

We would be completely lost.

Me and my husband have no clue what to do."

They aren't tech savvy so they rely on trina with her younger siblings online classesbut they just aren't getting it sot: trina dudley, 7th grader- "they had never really gone on computers before, so i had to help them with that."

"it's harder to learn like that."

Now the school district is stepping in sot: dr. matt robinson, cameron superintendent- "we really do need your kid back in school if they're going to continue to fail."

Cameron school district asking students to return to the classroom if they aren't succeeding online.

Cameron superintendent says no ultimatum has been given, but the family doesn't feel that way said i'd have to homeschool them too because they wouldn't be accepted for the second semester for virtual learning if they had missing or late assignments a lot."

Sot: robinson- "and that's kinda one of those things that when we first put this out there and told people we were going to have virtual, you really needed to have a background on how to be able to log into computers, log into the programs, do those different pieces because there is no other way we can do it."

The johnson family is a perfect storm of why virtual learning can be so challenging but educators say they aren't the only ones sot: j.

Eric simmons, sjnea president- "this is not an isolated incident.

There are many families within our communities across the state and across the nation that are dealing with this dilemma on figuring out how to keep their children safe while keeping their children educated."

The president of st joseph's national education association says cameron is within their right to suggest the family homeschoolsbut it might not be the best option sot: simmons- "that is very much an independent guided learning model that if the family is already having some difficulties, it may not be the best fit for their family."

Sot: johnson- "they try to suggest us to send them to school.

They thought that was the best option for our kids.

To us, that's not the best option to our kids."

Camerion superintendent says in the summer-the district asked virtual families to have a background in technology before enrolling in online learning.jossie johnson said the family will begin homeschooling her 4 youngest children after