JCPS parents, students prepare to finish school year at home

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Parents and students throughout Jefferson County are preparing to spend the rest of the school year at home.

On Monday, during a call with all school superintendents, Kentucky Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Brown announced schools will remain on non-traditional instruction for the rest of the year. Tuesday, Jefferson County Public School Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio hosted an online news conference to answer questions about NTI. The district is currently in its third week of NTI, which has placed a burden on parents to balance their child’s education with their own day-to-day work responsibilities.

For parents like Alia Chambers, change is the new normal. The mother of four just got engaged, moved from Henderson, Kentucky to West Louisville and enrolled her students in JCPS.

“I was very nervous," Chambers said. "Moving to a whole different city, which is a fast city, but they have been so helpful to me and my children.”

One of Chambers’ sons is a first grade student at Byck Elementary School. He enrolled in classes just two weeks before the district implemented NTI. Chambers told WAVE 3 News that didn’t stop his teacher from treating him like family.

“[She was] calling, texting, taking pictures of assignments," Chambers said. "They are really doing a tremendous job.”

Despite the communication, NTI has still posed challenges for the Chambers family.

They are sharing one Google Chromebook among siblings. The family is also still getting used to living in Louisville. Even more, Chambers works in health care, so she can’t stay always be present during class time.

“I’m going out there and I’m taking that risk, but then again I’m doing it for my family because our bills do not stop," Chambers said "And then not only our bills, but my residents, you know, I have to take care of them because they’re like my family too.”

The transition to NTI has been a little easier for Angel Chichester and her son Darius Briscoe.

Briscoe is a junior at Pleasant Ridge Point High School, and has been self-sufficient in handling his school work while Chichester handles her day-to-day work tasks.

“It’s way easier honestly for me to say, ‘did you turn in your work, have you finished everything’" Chichester said. “He’s got the app on his phone. We do have a computer. We are lucky enough he has his own computer and so I can literally just look. He goes to each class and shows me his assignments and I see that he submitted it, and we’re good.”

Pollio told reporters on Tuesday he believes JCPS schools can hit their NTI hour requirement by the end of May. He anticipates the last day of school to be May 27.

It’s a day Chambers said many parents across the district will be looking forward to.

“[The next 30 days are] going to be challenging, but it’s something that I have to do," Chambers said.

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