PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Nikki Weiss’ son is a first grader at Yorktown Elementary in Bowie. He is home now trying to do virtual learning.

She shares several pictures with us of how its going so far. “Not great,” she says.

And as she struggles to work and find ways for him to be online she expects it’ll get worse.

“He’s not only going to be in virtual in first grade when he can’t read and can’t type, he’s going to miss even more instruction because there’s going to be some days he can’t get on,” she says.

Weiss speaks for a number of parents who’ve reached out to 7News On Your Side to express frustration with the sudden decision at the end of last week to move to virtual schooling until January 18.

“I mean just the timeframe,” she says. ”How can you expect parents, or students for that matter, to get any kind of information on a Friday night at 5 pm that starting Monday you have to find care for your kids or not go to work or whatever to go virtual for what?”

Today during a COVID update we took her concerns straight to schools CEO Monica Goldson and County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. Both say the numbers, nearly 1,000 students testing positive, 16,000 quarantined, made the move necessary even as challenging as it is.

“I agree completely with Dr. Goldson,” says Alsobrooks of the decision to close.

Goldson says, “If we could have waited to allow time for parents to make those changes and work around daycare we would have, but in consultation with the health department we felt it was important to begin to make sure that our students were safe in their home.”

Goldson also insists the closure is temporary and that students will be back in school January 18.

Read more >>> Major Drama as Fights Break Out at Suitland High School and others.

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