CHICO, Calif. - The deadline has now passed for Chico Unified parents to choose which online education will work for their own children. Teachers are still worried about education with online learning.
"So we decided just let's stick with the school right now, and we'll start online and we'll see what happens come springtime," said Sergio Sanchez, a Chico Unified parent.
Chico Unified gave parents until Friday to choose between keeping students within their own school's curriculum or commit to online classes only.
The school's curriculum will change depending on that state's coronavirus response.
Stage one being fully online, where we currently are now, and stage four being pre-coronavirus instruction.
"While we're at stage one they will be zooming with their students," said Assitant Superintendent Jay Marchant.
But both the Chico Unified District and parents who chose to keep their children with the school's curriculum are hopeful that soon students will return to the classroom.
"So hopefully in the springtime, if everything is safe enough, that is the route we go but if they continue online that's something that we are prepared for as a family," said Sanchez.
"If we go into stage two eventually, that means it puts us into an am or pm model, so if you're at one of your schools you will then go, am or pm with their teacher," said Marchant. "If they're at junior high or high school they will go right into the am or pm model."
However, some teachers worry that online instruction will be difficult for them. One Chico Unified employee who wishes to remain anonymous, that I spoke with tells me they feel left out of the loop.
"I'm pretty sure the way it's gonna work is, kids, get monitored within the system and teachers serve as supervisors?" said the employee. "Again you can hear the conflict in my voice because again I don't know."
But another issue teacher's see is keeping the attention of the students through a screen
"Because at the end of the day the biggest difference is when you're a teacher you have control over your environment," said the employee. "When you're doing online you have no control over the environment."
Parents that did not choose an option by today's deadline, their students will stay with their school curriculum.