JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Parents, students, and teachers are figuring out what to do for the next school year which starts August 10. But some First Coast families and teachers don’t feel safe going back to school.
It’s important for your child to learn social studies and math, but learning life skills like how to cook and balance a checkbook are also important for your child’s growth. Working parents may not have the time to do it all.
“We do the teaching for them because we know how to teach," said Dr. Kai Kafferly, a teacher with Outschool.
It's an online teacher marketplace where parents can sign their kid up for classes that range from an hour to a semester-long. Parents pay per class. The classes start at $10.
Kafferly says the computer screen has been a blessing during the pandemic.
“I found Outschool and started doing some part-time teaching in Outschool and realized this is better for me and for the students," Kafferly said. "Because we have small class sizes. Teachers cannot enroll any more than 18 students maximum in any class.”
If you are thinking about homeschool, make sure you know about all the ins and outs. You can read a 32-page instruction manual provided by Duval County Public Schools here.
The manual says "parents are requested to complete the enclosed notification form and mail or fax it within 30 days of the establishment of the program."
Outschool doesn't replace your student's schooling. It provides supplemental learning in courses.
Kafferly says Outschool is also hiring teachers right now which provides another option for teachers who don't want to go back to the classroom.
“I am immune-compromised and if I do have to go out, yes I wear my mask and stay six feet apart from people even if they are wearing a mask," Kafferly says. He's based in Jacksonville but is able to keep teaching kids from around the world during the pandemic.
"I’ve felt very safe and secure," he says.