KINGSLAND, Ga. — Camden County parent Amber Thompson said the school system is “punishing” her 16-year-old son.
“The school forced them to leave for quarantine and now is forcing them into a punishment because they got quarantined,” Thompson said.
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She said every time he’s quarantined, he has to make up his tests either after school or in Saturday school. Doing so makes him miss out on extracurriculars like wrestling.
“I’d just like him to be able to complete his work in school,” Thompson said.
When he does return, she said he barely understands the material.
“These home-schooled children aren’t getting lectures; they’re just getting the work. So they’re not taught the material, they’re just handed the material to do,” Thompson said.
There is no virtual learning at all within the school district. Independent options are available for students, but if they choose to do so, they will no longer be enrolled in the Camden County School District.
The lack of instruction during quarantine, the time spent outside of school making up tests, among other concerns, drove Megan Cline to take her 15-year-old daughter out of school completely.
“Why punish the children? If they’re out from quarantine, then you either excuse those tests or you give them a day throughout the week, some hour or whatever they may be, for them to either make up the work, have instruction time with teachers because they’re not given that,” Cline said.
We reached out to Camden County school officials for comment. No one from the district was available for an interview.
Officials instead emailed us this statement:
“The same protocol we maintain for student absences due to colds or other illnesses are applicable to absences due to confirmed cases and quarantines for Covid-19. Teachers initiate contact with families to provide assignments that may be completed from home and also offer opportunities to make up any missed work and additional instruction when the student returns to school. Students who are ‘fully’ vaccinated---2 weeks post last injection in series---are not required to quarantine unless they are having symptoms of Covid.
“The Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics have both stated the return to in-person instruction must be a priority for the 2021-2022 school year. Camden County Schools recognize the vitally important role traditional in-person learning plays in academic and social-emotional development for our students and we are committed to providing a safe and equitable school environment for all learners. An independent virtual learning option is available for students to take classes through Georgia Cyber Academy, Coastal Plains Charter School, or any accredited K-12 online school, but the student will no longer be enrolled in the Camden County School System.
“We are working tirelessly to reduce the spread of Covid in our schools and community. We continue to be ‘all hands on deck’ to accomplish this mission.”
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In the above statement, school officials said if students are vaccinated, they do not have to quarantine. Both Thompson and Cline said they do not plan on vaccinating their teens.
Action News Jax followed up with school officials asking for a statement on why kids take tests after school or during Saturday school. We also asked them to comment on how they expect students to learn the material while they’re out of the classroom without a virtual learning platform. We have not heard back yet.
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