PLANTATION, Fla. – Karlene Masse has a newborn and a daughter in kindergarten. And she and her husband both work.
So, when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Saturday that schools would stay closed for the rest of the school year, it wasn’t exactly the news she was hoping for.
We caught up with Masse and two of her friends who also work and who also have young children.
Ignacio Perez said it is a lot to juggle. "Especially with the work demands and the assignments given. The struggle is real."
They all understand the decision and agree that health is the first priority, but they admit that the announcement that Florida schools were to remain closed for the remainder of the academic year left them all feeling a little overwhelmed.
Masse said she is also having difficulty engaging with her daughter’s teacher. Her problem was highlighted by speaking to her friends who have had a far different experience.
“I have many friends who are in different schools than my own daughter who have teachers that are a little more involved, who will do Zoom meetings.” Masse said. “I can only really contact my teacher through email.”
So how are they getting through it? With a little help from technology, and each other.
“It has been nice to have the other parents as a resource because we are all going through the same thing,” Carly Tokar said.