All K-12 students in Ohio are now staying home from school through May 1 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Mike DeWine announced at his Monday press conference.
Gov. Mike DeWine originally mandated a three-week extended spring break that would have extended through April 3 鈥� this Friday.
Just like everyone else, parents of Northeast Ohio students have been watching the news, and watching as the pandemic escalates in New York City. Cleveland Heights parent Kari Burns points to the fact that experts say the COVID-19 outbreak peak won鈥檛 hit Ohio until mid-May.
鈥淚鈥檓 not surprised,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淚 really, honestly, this whole time, have been gearing myself up that we鈥檙e home until like, June 1 from work and from school. So, we set up her desk and her little schedule and we鈥檒l be ready for this!鈥�
Burns applauded DeWine鈥檚 鈥渟trong leadership skills鈥� but did wonder why he hasn鈥檛 called for students to stay home from school for the rest of the academic year.
Cleveland Heights resident Kari Burns and her children. [Kari Burns]
鈥淚 would be interested to hear his reasoning for May 1, because they鈥檙e done with school at the end of May, so what are they going to do for a month?鈥� Burns asked. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e doing what鈥檚 right, so I鈥檓 just going with the flow at this point.鈥�
Shaker Heights resident and mother of two Sahithya Wintrich has been looking at the data and graphs that show the coronavirus鈥檚 spread and 鈥渕entally preparing鈥� herself to stay home with her children for the next month or two.
鈥淲hat I've done this week is shift my mindset,鈥� said Wintrich. 鈥淚nstead of looking at it as, 鈥榶ou know, this is hard and this is disruptive,鈥� I am looking at it as an opportunity for me to connect with my kids when they're this young.鈥�
For her and a lot of working parents, Wintrich said the stay-at-home order is demanding, but at the same time she is happy with DeWine鈥檚 vigilance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淚 wasn't sure about DeWine when he got elected,鈥� said Wintrich. 鈥淏ut I think the fact that he stepped up and, we were one of the first states to basically act on this. His messaging and his call to action for everybody to stay home, to keep people safe. I am completely impressed and completely on board.鈥�
The top concern for Juanita McGowen is keeping her family safe during this pandemic, she said. But McGowen worries about her 4 year old, who attends a special needs morning preschool in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district.
鈥淎nd so we really rely on the school district and also Baldwin Wallace University to help us with providing speech therapy for her,鈥� McGowen said. 鈥淚t's really important. And together they have made such huge strides in giving her confidence and being able to speak. And so, yeah, it's a little bit scary because that kind of just all got taken away within just a matter of a few days.鈥�
Juanita McGowen with her husband and daughter. [Juanita McGowen]
Before the order to quarantine was issued, McGowen said she was very accustomed to splitting her day between being 鈥渨ork J鈥� and a 鈥渕om and a wife,鈥� so the extended time at home with her husband and daughter has been an adjustment.
鈥淟uckily, my employer is very adaptable and has always been very supportive of employees with families and working from home and things like that,鈥� said McGowen. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just scary just to fulfill the role as parent and teacher. And it really sort of makes you appreciate how hard [teachers] work and the special talent that they have.鈥�
