Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Earnest Winston plans to make a recommendation to the board of education for students to return to in-person learning in mid-February.

But it’s not final until the board votes to approve it on Feb. 9. CMS says nearly a third of students are failing at least one class. Many parents say that it’s partially due to the burden of virtual learning.

That’s the case for Sharay Timmons. Each one of her four kids is failing a class, even though they had good grades before virtual learning. She says they need the in-person school environment to help them succeed.

Timmons has four kids in 8th grade, 6th grade, 4th grade, and 2nd grade. She says they are struggling with remote learning because of distractions at home “When you’re in the classroom, you have the teacher, even though she got all these students, she still able to pay attention to see who’s doing what,” she said. “When I’m not here I can’t see who’s not doing what.”

On top of remote learning, Sharay lost her job. Her new one forces her to leave her kids at home alone.

“They on school from the morning until about 4 o’clock, but I might have to leave out and got to work; so, they’re left here alone,” she said.”

Timmons says her kids need the school environment to succeed. “Kids need to be free. They need lunchtime with the friends, all that extra stuffs,” she says.

She thinks if they were back in school their grades would immediately improve. She believes that’s the case for hundreds of kids, also struggling in virtual learning. For now she’s taking it day by day, waiting on a plan from CMS.

“The board needs to figure out what they’re going to do. My kids are not the only ones failing. I’ve talked to some staff members and they say it’s a problem with schools…so what are they going to do?”

Elyse Dashew said she was hopeful that kids would return in mid-February under the already approved plan but noted it depends on what case numbers would look like.