Parents Join Forces To Tackle Distance Learning Challenges

Some parents in Green Country are teaming up to tackle distance learning together.

They said by joining forces, they’ve been able to create a better learning environment for their kids.

School is in session, and there is no bell and no desks, but there is a whole hour for lunch.

Eight boys from five different families are attending class at the same kitchen table and said it's a dream.

"We get here, we start doing our normal routine from school but at home," said 6th grader Graham Pinnell.

On their third day of class, the boys are at Lauren DeGarmo's Jenks home. Each day, the boys will switch between the five homes, tackling a non-conventional school year together.

"We're getting a routine," said DeGarmo.

DeGarmo said their self-described "friend school" is working.

"It's putting more normalcy back into our lives," she said.

The plan is to hire a person who will help them navigate distance learning. Jenks Public Schools are waiting until COVID-19 numbers improve before they offer in-person classes again.

"I like it because it's less people and I get to be with my best friends," said Beckham DeGarmo.

Degarmo said it's not always easy. There have been technical difficulties, and she says sometimes there is trouble concentrating.

"The teachers have been super flexible," she said.

The parents and kids all agree that their friend school is the best way to navigate class until it's time to go back.

"It feels like we're going through the same routine and that feels really nice," DeGarmo said.

The families said once it's safe for Jenks schools to reopen, their kids will be going back to class in person.