What parents think about Buffalo Schools starting Phase 2 of re-opening

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — What took a year to happen for many students at Buffalo Public Schools will have to wait at least another day. That includes students like 4th grader Khadir Barker, whose father has mixed feelings about sending him back.

Students in 3rd, 4th, 9th and 11th grades would have been back in the classroom on March 15.

Khadir's father Brandon Barker is a Buffalo fireman, so he’s been dealing with the risk of COVID-19 every day for a year now.

While managing being a father and a teacher to his son at the same time. He says his Khadir is doing well in class, but it’s hard to keep up with all of the work he gets.

He's currently doing work at a virtual learning center and it took a few months for them both to get the hang of things.

When it comes to returning to class in person, he says he had to weigh the pros and cons.

Brandon Barker

"Kids are germy, even though my son may be on his p’s and q’s about the whole situation I can’t count on other children to be the same way, but I also like him being in school because it’s better to get that in person, teaching learning experience,” said Barker.

Once the cybersecurity situation is sorted out, Khadir will be in the classroom at School 82 on Easton Ave two days a week and continue going to the virtual learning center the other three days.

7 Eyewitness News spoke to another parent who says sending her 4th grader back would make life easier on her family.

We spoke to Halima Hussein in February when she sent her 1st grader back to learn in person at School 31. She works and is a student a Buffalo State, so she was glad to send her daughter back to help lighten her load. At the time, she said she wished her son in the 4th grade could go back as well.

Well now, more than a month later, he can.

Hussein says her son has always been a straight a student who made the honor roll. But while learning virtually, his grades started to slip down to A’s and B’s, which still above average, but not what Hussein expected.

Back in February, she said she felt somewhat safe sending her kids back, but not 100%. Now, she’s much more comfortable.

"I feel more safe now because the vaccines—more percentage of people already got the vaccine than back in February when it was just starting it," said Hussein.

Both of her kids will go to school 31 two days a week once school is back. Hussein's goal is for her son to get into City Honors, she hopes going back to school in person will boost his grades and get him back on the right track.