Kids get candid about reopening schools

With weeks remaining until the fall semester begins, parents are making choices about their children's education.

Schools districts across the metro are offering in-person, virtual and hybrid options in an effort to keep children safe and learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.

AS WE WORK TO SEEKANSAS CITY REBOUNDFROM THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC -- WE'RECOMMITTED TO HELPINGYOU SEND YOUR KIDSSAFELY BACK TOSCHOOL.WE'VE HEARD FROMPOLITICAL AND HEALTHLEADERS -- MAYBE EVEN AFEW PARENTS ANDTEACHERS.BUT -- WE HAVEN'T TALKEDTO KIDS MUCH ABOUTGOING BACK TO SCHOOLAND WHAT THEY WANT THEDECISION MAKERS TOKNOW.I POPPED BY A FEWKANSAS CITY PORCHES TOFIND OUT WHAT YOUNGPEOPLE -- AND THEIRMOMS -- ARE THINKINGABOUT RIGHT NOW.Haddie/10 Years Old"This is going to be the bestsummer ever.

I'm going to getto go to the pool, because Iwasn't a great swimmer andso I was like yes I can finallyjump off the diving board.

I gotthis in the bag.

Then it's like,nope, there's a globalpandemic.

I can't do thatanymore."THINGS HAVE CHANGEDFOR KANSAS CITYSTUDENTS IN THE PASTFEW MONTHS.Samaiyah /13 Years Old"I was like longer SpringBreak!

Then I got kind ofnervous."SCHOOL WENT ONLINE.Riley/15 Years Old"It was weird.

It didn't feelmandatory."Samaiyah /8th Grader"I liked online school.

Ithelped, but I kept gettingdistracted.

My phone would besitting under me and I couldfeel it buzz, like, no I'm notgoing to touch it."TECHNOLOGY WASN'T THEONLY CHALLENGE EITHER.Riley /15 Years Old"I feel like having a learningenvironment around youactually helps a lot."AT HOME -- LOTS OF KIDSARE HELPING OUT.Haddie/10 Years Old"Sometimes that means likeputting my baby sister tosleep.

She's almost one."YOU KNOW -- THERE'SSOMETHING IN THE SMILE-- WHEN A MAMA LOOKS ATHER CHILD -- NO MATTERHOW OLD.WE DECIDED TO LOOPTHEM IN ON THECONVERSATION TO FINDOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED ATHOME -- AND HOW THEIRKIDS FEEL ABOUT SCHOOLTHIS FALL.Samara/Samaiyah's Mom"It was rough.

I mean, it was aconvergence of all differenttypes of stress."Samaiyah/13 Years Old"Mom was right beside meand I was sitting there doingonline school and she talkskind of loudly when she's onZoom.

I feel like she thinkspeople can't hear her, so Iwas like Mom I need toanswer this question inalgebra."Samara/Samaiyah's Mom"Ohhhh shade was thrown?Oh, okay word?"Kara/Riley's Mom"People just weren't prepared.Teachers weren't prepared.

Itfelt like it was a very suddenshift."STUDENTS WEREN'TPREPARED THEN -- ANDTHEY TELL ME THEYAREN'T QUITE PREPAREDNOW.Riley/15 Years Old"I wouldn't be as worried ifthey could do the things thatthey would need to keep kidssafe in classes but there isn'tthe funding for that."WE ASKED THE KIDS IFSTUDENTS COULD ALLWEAR MASKS AT SCHOOL.Samaiyah/13 Years Old"No.

No.

No, because wearinga mask is okay but like for 7hours a day and we're sittingaway from people.

I'd be like...breathing actual air."Riley/15 Years O"I feel like a ton of kidswould,but there would always be kidsthat wouldn't because somepeople just don't believe in itand some people would getsick of it."AS FOR A RETURN TO IN-PERSON SCHOOL --Annie /Haddie's Mom"In an ideal scenario, my 4children would be in a schoolbuilding and the staff and theteachers and us as a familyand the broader community inwhich that school sits wouldfeel good and safe."Haddie/10 Years Old"If my teachers are not goingto be safe and my friendsaren't going to be safe, I don'tthink anybody should be goingback into school."Samara/Samaiyah's Mom"She wants to go back.

I thinkshe misses her friends.

It's thesocio-emotional piece ofthings."Riley/15 Years Old"That would be a really badchoice because the numbersare higher than they havebeen ever and a lot of kidsmight get sick and a few kidswill die."Kara/Riley's Mom"I'm terrified by the notion ofthat.""I agree with him.

From themouths of babes.

I just wishthere were better solutions.""I love him so much and Iwant him to be successful andI want him to be safe.

Wehave to figure out maybe evenas a community how we dothat for all our kids.

For allofour kiddos."Haddie/10 Years Old"What I have to say to parentsout there, and not to allparents but to some parents,is that your choices are notonly going to affect yourstudents but they're going toaffect the students at yourschools and they're going toaffect your whole community."WE WANT TO HELPPARENTS AND KIDSRETURN TO SCHOOLSAFELY -- AND THAT'S WHYWE ARE DEVOTING SOMUCH TIME TO THIS TOPICALL THIS WEEK.