LOWELL, MASS. (WHDH) - The mother of a sixth-grade student in Lowell says she is “infuriated” after her daughter was unable to connect with a teacher when she logged on for her first remote learning session of the new school year on Thursday.
Chloe Piekos, 11, was excited for the first day of online learning at the STEM Academy but that excitement quickly turned into frustration and confusion moments after she popped open her laptop.
Piekos logged into homeroom to find that there was no teacher present to provide instructions for the day.
“I don’t even know if I’m having that teacher or not,” Piekos said.
Chloe’s mother, Rebecca, added, “I’m just infuriated with the whole thing. It’s crazy.”
Rebecca said it took the school 45 minutes to notify students that they would be without a teacher due to last-minute staffing changes.
“I don’t even think that there is a teacher,” Rebecca said. “I’m not sure that there even is somebody to teach these kids right now.”
When asked if she had a message for her teachers, Chloe simply said, “I want to see them and talk them. I want to go that Zoom meeting. I want to do school.”
Rebecca explained that she knew remote learning would be an “uphill battle” but said this particular blunder “put her over the edge.”
In a statement, Lowell Public Schools said “most students” at the STEM Academy were able to have a successful first day of remote classes but staff also anticipated technological challenges.
Rebecca added that she will be forced to move her family out of Lowell if the learning experience fails to improve.
“I’m really disgusted with the district,” she said. “This is awful.”
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