Two years into the pandemic, how are kids doing? Here's what some Akron parents had to say

The survey asked Akron Public Schools parents how they thought the district should spend its $96 million in federal stimulus dollars. 

At its core, the survey was asking a deeper question: What most concerns you about the ways the pandemic has impacted your children?

The prevailing responses were about students' social skills, abilities to cope emotionally and their mental health. 

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More than 1,300 people responded to the survey, which the district conducted last fall and is now using to help guide conversations about stimulus money spending. 

In their own words, here's how some Akron parents and guardians answered the open-ended question. Note, some answers have been lightly edited for clarity or to remove identifying information. 

Concerns over loss of social, emotional and coping skills: 'It has been a VERY cooped up two years' 

• Our entire existence has mask mandates and my concern is that my highly intelligent grandson is not going to have the social skills necessary in life.  He is simply not able to learn how to deal with peer/social conflict and engagement because contact is discouraged. I do believe that APS (and the incredible school staff) are doing all that can be done.  But ... something has to be done about what these sweet kids are missing out on! Loss of socialization with peer group before going on to regular school. 

• Emotional well-being, how to deal with frustration, anger, disappointment, loneliness, being scared, etc.

• I wish the kids could go on more field trips - it has been a VERY cooped up two years and there is SO much that they have missed out on as a result, culturally and real-world applications. I really appreciated the camps this past summer, but there weren't very many spaces and we missed out on all of them except art camp.

• They have no coping skills. This needs to be taught due to the drastic changes and adjustments the kids have been going through. Many parents are having trouble coping, so how do they teach their students?

• Students have lost over a year of boundaries, social norms and simple expectations. That ground must be made up. The behavior issues are alarming. We are having a very hard time justifying keeping our children in school.

• What’s being taught about touching since a major part of what’s going on now has taking touch out of the culture at large; so good and bad touches and the emotions that they leave behind.

• Students are being made to not socialize as much as before. The last time these kids had a normal year was about 2 years ago. They have to wear masks and that in itself is hard.

Concerns about falling behind academically: 'They are clearly behind' 

• Writing and spelling especially are behind from remote learning impacts. Pleaseee do not go remote this year. My kids can't take any more losses and negative effects on their schooling for the 3rd school year.

• I’m worried our kids are going to keep missing out on fundamentals that will in turn hinder their potential growth and success. You cannot go back in time. They have already lost a lot.

• I understand that we need to do what we can to be safe during this time, but our children are missing large chunks of instruction and socialization at school that they cannot get back. Two years ago, my child was right where he was supposed to be, or even ahead of the curve in some subjects, but now he has fallen behind.

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• Fine arts programs in particular have especially taken a hit. Music programs need help rebuilding, as students lost skill progression, and programs are having to re-establish routines and expectations. Additionally, the employment situation has resulted in students preferring to work instead of participate in band. We need help rebuilding.

• The elementary students whose parents were considered essential didn't really have help while the students were doing online learning. I understand that APS was doing the best that they could do given the circumstances, but I feel there were some students robbed from learning at their levels. 

• When my child was remote learning, his grades declined significantly. Now that he is back in the building, his grades are exceptional again. I don't want the kids to be forced to go back to remote learning.

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• I am very concerned that APS children are at a disadvantage because APS was closed for a year and all other districts remained open.

• 3rd graders. Are they ready to be pressured to pass this statewide test to move on to the fourth grade? This is my concern since I have a child in this situation.

• Not being ready for high school classes. Isolation was devastating.

• The disproportionate learning loss primarily among students who cannot afford home internet access and those who DO NOT learn well online.

• Lack of motivation to pursue career after seeing impact on parents/families and government responses to pandemic issues.

• How to get the help students need so they do not fall behind. My child is struggling with social skills and reading and I am not sure how to help him outside of what I am already doing.

• They are clearly behind academically, despite the very hard work the teachers tried to do last year. There is also a disconnect now more than before between the schools and families. Another issue is inability to access the school programs with the whole family. An example of that is the Math Night that my child's elementary school had in October. Only the parent and the student who goes there could go, no siblings, which means for me, a single mom, we can't attend a program that will probably be engaging and informative. Also, kids in special education were highly disadvantaged during the pandemic. Do you really think they could do PT, OT, speech, through Google classroom? Do you really think a kiddo that is in the multiple disabilities class is able to go to class via Google? No way! 

Isolation and mental health concerns: 'Kids are feeling isolated and disconnected'  

• This pandemic has been tough to wrap our heads around. Some youth have no idea the global impact this has had. But some do. In essence it can be a form of trauma depending on how they are processing everything.

• I think kids are feeling isolated and disconnected, and that they're lacking the tools and space to talk about their feelings and they are overwhelmed. I also think that staff are feeling burnt out and exhausted, and that the fact that we're all navigating this pandemic trauma at the same time means that everyone's tank is depleted, making support for students incredibly difficult.

• Number of students showing signs of depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

• Ways to help mental and emotional health/the use of electronic devices.

• Addressing fears and anxieties that are a result of the pandemic. Also teachers skills and abilities to identify these issues with the children.

• Many students are very anxious about their future and the world around them. Most adults realize there are things that we can not control but for younger people whose brains are still developing this has been catastrophic.

• The emotional well-being of the students is critical. As a parent, I see my student struggle through online learning which didn't meet her expectations. Add in the lack of interaction with other students and the 'normalities' of a traditional school year, there a very few resources available based on the volume of students in her school.

• Mental and Emotional Health ~ everyone has been through a trauma in this Pandemic. Kids are acting out and are scared and frustrated, upset for what they have lost during this Pandemic. I'd like to see more counseling services specific to what has happened during the Pandemic.

• Anxiety of kids and adults. The divisiveness of beliefs is also a pressure young kids are dealing with much earlier than prior kids have dealt with.

• That it has made our kids paranoid about germs and dying from the virus. Kids are already head deep into technology and not what is around them, this virus has made that even worse. 

• My child has diagnosed anxiety and it would be nice to have some support in the schools for students like her. I feel some peer groups could be helpful or even a regular check-in from the school counselors.

• Counseling and emotional support for students. Many don't even realize the impact this has had on their lives and they continue to struggle.

• Kids are struggling to get back on track. The changes that have occurred with classes, schedules, etc. has also had a negative effect. But maybe we should put the focus on testing/scores on the side/back burner and move social, emotion health, adjusting, etc. to the front. Families are still struggling, pandemic and other situational stressors.

Physical health concerns: 'Getting them back active has been challenging'

• I'm concerned that adults are lax pertaining to safety, social distancing and boundaries.

• Too much reliance on technology. Phones and social media need to be removed from the classroom. Students have become even more reliant on phones than ever before. District wide plan on phones. Adults too.

• Lack of exercise. Our sports programs have been seriously affected negatively!!

• Their general health and well-being. There was a lot of time spent indoors and the amount of weight these kids have gained is crazy. Getting them back active has been challenging.

Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.