Seattle family supports full remote learning for students, proposes 'micro-schooling'

SEATTLE - Despite the lack of activities during a pandemic, brothers Julian Lake and Zeke Hill-Halvorson are still managing to stay active.

No matter how much they are craving the old life, their mother Lindsay Hill and her partner Matt say they support 100% remote learning in the fall.

It’s a model Seattle Public Schools announced they are planning on doing.

“In terms of health and wellness of our kids, it is the best decision and I say that acknowledging the real impacts on families,” Hill said.

Now that in-person learning may not be on the table for more than 50,000 students at SPS, Hill is urging the district to think outside of the box.

“My hope is that the district will be able to provide a plethora of options,” Hill said.

Hill says a one-size-fits-all approach is not going to work.

“We will need creativity on the family level, we will need creativity on the education level,” Hill said.

Creativity for the Hill family now means the possibility of a "micro-school," where they pool finances and resources with several other families.

“Most certainly looking for college and graduate students who are studying to be educators, finding teachers who have been laid off,” Hill said.

The idea is to hire someone to help children keep up with online learning and supplement other needs.

It’s a growing concept of what Hill calls the "Quaranteam."

“We all have the social interaction that we need and again while staying safe,” Hill said.

A micro-school is a way for even middle class families to rely on each other to school their children.

Hill said some families can’t afford a micro -school so she hopes other methods and systems will be in place for those families.

 “We’ve become so individualistic as a society but that is not actually how we have been most of our history, and we have relied on the broader community,” Hill said.

The Rainier Beach resident says school districts should work with community organizations to help fill the gap.

Hill also said school districts need to re-evaluate and reinvent the system. 

“Most public school districts across our country were not ensuring that all students were having an equitable access to educational opportunity,” Hill said.

SPS on Thursday said they are still trying to figure out how online school will work this fall. They are currently bargaining with the teacher’s union for a finalized plan.