"It is simply too hot in south Mississippi. The school buses are not air conditioned. When a child is constantly thinking about when, if, how they are required to wear a face covering, they are not focused on their schoolwork.
"It’s too much of a distraction, even if I did believe that masks really would make a difference. My boys are highly intelligent and I’m confident that they will have no problem passing the placement test next school year and transitioning back to public school. My main concern is that I won’t be able to help them if they struggle with a particular area of instruction.
"But thankfully I’ve been blessed to have a job that allows me to work remotely, making it easier to homeschool.
"In doing this, I'm looking forward to having the chance to bond with my boys in a way that I’ve never been able to before. I want to take control of the things they learn and I want to have as much hands-on learning and take as many field trips as possible.
"This is a special chance for them to learn exactly the way they want to learn."
Kaleigh Vicknair
Long Beach, Mississippi