'We don't want to leave anybody behind': Mom hires teachers, creates in-home school amid pandemic
Updated: 11:41 AM EDT Jul 22, 2020
Marcie Cipriani
>> I'M STANDING IN WHAT WILL SOON BE A CLASSROOM TO KINDERGARTENERS RIGHT HERE AND SECOND GRADERS OVER HERE. NICOLE BLODGETT TELLS ME SHE IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT SENDING HER CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL THAT SHE IS BRINGING SCHOOL AND CLASSMATES TO THEM CLASSES ARE BEING DECIDED AMONG WOMEN WHO ARE JUST MEETING HERE. MANY SAW NICOLE BLODGETT'S SOCIAL MEDIA POST THAT SHE WANTED TO HOST NEXT SCHOOL YEAR IN HER HOME. AS OF NOW WE HAVE 6 KINDERGARTNERS AND 3 2ND GRADERS. AND BLODGETT SAYS THE RESPONSE WAS QUICK. SO SHE HAS ALREADY HIRED TWO TEACHERS. WHEN THE FALL STARTED I WAS HOPING TO GET A FULL TIME JOB IN A SCHOOL BUT THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY SCARY GOING IN TO A FIRST TIME TEACHING JOB IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL WHERE THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE ANSWERS NOW OF WHATS GOING ON SO WHEN NICOLE REACHED OUT TO ME IT WAS LIKE A BLESSING. >> BLODGETT SAYS GRACE AND AN ASSITANT WILL TEACH THE CLASSES THAT SHE HOPES WILL MIMC A TYPICAL SCHOOL DAY. >> WE'RE GONNA HAVE DESKS, A WORK TABLE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LIBRARY AND A PLAY AREA AND THEN IN THE CENTER WE'RE GONNA HAVE CIRCLE TIME SO WHEN THEY COME IN THIS ROOM AND THOSE 2 DOORS SHUT, THEY TRULY FEEL AS IF ARE IN SCHOOL. >> WITH LEARNING AND SOCIALIIZATION BUT WITH MUCH SMALLER CLASSES. AND A SPOT FOR OUTSIDE LEARNING. FOR BLODGETT THIS IS ABOUT KEEPING HER FAMILY SAFE AND FINDING OPTIONS FOR OTHERS TOO. >> I WANNA GIVE EVERYBODY THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE IF THEY NEED TO BE HERE. WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYBODY BEHIND OR OUT. BLODGETT TELLS ME SHE IS MEETING WITH OFFICIALS IN HER LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT TOMORROW TO TALK ABOUT CURRICULUM AND THEN SHE SAYS SHE'LL BEGIN T
Nicole Blodgett wasn't comfortable sending her children back in to the classroom with the uncertainty associated with COVID-19, so she reached out on social media offering to bring school to her home.The Pittsburgh-area mom said the response was overwhelming. "We're gonna have desks, a work table, we're gonna have a library and a play area and then in the center we're gonna have circle time, so when they come in this room and those two doors shut, they truly feel as if they are in school," Blodgett said.Blodgett is transforming her basement into kindergarten and second-grade classrooms to accommodate her children and others. She has also hired a teacher — Emily Grace — and a teacher's aide. Grace graduated college in December."I was hoping to get a full-time job in a school, but that was obviously scary going in to a first-time teaching job in a public school where they don't really have answers now of what's going on," Grace said. "So when Nicole reached out to me, it was like a blessing. It just seemed like the right opportunity for them and for me."Blodgett said they have six kindergartners scheduled to take class in her home and three second-graders."I wanna give everybody the same opportunity to be here if they need to be here. We don't want to leave anybody behind or out," Blodgett said. "I hope that every community can pull together and do that for a few people in their class or around them."Blodgett said she will be meeting with her local school district Wednesday to discuss curriculum.
Nicole Blodgett wasn't comfortable sending her children back in to the classroom with the uncertainty associated with COVID-19, so she reached out on social media offering to bring school to her home.
The Pittsburgh-area mom said the response was overwhelming.
"We're gonna have desks, a work table, we're gonna have a library and a play area and then in the center we're gonna have circle time, so when they come in this room and those two doors shut, they truly feel as if they are in school," Blodgett said.
Blodgett is transforming her basement into kindergarten and second-grade classrooms to accommodate her children and others. She has also hired a teacher — Emily Grace — and a teacher's aide.
Grace graduated college in December.
"I was hoping to get a full-time job in a school, but that was obviously scary going in to a first-time teaching job in a public school where they don't really have answers now of what's going on," Grace said. "So when Nicole reached out to me, it was like a blessing. It just seemed like the right opportunity for them and for me."
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Blodgett said they have six kindergartners scheduled to take class in her home and three second-graders.
"I wanna give everybody the same opportunity to be here if they need to be here. We don't want to leave anybody behind or out," Blodgett said. "I hope that every community can pull together and do that for a few people in their class or around them."
Blodgett said she will be meeting with her local school district Wednesday to discuss curriculum.
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