NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Teachers and students across the state will be heading into their second week of school.
But many families chose the virtual route and one parent is offering other parents a helping hand.
The idea behind a parent support group started this summer when Alanna Tatum was a parent voice on the North Little Rock School District reopening task force.
One of their many discussions was having a private page where parents and teachers could talk.
When it became known the school district was going to be juggling too much this fall, Tatum put matters into her own hands.
"I wanted to be able to connect with other parents that are having the same struggles that I am so that we can struggle together," she said.
Tatum is a firm believer that everything is better in teams.
"It's just a resource and a tool for us to say, 'oh, I went through that already, here's how I solved it,'" she said.
With three kids in the North Little Rock School District, all learning virtually from home, Tatum knew this year would bring challenges for many families like hers.
"It's like, how do you do this? What is your morning routine, cause it's not the same as when you take them to school," she said.
While the questions and uncertainties continued to add up, Tatum decided to create a private virtual parent and teacher support group page.
"I just wanted a safe place where parents and teachers could maybe just vent about frustration and we could encourage each other and point each other to help," she said.
The group made up of 125 members from schools all over the district, according to Tatum, have already begun leaning on each other the first week.
"We all kind of figured out that I'm experiencing the same technical issues that you're experiencing, so maybe it's not just me," she said.
From posting district updates to troubleshooting connection issues, Tatum hopes the page provides new friendships and resources while everyone navigates this new normal.
"Support and encouraging each other and lifting each other up, I mean, that's the biggest thing," she said.
If you're a parent or teacher in the North Little Rock School District and want to be a member of the group, click here and you will answer some questions before you're let in.