Vance County Schools developed and last week adopted a plan for the return to face-to-face learning. But when?
The plan itself calls for two days of face-to-face instruction and a staggered entry. The entry would begin with PreK then K and 6 grades followed by grades 1 and 2 and finally grades 3-5. Self-contained EC students in grades PreK-12 begin re-entry as well, and remote options remain available.
Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson told WIZS TownTalk, “One of the reasons we wanted to go ahead and get the plan approved was so parents would understand the format and understand, if you look at it closely, it really looks at the ramp up. So, each group would be brought in for a period of time, maybe a week, to get it stable, so it would take us about three to four weeks to completely implement the full plan and get all the students back in on that full schedule.” (To hear the interview with Dr. Jackson click here or the TownTalk logo to the right.)
The total format and all the safety protocols, so the teachers and students have a chance to understand, is important as well. It can’t happen all at once.
As to the remote learning participation so far, Dr. Jackson said 91 to 92 percent of students are engaged every single day. In terms of grades, he said, “We had some students do better than they would in the classroom, but we’ve also had some students who have struggled in this environment that we are going to have to do some work to help recapture and recoup the time lost and instruction they’ve missed.”
He said overall students are doing well.
The Vance County School board has operated with caution. Jackson said he believed that when all the data indicated its safe for kids and adults as well, and when the board is told it’s safe for both kids and adults, that it will be the signal the board needs to implement the plans for face-to-face learning.
Part of the puzzle is not only keeping folks healthy but also knowing there are enough healthy teachers and staff so the schools can operate effectively. Vance County has avoided flip flopping between open and closed and being forced to stop again after in-person learning resumes.
When asked about requiring teachers and staff to be vaccinated for covid, he said, “We follow state statute that governs our local policies, and once that’s cleared up, we will act accordingly. The truth is, we can’t get schools back open until people have a comfort level that we are safe.”