NEWARK – Parents and teachers this week are adjusting to the news that the school year will begin virtually for the Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) community.
Last Thursday, Superintendent Lou Taylor announced that the school year would begin with distance learning, Stage One of the “Responsible Return” model, for all students. Officials plan to reevaluate conditions every two weeks and hope to move into Stage Two, which would bring small groups of students back into school, by Sept. 28.
“We all recognize that there is no perfect solution to addressing the challenges that this pandemic has created for school systems, including our school system,” Taylor said as he made the announcement last Thursday.
As proposed, WCPS students will engage in distance learning for Stage One, a tiered support model that brings some students back to school in Stage Two, a hybrid alternating week model in Stage Three and full-on face-to-face learning in the final Stage Four.
Jeff Smith, president of the Buckingham Elementary School PTA, said that while he was glad the school system had shared its “Responsible Return” model, he didn’t think it was much of a plan.
“There’s detail about how they think it should work but not how they’ll actually make it work,” he said.
Smith feels the plan lacks specifics and doesn’t address some key issues, such as what will happen when a kid gets sick once kids are back in school. He said the school system had also not addressed the issue of learning cohorts or pods, which many parents are exploring. They’re interested in forming small groups to tackle virtual learning together.
Overall, Smith says parents he’s spoken to have a lot of trepidation about the coming school year.
“I haven’t talked to a parent who’s gung ho and excited for the fall,” he said. “I think a lot of parents are trying to be cautiously optimistic.”
Jessica Clark, vice president of Showell Elementary School’s PTA, said she thought officials had made the best decision they could in a difficult situation.
“Schools are so much more than places of learning,” she said. “They provide students with food, love, social and emotional support. In a normal and perfect world, students would be back in classrooms learning with their teachers. Unfortunately, the word ‘normal’ is relative these days and any choice made will be less than ideal. I am grateful to the board that they have chosen to prioritize student, teacher, staff and community safety at this time by beginning the school year remotely.”
She added that she appreciated the flexibility the school system was allowing in providing families the option of sticking with distance learning once schools begin to reopen.
“Every family is different and what works for my family will not work for others, so choices are important as families gauge their individual comfort level of returning in person,” she said. “In a time where there are really no good choices, and each poses its own set of challenges, I do believe WCPS are doing the responsible thing and making the safety and health of our kids and their teachers paramount.”
Rachel Geiger, a former teacher who has three kids in WCPS, agreed.
“I am thankful for the effort and consideration the WCPS administrative team put forth in making this difficult decision,” she said. “I know beginning the school year with distance learning will be difficult for many families, but I am confident that it is the safest plan for our community. I’m glad the plan allows for frequent re-evaluation so that our kids can get back in the classroom sooner if circumstances improve.”
Beth Shockley-Lynch, president of the Worcester County Teachers Association, said her organization had spent months working with school system administration on a plan for returning to school. She said bringing teachers into their classrooms to provide virtual lessons during distance learning was a first step.
“They were fearful of coming back in a traditional manner,” she said.
She said that because of the inconsistency of internet access throughout the county, teachers would be better connected in their classrooms. At the same time, they’ll be able to maintain physical distancing.
“The majority of them seem comfortable with trying it this way,” she said.
For those who are not comfortable, the school system will determine on a case-by-case basis if teachers who want to can continue to work from home. Shockley-Lynch said that could be an option for those with family members who were ill or for teachers who had children of their own. She added that children of teachers would be among the small groups of students permitted to return to schools when the school system moved to Stage Two.
She stressed that the health situation was fluid and that flexibility was needed going forward.
“This is uncharted territory for all of us,” she said. “We’re trying to do the best we can. We’re going to work with people. I’m sure it’s going to be a learning curve for all of us.”
She pointed out that students too would have to do their part, as the virtual learning kicking off the school year would be more structured than the continuity of learning that took place in the spring. Students will be required to participate and complete assignments.
“We’re hopeful kids will know this is a different year,” she said. “We’re not just finishing out a year. They’ll have to be responsible for the work.”
She added, however, that the school system would be flexible with students just as it was with teachers. Those who don’t have reliable internet access, for example, will be provided some latitude as long as schools are made aware of the problem.
“If parents communicate that with us, we’re going to make arrangements to work with them,” Shockley-Lynch said.
Parent Sara Hambury said she was pleased that teachers would be providing lessons in real time online.
“I’m looking forward to the implementation of the synchronous learning versus what they did in the spring,” she said. “I understand that our teachers worked hard and were under pressure, but I do think that having more instructional time with the teachers will be much better.”
Hambury is content with the way the school system plans to move forward, as there are still issues that need to be addressed — PPE, space for social distancing and increased sanitization — before kids return to schools.
“I’m satisfied with the decision of the superintendent and the school board in regards to the safety of my children and the staff, especially with the death of a Worcester County Public Schools staff member,” she said. “I don’t see how they’d be able to open in a global pandemic keeping everyone safe.”
Smith, despite his questions about the school system’s return plan, acknowledged that it was a difficult situation for everyone, as the school system had to comply with mandates from various agencies and was encumbered by limited funding.
“They’re in a no-win situation,” he said.
Smith added, however, that a little more communication from the school system could go a long way.
“There’s complete silence except when they make a big announcement,” he said. “That’s just not enough. The biggest thing they could try to do is talk more.”
Shockley-Lynch said the school system would be posting answers to frequently asked questions in the coming days.
“This is all so new,” she said. “We’re trying to make the best of a bad situation.”