Ever since the pandemic started in March, schools across the nation have had to make adjustments and change the way normal day to day activities were handled. With increasing numbers of cases since then, there has been the same question on the mind of every parent and caregiver: What will the schools do now?
Although Quitman School District originally released their plan to reopen on August 10 and allow for students to choose distance learning, they have recently amended opening plans. Instead of some students physically returning to the classroom on August 10, all students will begin the school year doing distance learning for the month of August. Those who have elected to return to the classroom physically will be allowed back in the buildings starting on September 8.
With news of the changes, parents and caretakers have been in a frenzy with a mass of mixed opinions on whether or not the school has made the right decision, and some parents are simply confused about how everything will work.
With a little over 820 students already registered for school, only around 147 of those have elected to do distance learning to start with. For the remaining students that planned on attending classes in person, they will have to adjust to distance learning for at least the first month.
The school made their decision to push back physically meeting until September 8 based on research, data, and a desire to make sure that all students are safe.
“There are over 4,000 kids in the state who have contracted COVID-19. The Mississippi Medical Association and State Academy of Pediatrics just put out a statement suggesting that schools delay having face-to-face school start,” explained Quitman Superintendent, Dr. Toriano Holloway. “Safety, next to instruction, is our most important priority. We are trying to get the same supplies as every other school district in the nation, and I did not feel comfortable bringing kids back when we are not fully ready to practice our protocols and are still making sure we have everything we need. Our teachers are ready to receive kids, but I didn’t want to rush and be reckless when we could be cautious. There just isn’t enough research to fully understand how children do with how kids transmit the disease or not. All the uncertainties about how it affects kids, thinking about the safety of the kids and teachers, and not wanting to lose any students or adults made me think it’s better to be safe instead of rushing in.”
The decision to delay meeting in person was not easily made, and the school did take in consideration the impact it would have on the parents and guardians of the children in the district.
“I know it inconveniences some people in the community, but I value life and our kids’ lives and our teachers’ lives,” stated Dr. Holloway. “There was no easy decision. We listened to a webinar by Dr. Dobbs last week, and his webinar confirmed what our belief was in pushing back. We just want to provide a safe environment first and then teach the kids. Sometimes you have to make decisions that are in the best interest of people, even if they don’t know that it’s in their best interest. We’ve been working on all of this since March, and we just ask for a few more weeks and that the community be patient with us on the decisions we are making now and will have to continue to make in the school year.”
One of the other changes that the school made involved the bus routes. The district will no longer run a bus route to pick up anyone who lives within a mile of the school. With parents upset about the decision, the school also explained its reason for changing its pickup policy.
“To help with lowering numbers on the buses, we did cut out picking up kids within a mile of the school,” stated Dr. Holloway. “The school doesn’t get reimbursed for picking kids up within a mile. Since the state doesn’t reimburse the school for that, it would free up a couple of buses to stop running it within a mile of the school and allow us to use those buses in other areas to break up the larger routes. It helps with social distancing.”
Some parents aren’t as concerned with the start time, but they are confused about how the distance learning will work for all students, especially those without access to internet or technology.
“Like in March and April, we will allow students to check out devices, and we will open the internet next to the school,” said Dr. Holloway. “Parents can pull up to the school any time of the day or night and either stay in their vehicles or allow the student to sit outside the vehicle and do their work. They just can’t come into the school. Each school will be releasing information on when and how to check out devices and how the distance learning will be done.”
Although parents only have the option of pulling up to the school to use the school internet right now, the district does hope to procure some portable internet boxes that they can place on buses in various locations in the more rural part of the county so that the students will eventually have internet access a little closer to home.
As for the actual distance learning, multiple parents have panicked at the thought of how they would get their child to do four hours of classwork every day. The good news is parents will not have to force their child to sit in front of a screen for four hours.
“Just because it says four hours doesn’t mean we expect kids to actually sit in front of a computer for four hours,” explained Dr. Holloway. “The teacher will plan for four hours because the assignments and work have to equal up to four hours throughout the day for the child to be considered present, but it may not actually take four hours to do the work. The teacher assigns a time frame for how long an assignment should take. The student will get credit for the entire time as long as the work is completed, and it doesn’t matter if they finish it early.”
Although each school will also have a different approach to the distance learning, they will all have assignments posted each day that the students will need to complete. It is very important for students to complete all of the assignments each day in order to be counted present. Parents with multiple kids or highly energetic kids will not have to worry about doing everything at the same time, though. They will just need to make sure that each child completes all the work throughout the day.
“Distance learning will vary at the different schools. Some schools are just recording lessons and posting them online, and some schools are offering live classes as well as the recordings,” said Dr. Holloway. “It doesn’t matter what time of day the student does the work, as long as they log in and complete the work each day. They can log in and log out throughout the day, so it doesn’t all have to be done in one session. As long as the work is completed by the end of the day, they will get credit and be considered present. If all the work is not completed, then they will not be considered present for that day. The work counts both towards grades and attendance.”
Parents can also take comfort in knowing that this time distance learning will be different from how it was at the end of the school year. Instead of teachers successfully doing the unthinkable and having to learn a new way of teaching overnight, teachers have prepared to teach online with different professional development classes and have arranged all of their lessons to be able to be conducted online as well as in person.
“This instruction will be more intense than what we had to close out the school year,” stated Dr. Holloway.
It’s the new intensity and overall organization that the teachers now have that has some parents concerned. Those who have children with accommodations have expressed concern with how those accommodations will be met.
“It may be that the student’s teacher has an individual Zoom meeting to assist with the work,” said Dr. Holloway. “There are some students who receive services that may require that we bring them back a little earlier than we have to bring everyone else back. Most of them can just do Zoom calls and have that teacher help them with any work, though.”
Although the students will not meet in person until September 8, it is still important for parents to purchase the school supplies. There is a chance that some schools may need the students to use some of the supplies while distance learning, but the schools and individual teachers will have to make parents aware of what will be needed.
One of the resources some parents are concerned about is textbooks and other resources.
“Schools will give out information on if any books or resources need to be picked up as we get them in,” stated Dr. Holloway. “I know we have some iReady workbooks coming. With some of our books, kids will get an online license to look on, and that information will come from the school if they plan to utilize the online textbook. Those kids who will remain distance learning through the nine weeks or semester will have to collect resources from the school as they are given information from the school to do so.”
The school has had a hard decision to make, and the district does feel that it is taking the right approach on opening the schools. The teachers in the school understand how difficult this is, and although it is not necessarily what the teachers want, they do understand the necessity of beginning in this manner.
“The school is where I want to be, but sometimes what we want may not be what’s best,” stated Michelle Davis, English teacher at the high school. “I want my students to be safe; I want my students to go home and do homework, not carry COVID home to their parents or grandparents. I want people to do what is best for others as well as for themselves. I want people to realize we have to work together in all situations. I want people to realize that no superintendent, administrator, or teacher wants to do anything but go back to school full force with all students sitting in the classroom. I want people to learn that it’s not always about what we want but what is best for all students. I want people to do what is right by their children but also consider that what is right for their child might not be right for others. In making a decision about opening a school, that decision must be made by the powers that be based on scientific information and data, not emotion or hype. I pray that whatever decision is made, people will get behind the school district and support their individual children in whatever way they can. In the meantime, a decision has to be made regarding the students as a whole, and I for one, am glad I don’t have to make that decision.”
Some parents do agree with the decision that the school has made regarding postponing meeting in person.
“I believe it was the correct decision of Quitman School District to postpone the start of the 2020-2021 school year because it gives parents more time to make a sound decision on sending their children to school or switching to distance learning,” said Amanda Thomas. “I feel, as a parent myself, that it is important to select the best option for each child’s personal health and safety without rushing into it.”
Other parents agree with the decision, but they can also see some obstacles created from the decision.
“I’m glad they are pushing it back, but at the same time, I work 8 to 5 every day,” stated Jackie Coats. “My fiancé works. My parents are up in age and have many health problems, and they are not able to do it. There is also the question of the internet. There is very limited cell reception at my house and none at my parents. If I find someone to bring internet out here, I’m afraid it’s going to be too expensive.”
There are some parents who disagree with the decision completely and believe that students should go back starting in the traditional setting in August.
“I feel they should open schools. Our children need the socialization more than anything, and they have been denied since March,” said Crystal Kolb. “Every parent that has taken their child to Wal-Mart, on vacation, or to a family member’s house has exposed their children. Single parent households or two parent households where the parents work may not have the ability to aid their children with schoolwork. Some homes don’t have devices or internet. Every parent that has worked during this time could have exposed their family, so this is no different than sending them to school.”
Other parents who disagree have more personal reasons dealing with their children that causes them to disagree with the school’s decision.
“As a parent, I am very upset. I am a working mother of two children whom I love more than anything in this world and only want, what I feel, is best for them,” explained Casey Parham. “For me, that is to get the education that under the law they are entitled to: a free and appropriate education. Quitman School District is postponing the opening of school until after Labor Day and starting out with a virtual learning plan. This is contrary to what we were told on June 6. Parents were given a choice to do traditional or virtual learning. That choice is now in jeopardy, and children like mine will suffer. They will suffer because their father and I both work and cannot be home to oversee their education. Kaelynn, my 14-year-old, struggles with dyslexia and has an IEP to help with her educational goals. Who is going to provide her with that help as she sits alone in front of a computer trying to do work? This is her first year in high school. Those years really count, and she is not being given a fair chance to succeed. Bottom line—my kids need to be in school, and they cannot get the education they need in front of a computer. A lot of people will not be satisfied until the virus is gone, and it’s not leaving. Viruses don’t just disappear.”
The district is required to submit its final plans for reopening to the Mississippi Department of Education by July 31. Although there is no decision that will make everyone happy, the school is doing its best to keep what is best for the students in mind and not make any rash decisions. This is uncharted territory for every school in the nation, and although it is difficult to say what is the right or wrong decision, the school will need as much support from the community as it can get in order to make this a successful school year despite the turmoil surrounding it.
