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05/18/2021 12:00 AMThough it’s still very early in the deliberative process, traditional snow days could end up being a thing of the past in Guilford as remote learning will continue to be used in the district—likely in a variety of ways, and not just for closures or quarantines.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Freeman told the Board of Education (BOE) last week that the state Department of Education officially announced that districts would not be required to offer full-year or long-term distance learning options to students, which he said the district supports from a philosophical standpoint.
“We agree with the state that in-person schooling is more effective and better for students,” Freeman said. “At this time, we are not planning on offering a fully remote option.”
But weather events or potential COVID quarantines will still result in short-term remote opportunities for students as the district maintains that capability, Freeman added, while cautioning in a follow-up email to the Courier that much remains in flux and the state guidance is only preliminary.
Currently, according to Freeman, about 10 percent of the school population is currently taking part in fully remote learning, which the state mandated districts offer for the 2020-’21 school year.
Future short-term remote learning will “look very much the same” as it has this year, according to Freeman, with students joining their classrooms via video or participating through other online platforms.
Snow or other weather events are not necessarily going to always be a remote day across the district, according to Freeman.
“It is most likely that it may become one option we have to respond to weather days and that we may see a mix of closings, delays, or remote days in response to specific circumstances,” Freeman told the Courier.
He told the BOE that the district would also look for “creative” ways to use remote platforms to collaborate with neighboring school districts, which aligns with some of the state guidance suggesting that districts look to leverage virtual platforms for enrichment options, equity initiatives, and the expansion of access to new learning opportunities.
But the state also cautioned that districts needed to be aware of the strain on teachers, many of whom have already spent most of the year teaching to both in-person and remote students, sometimes simultaneously.
“There is a design and planning impact on the teachers and there can be a distracting effect to the students in person in the classroom when only some are remote,” Freeman told the Courier. “So while [remote learning] may be used for lengthy medical absences or quarantines, it is unlikely that it would be used in less urgent situations.”
These “less urgent situations” would be something like a student traveling or taking vacations during school time.
As far as quarantines, Freeman reiterated that all district staff members that chose to get the vaccine—well over 90 percent—are now full vaccinated, and with the FDA authorizing at least once vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 on an emergency basis, the need to quarantine next year will likely be lessened.
If a student has a close contact with the virus next year, they will have the opportunity to “confirm” to the district that they are fully vaccinated, and will then not be asked to quarantine, according to Freeman.
The state is currently formulating long-term guidelines for remote learning ahead of next fall, intending to survey districts and families about their 2020-’21 experiences.