Twice a week in-person days to begin in November
Twice a week by Larry Chowning –
The Middlesex County School Board (MCSB) voted unanimously to instruct the school superintendent to develop a hybrid plan of in-school instruction starting on Nov. 5.
School Superintendent Peter Gretz introduced the same hybrid plan school officials considered in August before MCSB approved a six-week virtual instructional plan.
The in-school portion of the plan will be used by 70% of the school population as 30% of parents have requested that their children continue with total virtual instruction. The plan calls for giving parents that option.
The new hybrid plan will divide the school population in half as Group A and Group B. Group A will be provided in-school instruction on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week and Group B will have it on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Remote instruction will be provided on the other weekdays without in-school instruction.
The plan also calls for a three day “academic recovery” on Nov. 2, 3 and 4 to allow teachers and students time “to take a breath,” said Dr. Gretz. School will resume using the hybrid instructional plan starting on Nov. 5.
The plan takes Middlesex County Public Schools out of the governor’s phase one criteria and into either phase two or phase three, which allows in-school instruction.
The main reasons for the shift back into in-school instruction was because test scores using virtual instruction show large learning gap deficiencies for elementary school students in reading and, increased failures in required courses by high school students to graduate.
Dr. Gretz also said more and more schools in Virginia are successfully going back to in-school instruction without experiencing large case increases of COVID-19.
The superintendent of schools in Bristol, Dr. Keith Pennegin, said at the meeting that since the opening day of school his school system has been using in-school instruction for four days a week with remote learning on Friday. He said the Bristol school system has been successful and safe using this approach. He also said that all students are required to wear a mask and there are very few complaints.
Dr. Richard Williams of Three Rivers Health District said it still remains unclear the total impact COVID-19 has on children but it is clear that it is not as dangerous as it is for adults. He also said that he was more comfortable with a hybrid in-school plan than he would have been several months ago.
Dr. Gretz said that there is some urgency in finding ways to eliminate these learning gaps and he feels in-school instruction will help with this.
Jamaica District school board representative Elliott Reed said that this is a difficult decision “potentially putting everyone at risk and everyone needs to work together to keep each other safe.”
