ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) — Governor Ralph Northam has outlined a phased reopening for schools, and he says all schools will be operating under a new normal in the fall.
Empty classroom at Harrisonburg High School. | Credit: WHSV
A new normal brings challenges and a lot of questions, and right now, educators are wondering how the school year will work.
"Students have never been out of school this long. It's going to be five or six months they've been out of school before they come back," Garett Smith, Staunton City Schools Superintendent, said.
When students do return to Staunton City Schools on August 4, things will look different.
"We'll have to practice social distancing and other mitigation measures, and those are going to be really challenging," Smith said.
Northam outlined that students will have to be six feet apart in the classroom and on the bus, staff will need to wear face coverings where distance cannot be maintained, and there will be daily health screenings, among other changes. A remote learning option will also need to be made available and schedules may have to be staggered.
"I can't really picture how it's going to work simply because it is so opposite of everything that I've ever done," Stephanie Anstey, a teacher at Montevideo Middle School in Rockingham County, said. "It almost seems simple on the outside. Well, we'll just separate the kids and everything, but there's so many repercussions from doing that, so it's going to be really interesting."
Dr. Smith said schools also need to learn how to accommodate students whose families do not feel it's safe to return to school. He said he knows Staunton City Schools can provide access, but is worried about participation.
"We will be taking attendance. We will be taking grades. All those things will count, so we're hoping that extra accountability will up participation," Smith said.
With so many new restrictions, Anstey said it's important for everyone to be open to change.
"We have to be open to adjusting things as we go on both sides of it, whether it be a little more strict or a little less strict, as we see what happens, but I think that we really need to be looking at the mental health of the kids when it comes to this," Anstey said.
Aside from the challenges of figuring out how to properly adapt to the change, there will also be budget issues.
"Our budget is already busted from the closure, and any of these blended options, and if we have to do any extra multiple bus runs, smaller class sizes, things like that, they're all going to be more expensive," Smith said.
Even with the added challenges to come this school year, Dr. Smith is optimistic.
"With all of these changes. There are opportunities to rethink what teaching and learning can look like, what school schedules can look like, so I think some good things will come out of this," Smith said. "We have a lot of smart people working on our plans. Schools need to evolve and change as the world changes."
Staunton City Schools is planning to have its reopening plan ready to send out to the public by mid-July.
Over the summer, teachers will be required to attend classes or show mastery on various learning platforms, tools and techniques to be ready for whatever type of learning has to happen.
Rockingham County Schools is planning to have its plan ready to release in July as well. Anstey said she's looking forward to being back in the classroom with students.
"Anyway that we can shoulder a burden so your kids don't have to, we are going to do that, so stay positive and know that we are working on things," Anstey said. "When push comes to shove, whatever needs to happen, is going to happen. We are going to make sure that your kids are our number one priority because it's what we do."
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June 11, 2020 at 05:22AM
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Valley educators plan for challenges of school reopening in the fall - WHSV
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