By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on July 14, 2020
Governor also keeps NC in ‘Safer-at-Home’ phase
Gov. Roy Cooper
At a July 14 press briefing largely devoted to his plan for opening public schools, Governor Roy Cooper also announced that when his Order expires on July 17, North Carolina will remain in the current “Safer-at-Home” Phase Two that has been in effect since May 22.
This marks the second time any further opening of the state has been paused due to what Cooper has characterized as “concerning” rises in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (The state, which now has reported almost 90,000 cases, reported a record high 1,109 hospitalizations on July 14.) Cooper’s decision to stay in the same phase of opening means current restrictions will remain in place and businesses such as bars and gyms will not re-open for at least another three weeks.
But the overwhelming majority of the briefing was occupied by the governor’s announcement of an August school re-opening plan that includes both in-person and remote education — the so-called Plan B. During a briefing last week, Cooper seemed to foreshadow today’s decision when he said, “I believe that kind of getting back into school [safely] is going to require some in-person, but also some remote learning.”
“Plan B is the baseline for our state,” Cooper said on July 14. “We know that schools will look a lot different this year. They have to be safe and effective.”
The governor explained that under Plan B, the in-person school experience will include, among other things, face coverings for every teacher, student and staffer along with a six-foot social distancing mandate. There will be daily symptomatic screenings and temperature checks, and schools must have the capacity to temporarily isolate a student who is ill. In addition, non-essential visitors to schools will be limited.
While opting for Plan B, Cooper also made it clear he was giving flexibility to local school districts to craft their own plans, although they won’t be allowed to offer in-person only learning. He said he wanted districts to provide remote-only learning options for students who wanted that and added that they can also opt for Plan C, which would offer remote-only learning to all students.
“There is a lot of individual tailoring that needs to be done for these individual school districts,” he added.
With the governor having decided, the ball is in the court of the local districts. Dare County, for example, sent out a survey to parents on July 7 seeking their input on three ways of implementing Plan B if the governor chose it.
The first Plan B option would entail kindergarten through eighth grade students utilizing elementary, middle, and high school campuses to attend school five days while high school students would participate in remote-only learning.
The second option would have all students – elementary, middle and high school – split into two cohorts, each group learning in school classrooms on alternating days of the week while participating in remote learning the other days. Friday would be a remote learning day for all students.
The third option would also include a mixture of in-person and remote learning, but it would have students in the classroom on alternating weeks rather than alternating days of the week.
As part of the survey, parents could also indicate that they would prefer virtual learning only during the first semester of the school year. According to the survey, virtual learning would include a full day and mandatory attendance and grading for all grade levels. Middle and high school students taking advantage of this option would be permitted to participate in extra-curricular activities and athletics.
Earlier today, before the Cooper press briefing, a Dare County Schools official said the district might issue a statement following the governor’s decision.
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Cooper opts for hybrid school opening plan - The Outer Banks Voice
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