By Erica Thomas, managing editor
ASHVILLE — School systems across the United States have gone back and forth from traditional, in-class learning to online classes since the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.
With an unprecedented start to the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, school leaders have been forced to shuffle teachers and students while ensuring safety and the best education possible.
St. Clair County Superintendent Mike Howard oversees around 9,000 students and 1,200 employees. His school system is one of many that was forced to go to online-only classes for a period of time because of the high number of teachers in quarantine. For seven days in November, St. Clair County Schools turned to virtual learning. Howard said there were not enough substitute teachers to cover 25% of vacancies. He said since returning to school, things have not gotten any easier.
“Over the past few weeks, it has been increasingly more difficult,” Howard said. “People are having to quarantine due to exposure to those with positive test results. It’s harder on our staff because they have lives outside of school and they get exposed outside of school. The schools end up having to make adjustments to make sure we have adequate coverage within the buildings.”
The school system monitors quarantines, local coronavirus cases and statewide trends on a day-to-day basis. The Superintendent and school administrators make predictions on what adjustments need to be made and try to plan ahead as much as possible.
Planning has been a challenge for teachers, as well. With an ever-changing routine, Howard said teachers have faced challenges like never before.
“It’s disrupting the educational process of teachers,” Howard said. “They could be in the middle of a lesson today and be sent home tomorrow.”
Teachers also have to ensure their subs are informed and ready to take on the task. The teachers work with administrators and some even work from home, if they are not sick, all for the benefit of the students.
“We are trying to touch base with the students the best way we can,” said Howard.
And for the teachers who are still in school, added stress is felt as changes are made.
“When appropriate, we are having to combine classes,” Howard explained. “So, they are having to teach multiple classes to pick up slack for the teachers who are unable to be in the classroom.”
While keeping students safe is a top priority, Howard said he is afraid that the long-term effects on students’ education will be drastic. In fact, school districts across the country, both big and small, have reported an increase in the number of students failing classes. But Howard doesn’t think we will see the real impact for years.
“There’s nothing that beats in-person instruction,” Howard added. “As for the long-term implications, I don’t know if we’ll truly see the effects for 10 years or so. What’s going to happen once COVID is over, to the grades following these students, will have to pick up whatever deficiencies they have due to the lack of in-face instruction during this pandemic.”
St. Clair County Schools has put together a detailed plan for keeping schools open as long as possible. The six-stage plan is a foundational model that would be considered for each community, not system-wide.
Howard presented the plan in a video posted on the St. Clair County Schools website.