County votes for mixture of in-person, remote learning
Robbinsville – Graham County students will return to in-person learning Monday, Aug. 17.
Following Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement on July 14 that schools could opt to return at the local level under either “Plan B” – a moderate, in-person instructional option – or “Plan C” – remote learning-only – this fall, the Graham County Board of Education held a special meeting Monday to discuss the fate of students for the 2020-21 school year.
After a hour-long closed session, Superintendent Angie Knight said Graham County will operate under a flexible “Plan B” option.
“In March – when we were thrown into this, essentially overnight – requirements and guidelines were not set up at all,” Knight said. “It seemed to be a little less rigorous.
“I can promise that this year, there will be rigor and accountability. Attendance will be taken if remote learning is going on, as if you were sitting in the classroom. Curriculum will be very well defined, and there will be rubrics, regarding what participation and grading will look like, so that parents are aware of what’s going on.”
Parents do still have the option to choose remote learning only. For those who decide to send their child to a school campus, different guidelines for reduced attendance were set for each location:
* Grades K-3 and high school students (grades 9-12) will attend Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. High school students could return to classes held in larger rooms – such as the auditorium, gymnasium or the media center – to maintain social distancing.
* Grades 4-8 will be on a rotated schedule, with students alphabetized A-M (“Cohort A”) attending Mondays and Thursdays, and students with last names N-Z (“Cohort B”) attending Tuesdays and Fridays.
* Wednesdays will be set aside for remote learning only, which will also allow for extra cleaning inside the facilities.
“Please know that our plan is flexible and fluid, and could change, based on the board’s decision or the decision of the governor,” Knight added.
The original mandate that attendance should be reduced to 50 percent per campus has since been lifted, with only social distancing required.
In addition to the attendance procedures, Graham County Schools will also ensure the following takes place:
* Parents are encouraged to bring students to school, as transportation will be limited. Only one child will be allowed per seat on a school bus, with a maximum of 22 students on board.
* Students will undergo daily temperature checks and at least five, reusable cloth masks will be provided for students, faculty and staff.
* Hand sanitizing stations and individual water bottles will be readily available.
* Plexiglass shields will be installed in offices and cafeterias.
* Social distancing stickers will be placed around campuses.
* A limited number of students will be eating in cafeterias, while others will have to file through and pick up their meals to eat in classrooms. The system for this has not been finalized.
A recent weeklong “Return to School” poll on the school system’s Facebook page resulted in an overwhelming 87 percent of the county’s roughly 1,150 enrolled families responding.
The survey revealed that 75 percent of those that participated would prefer in-person learning, while 24 percent would want the remote-learning option and less than 1 percent would opt to homeschool under a personalized curriculum. Teachers and community members were also contacted to weigh in on the 2020-21 plans.
Cherokee County will announce its plans today. Swain County voted last week to go with the mixture of Plans B and C, while Cherokee Central Schools in Jackson County will go with “Plan C.”