After delaying the start date and giving parents more time to select a preferred learning model, the Clarke County School District announced it will begin the 20-21 school year entirely online. WUGA’s Savannah Sicurella has the report.
The Clarke County School District will begin the year with virtual instruction on account of current state COVID-19 data, according to a press release sent on Wednesday afternoon.
The district previously offered in-person, hybrid and fully-virtual instructional models for students. Interim Superintendent Dr. Xernona Thomas said the district is aiming to restore in-person instruction as soon as possible, though did not provide a date by which the change will occur.
There are challenges that result from the shift, such as securing access to the Internet and compatible devices or childcare. Janet Frick, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia and parent to a CCSD high school sophomore, says a major flaw in the plan is ensuring children have appropriate supervision and childcare during school hours.
Georgia state leaders have announced they will not ask local schools to delay face-to face instruction until after Labor Day.
A few Georgia districts are scheduled to resume face-to-face instruction as early as next week. A number of others plan to start face-to-face instruction on Aug. 3. Those districts are moving ahead despite the continued spread of the virus across the state and protests from parents, teachers and experts.
