Posted on 03/21/2020 8:12:41 AM PDT by karpov
For all the talk of online learning during shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, many U.S. public school students will find that the work they do while at home is actually optional. It won’t be graded and it won’t count.
Some public schools are calling online work “enrichment,” not part of the curriculum, because they can’t guarantee that all students will have access to it. Students without the internet or home computers can’t do it, and special-needs students may require accommodations to complete it.
As a result, millions of schoolchildren risk missing weeks of school. Most states have closed schools, leaving more than 43 million children, in grades K-12, out of school, and some schools won’t reopen this school year.
“It’s an equity issue. If you can’t guarantee all your students have online access, nothing’s graded,” said Tim Robinson, a spokesman in Seattle Public Schools in Washington, which closed schools and plans to broadcast not-for-grade educational activities online and by TV. “Our goal is to keep the students from going into a summer slide.”
The U.S. Department of Education recently sent out information to remind educators that schools moving to online learning must comply with civil rights laws, including making sure such tools are available to students with disabilities. Some teacher unions have decried school districts rolling out online plans not accessible to all.
Schools are expected to advance students to the next grade, come fall, even with all the months of missed coursework, though many administrators say they haven’t addressed it yet. Teachers already dread what they call “the summer slide,” or information children lose over summer vacation, and schools haven’t yet said how curricula in the fall may need to be adjusted to make up missed work.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Laws that are stopping schools from teaching online should be amended so that some provisions can be waived in an emergency.
In other words a homegrown commie.
Good opportunity for home school advocates to press for an advantages.
Bull hockey...every one of those kids has a mom that posts on facebook.
Our districts in SW FL are handing out chrome books and the internet providers are making very low cost or free limited internet available without a bunch of additional fees.
On the scale of life forms, on the low end, right below paramecium is the education administrator.
In fact, we need to have this discussion. Our education system is obsolete. There is no need for students to haul books and go to a public building to get educated. You can set up a nice education room at home or maybe hotels can rent out rooms on a monthly basis so people can use them to learn if they don't have the space at home.
That actually makes the most sense. I don’t believe a public school is ever in a good position to do online classes and assignments unless the school gives the students the tools to do the work.
One postive of this virus is the the politicians are finally going ot ahve to deal with the digital divide that has been plaguing rural America seriously.
Here, here! I have been tasked to teach my 23 students online, and seven have completed their online assignments. When we return, they will all complain they don’t have wifi or had connectivity issues. I guarantee they are all over their social media sites and playing xbox. I’m posting their zer0s online just in case they decide to see what this is doing to their grades. One student messaged me about her grade yesterday...why do I have a __? I responded that math is a funny thing. Just in case she can’t do percentages (this is high school) I gave her the formula for calculating GPA.
My heart goes out to all the teaches of this country. Hopefully, this trillion dollar aid package will include help for them as they lose their paychecks and have to stay at home for the next 5 months..assuming they go back to work then
Sounds like typical NEA.
I am sure they are seething because kids at home CAN be educated and schooled by their parents but educrats do not trust they can do a sufficient job.
I don’t know. It is highly presumptuous to think everyone has the same devices and same software and hardware that can handle the way the schools want it. Esp. In case like this where whole populations are being prevented from “going out” - to a store to buy what’s needed, or to the library to borrow the I ternary access. Never mind how arrogant to expect people to cough up hundreds of $ just for this. OR taxpayers.
High technology is not the end all be all. And it’s not a given that everyone can use it.
If they want remote homework, time to go to old-fashioned paper and snail mail.
I work for a very large school district. We are going to implement distance learning (online instruction) for the remainder of the school year. In order to address the equity issue, the district will issue a Chromebook to students that don’t have a computer at home, and a cellular WiFi hotspot to those who don’t have Internet at home. It will be tremendously expensive, and I know they are hoping the Feds will come in and reimburse for the added expense, but we are large enough we can do this. Most school districts could not afford the added expense out of pocket.
You’re speaking out of your butt.
Trust me, there is NO substitute for direct personal interaction with learning.
And the technology you speak of is not so easy to set up. Logistics can be very difficult.
And what do you do with the students who are supposed to graduate in May/June but are short one semester of units?
In California, all school employees continue to receive their regular salaries while the schools are shut over the coronavirus. No need to feel sorry for them...
Hopefully, that was /s without the tag.
No teacher or support person will go without a paycheck as a result of the emergency closure. At least not in the State of Michigan. The Governor’s order specifically stated all personnel will be paid with the exception of a few positions (aides).
The biggest problem is timing. Since the order goes through April 6th, some schools will go on Spring Break that week meaning students will be out of school for 4 week. The State has scheduled testing for the week starting April 13th. Which means some students will come back to face State testing.
The Department of Education has stated they will waive state testing if the states ask for a waiver. As of now, the State of Michigan has not asked for a waiver.
Don’t most states have a law as to how many class days a student must have to count it as a school year?
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