Concerns about virus exposure on first day back
Five months after they were ordered to shut down, Macon County Schools reopened on Monday with a hybrid schedule and a robust slew of measures designed to enhance virtual learning and keep kids safe.
There have already been a couple of scares. On Aug. 14, a Macon County Schools staff member tested positive for COVID-19, and both they and several of their co-workers will have to quarantine for up to 14 days to avoid exposure to students.
On Monday, there were multiple instances of parents who were COVID-19 positive coming into school to meet with teachers.
Superintendent Chris Baldwin said that Macon County Schools is working with Macon County Public Health to trace contacts and make sure all potentially affected individuals quarantine as necessary, but he insisted that the entire community needs to cooperate with screening guidelines if they are going to work.
“If they’re experiencing symptoms, if they tested positive or if they may have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive person, please stay at home,” Baldwin said. “Feel free to give us a call or email us. We’ll certainly work with you in that manner.”
Safety measures in place
There’s no shortage of preventative measures in place. Macon County Schools brought in cleaning supplies and screening tools before children returned, most noticeably with temperature checking stations at every school’s front door to make sure that everyone coming into a school building isn’t running a fever. School settings are also being rethought to maximize social distancing strategies, such as staggering cafeteria visits so kids don’t sit shoulder-to-shoulder and even changing communication methods in class.
“I’ve established some different hand signals so that they can signal me when they need something,” said Meagan Rogers, a second-grade teacher at South Macon Elementary School. “Now they don’t have to get up every time they need something and come to my desk. That’s supposed to be my safe space.”
Aside from keeping kids safe, keeping staff safe is the next big priority. Any situation that pulls a teacher out of the classroom for an extended period will be highly damaging to current learning plans, especially given how hard it is to find substitutes right now.
Schools providing childcare
Macon County Schools is going so far as to provide childcare for staff members with kids in grades K-8 so they can stay in the classroom regularly. These children are spending their remote days in spare spaces at the schools, but the school system is working with outside facilities including local churches, the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building and the National Guard Armory to provide similar care spaces to Macon County Schools families.
“We will certainly continue to work with our community partners to make these opportunities available to all of our parents and all of our families,” Baldwin said. “But if we don’t provide child care to our staff and they have to take leave because of it, we will not have the necessary staff to provide care for anyone.”
Improved accountability
One of the most difficult things about schools shutting down in March was maintaining student accountability. Without an established system for completing work and assigning fair grades, teachers essentially had to give students the work and hope they did it. This school year, assignments will be handled exclusively through school-issued iPads, which students will use to download assignments and complete them on their remote days, and through Google Classroom, which teachers will use to take attendance, provide grades, monitor instructional hours and communicate expectations with families.
“Some of my students seemed surprised to hear that they were going to have work that they had to do when they were at home,” STEM coordinator Jennifer Love said. “We need everyone to understand that this isn’t going to be like in spring. We’re taking a proactive approach this time.”
Remote learning hurdles
Love also said that all teachers have been asked to tailor remote learning assignments to students who don’t have reliable internet at home by providing them as downloads that they can get on their iPads on in-person days. However, students without home internet will still have options for getting online. The school system is distributing jet packs to families that need them most to take home, and a wide range of facilities, especially churches and non-profits, have offered their services as remote learning centers that families can use for their wireless connections free of charge.
“We’re very grateful for all of the cooperation that we saw throughout the school system,” Baldwin said.
Optimism
Despite the complexities of the situation, school staff members feel generally well prepared for the new school year. They’ve gone through extensive enough professional development that they’re confident teaching students and parents how to use their new technology. The first day of school went smoothly enough that they can feel optimistic about the coming weeks.
“Every issue that’s come up so far, we’ve been able to handle quickly,” Mountain View Intermediate School principal Nancy Breedlove said after the first day. “We think it went very well.”
Parents are similarly relieved that their kids will be able to get back to some level of normalcy.
“I’m feeling good, and I’m feeling confident,” Joanna Loops said. “And my son is actually feeling really good too. He’s stoked about it.”
Stoked is the perfect word for it. With everything that’s happened in the last few months, there’s never been a time when students were more excited by the first day of school.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my friends,” fifth-grader Danika Orth said. “I haven’t seen everyone in a long time.”
Macon County Schools will take a week for remote learning only from Monday, Sept. 7 to Friday, Sept. 11 so that the Macon County Board of Education can reevaluate their instruction strategies after seeing how the first three weeks of classes work out.
For more information, contact your child’s school directly or call the Macon County Schools central office at 828-524-3314.