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Report outlines how classes could resume in South Carolina

Report outlines how classes could resume in South Carolina
MICHAEL: WE’RE GETTING OUR FIRST LOOK AT WHAT THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOL SCHEDULE COULD LOOK LIKE THIS UPCOMING FALL. MADELEINE HACKETT LISTENED IN AS POTENTIAL SCHEDULES WERE ANNOUNCED FOR THE FIRST TIME. SHE IS AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE WITH A BREAKDOWN. MADELEINE: SIX SCHEDULE OPTIONS WERE PRESENTED AT TONIGHT’S VIRTUAL BOARD WORKSHOP. THE FIRST THREE OPTIONS WOULD ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING TO BE PRACTICED. THE LAST THREE WOULD NOT. THE ATTENDANCE PLAN DIVIDES STUDENTS INTO FOUR SEPARATE GROUPS BASED ON LAST NAME. PLAN ZERO LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE’RE ALREADY DOING. NO FACE TO FACE LEARNING, AND KEEPING THINGS ENTIRELY ONLINE. UNDER PLAN ONE, STUDENTS WOULD ATTEND SCHOOL ONE DAY A WEEK WITH THEIR ASSIGNED GROUP. PLAN TWO, STUDENTS WOULD ATTEND TWO DAYS A WEEK. THESE OPTIONS, ACCORDING TO THE DISTRICT, LIMITS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS PHYSICALLY IN SCHOOL AT ONE TIME, SO SOCIAL DISTANCING CAN STILL BE PRACTICED. PLAN FOUR DOES AWAY WITH THE GROUPS. AND ALL STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, WITH FRIDAY AS A DESIGNATED E-LEARNING DAY. UNDER PLAN 5A, ALL STUDENTS WOULD ATTEND SCHOOL FOR ALL FIVE DAYS, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDA AND PLAN 5B, ALL STUDENTS ATTEND MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, BUT HOURS ARE SHORTENED. >> ASHLEY SAVED $85. SHE SPENT $26. MADELEINE: LIKE MOST STUDENTS, HELENA AUTUMN HAS BEEN LEARNING THROUGH A SCREEN SINCE MAY. >> LEARNING NEW THINGS IS EASIER WITH MY TEACHER. I’M REALLY EXCITED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. MADELEINE: AND SO IS HER MOM. AUTUMN BIBLE SEES OPTION 5A, RETURNING TO THE NORMAL, PRE-COVID SCHEDULE, AS THE MOST VIABLE AND ATTRACTIVE OPTION FOR HER LIFESTYLE AND HER DAUGHTER’S LEARNING EXPERIENCE. >> AS A TWO INCOME HOUSEHOLD, ME AND MY HUSBAND BOTH WORK, GOING BACK TO NORMAL, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, NORMAL SCHOOL DAY WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION. MADELEINE: THE DIFFERENT SCHEDULES OFFER THE FLEXIBILITY TO SWITCH BETWEEN THEM ON AN AS-NEED BASIS, DEPENDING ON WHETHER THINGS CHANGE. FOR INSTANCE, A SECOND WAVE HITS AFTER A SCHEDULE HAS ALREADY BEEN DETERMINED. IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT NOTHING HERE IS SET IN STONE. THESE PLANS ARE STILL IN THE DISCUSSION PHASE. WE PROVIDED A CHART FROM THE SCHOOL THAT FURTHER BREAKS DOWN THESE CHAN
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Report outlines how classes could resume in South Carolina
A report from the AccelerateED Task Force in South Carolina details what should be done with summer school and how what is done during that time should be considered a test run for fall classes.To read the full report, click here. AccelerateED is made up of 12 educators and administrators from across the state. The group received input from a larger advisory group, as well as the education community and the general public. (Video above: Greenville County Schools shares early look at potential schedule changes for Fall 2020)The goal of the task force was to come up with common sense solutions that allow for continued learning while protecting the well-being of students and educators. Summer school should be considered a test run for fall classes and districts should make every effort to teach elementary students in person this summer, said the task force, which was organized by state Education Superintendent Molly Spearman.They also need to plan thoroughly for a possible disruption of in-person learning if there is a second wave of COVID-19 infections, the report said.The report recommends 6 feet of social distancing in classrooms and buses. It suggests lunches could be eaten in classrooms with doors propped open when possible to keep children and teachers from touching doors. If recess is allowed, the report said students should wash their hands as soon as returning inside and playground equipment should be immediately disinfected.But plenty of details are left to local districts like Greenville County Schools, which is the state’s largest with 77,000 children or about 10% of all of South Carolina’s public schools students.Earlier this week, the Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees heard about six different fall scheduling options, but made no decision.They ranged from all distance learning, to dividing students in the district into four groups, with separate plans to bring one group in one day a week or two groups in two days a week with Friday as an online learning day. Other suggestions were a regular schedule like before the coronavirus or students in class every day, but attending for fewer hours so teachers could also do online learning for parents not comfortable sending them to school. The South Carolina School Boards Association surveyed its members. Two-thirds of them supported some kind of split schedule in the fall if social distancing is still recommended.Only 20% thought online or other out of classroom instruction to end this school year because of COVID-19 was equal to in school teaching and half of them felt schools shouldn’t offer a choice of in person or online classes to parents. Some noted the extra work it would put on teachers, according to the survey. About half the state’s school board members responded.More than 82% thought standardized testing should be suspended next year, a position taken by teacher groups as well.“As all of us work at the massive task of managing education and continuing learning in a period of unprecedented disruption, we should remember what has always been true: every school is different, and every district is different,” association president and Greenville County Schools board member Chuck Saylors wrote in an opinion piece for newspapers across the state.Exactly what will happen with fall high school sports is also uncertain. The South Carolina High School League said Thursday that athletes and teams at public schools can begin summer workouts when their district or school allows academic activities on campus. Other states have set their own dates for workouts to begin.

A report from the AccelerateED Task Force in South Carolina details what should be done with summer school and how what is done during that time should be considered a test run for fall classes.

To read the full report, click here.

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AccelerateED is made up of 12 educators and administrators from across the state.

The group received input from a larger advisory group, as well as the education community and the general public.

(Video above: Greenville County Schools shares early look at potential schedule changes for Fall 2020)

The goal of the task force was to come up with common sense solutions that allow for continued learning while protecting the well-being of students and educators.

Summer school should be considered a test run for fall classes and districts should make every effort to teach elementary students in person this summer, said the task force, which was organized by state Education Superintendent Molly Spearman.

They also need to plan thoroughly for a possible disruption of in-person learning if there is a second wave of COVID-19 infections, the report said.

The report recommends 6 feet of social distancing in classrooms and buses. It suggests lunches could be eaten in classrooms with doors propped open when possible to keep children and teachers from touching doors. If recess is allowed, the report said students should wash their hands as soon as returning inside and playground equipment should be immediately disinfected.

But plenty of details are left to local districts like Greenville County Schools, which is the state’s largest with 77,000 children or about 10% of all of South Carolina’s public schools students.

Earlier this week, the Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees heard about six different fall scheduling options, but made no decision.

They ranged from all distance learning, to dividing students in the district into four groups, with separate plans to bring one group in one day a week or two groups in two days a week with Friday as an online learning day. Other suggestions were a regular schedule like before the coronavirus or students in class every day, but attending for fewer hours so teachers could also do online learning for parents not comfortable sending them to school.

The South Carolina School Boards Association surveyed its members. Two-thirds of them supported some kind of split schedule in the fall if social distancing is still recommended.

Only 20% thought online or other out of classroom instruction to end this school year because of COVID-19 was equal to in school teaching and half of them felt schools shouldn’t offer a choice of in person or online classes to parents. Some noted the extra work it would put on teachers, according to the survey. About half the state’s school board members responded.

More than 82% thought standardized testing should be suspended next year, a position taken by teacher groups as well.

“As all of us work at the massive task of managing education and continuing learning in a period of unprecedented disruption, we should remember what has always been true: every school is different, and every district is different,” association president and Greenville County Schools board member Chuck Saylors wrote in an opinion piece for newspapers across the state.

Exactly what will happen with fall high school sports is also uncertain. The South Carolina High School League said Thursday that athletes and teams at public schools can begin summer workouts when their district or school allows academic activities on campus. Other states have set their own dates for workouts to begin.