There should be NO remote teaching of new learning concepts or grading of assignments in remote learning.

I wish @NC_Governor would close schools for the remainder of the year and not move forward with remote learning. (Thread)
In my opinion, social/emotional needs are far more important at this time. It is unreasonable for school systems to expect that students will be able to engage in meaningful learning under these circumstances. And that’s if there were no vulnerable students. But there are. /2
Students with disabilities may not be able to access the curriculum in an e-learning format. Students who receive related therapy services no longer have the same access to their service providers. Students who require adapted learning materials don’t have access to them. /3
I fear we are going to see is students without disabilities who can access the curriculum remotely will continue to progress in their learning, while the learning gap grows for students with disabilities (SWD). This could force SWD out of their regular education classes. /4
Then you add in income inequality. My school is a Title I school and we have many students who do not have access to internet or devices at home. My county is working to provide devices and hotspots to these students, but that doesn’t close the accessibility gap completely. /5
Many students have siblings at home that they care for while their parents work. Many low income families have parents, and students, who are the essential workers because they have no choice but to work. Where is the time to do school work for these students? /6
Between caring for their siblings and helping them learn and/or having a job trying to stay afloat, they don’t have space on their plates for new learning material. Especially our high schoolers, whom many of us seem forget are STILL CHILDREN.

So what do I think we should do?/7
Provide devices and hotspots to students who need them, but there is no remote learning of new concepts. Online learning spaces should provide resources for students to review previously taught material that students can review at their own pace. /8
Allow for live “class” sessions, but allow those sessions to be time for the students to see each other and catch up. We can’t forget that these guys miss their friends and their classmates. Focus on social/emotional learning and meeting those needs for students. /9
Provide funding to create physical materials for students with disabilities who struggle to access the curriculum through the use of technology. Trust me, if the government finally gave me the money/materials, I’d be making so many task boxes for my students./10
This doesn’t solve all equity problems. Wealthier families will still have more access to resources outside of the school system, students with related services/therapies through school are still not going to have the same access to their providers. /11
None of this talks about teachers who are parents or caregivers and are now required to juggle caring for whomever it is that needs their care and trying to shift an entire curriculum online. These thoughts are all my own, not my school’s or county’s. I wish I knew what to do/12.
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