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About the @CharMeckSchools plan that was approved by a 7-1 vote last night...
This plan will open the year with 2 weeks of in-person school with 1/3 the number of students rotating through classrooms. #nced 1/
This plan will open the year with 2 weeks of in-person school with 1/3 the number of students rotating through classrooms. #nced 1/
As it currently stands, we'd see 1/3 of our students for the first three consecutive days, the next 1/3 for the next four days (Th/F/M/Tu), and the final 1/3 of students to finish out the last three days of week 2. 2/
After week 2 we will go back to full remote instruction until such time that the board determines it's safe for us to move to Plan B or A. 3/
There has been discussion by folks who are saying "well if it's not safe to be in school then why go back for 2 weeks?" I do not want to discount anyone's worries about COVID as it's true that there's an element of risk involved in gathering people together during a pandemic. 4/
In this situation we have to weigh the risks and benefits and decide accordingly.The plan the board approved gives us a chance to meet students, establish relationships which ideally will help motivate them to engage with the class, and explain online platforms and procedures. 5/
Students are more likely to follow the new strict health protocols for a short time at the beginning of the year. It's the honeymoon period. I'd anticipate that getting them to distance properly and wear masks will be less difficult during the 3-4 days we will be with them. 6/
This plan also gives us time to practice Plan B protocols for classroom instruction, eating, hallways, buses, etc. & identify problems that need to be worked out for when we eventually return to Plan B which seems likely to happen at some point when viral spread is reduced. 7/
So for me the benefits of doing this for a short period of time outweigh the risks, and the risks involved with two weeks of limited interaction followed by remote instruction are obviously a lot lower than simply coming back for full Plan B. 8/
Our school board is in a difficult position right now and no decision they make will land well with everyone. I appreciate their leadership and feel that this was the least bad option. 9/
I am hopeful that our community will take this virus seriously, buckle down and follow the three Ws during remote learning and work to bring down infection rates in Mecklenburg so we can return to school. 10/
Our ability to return to the in-person learning that our students need and deserve will depend largely on the choices people make (in addition to access to ample testing and contact tracing). 11/11
