Pickens Turns to Distance Learning vs Returning After Holidays
Dragon's Corner, Featured Stories, News January 4, 2021
More time, more training needed for learning platform
Education, News November 7, 2020
Photo by Susan Kirkland
Aaron Holland, the newly appointed BOE member listens to presentations from staff.
More time and more training on the online learning platform was a consistent mantra at a Pickens County Board of Education special called meeting today. Teachers and staff have been busy learning to use the new platform for virtual learning. ItsLearning, the new learning management system for schools to use when schools close unexpectantly, was put to quick use when Pickens County made the decision to close all of their schools on Oct.26 after a jump in positive COVID-19 cases and quarantines.
The new system, not to be confused with the Pickens Virtual Academy where students are enrolled specifically for virtual learning, provides teachers a way to continue teaching their normally face-t0-face classes.
Most of the comments were good and most were satisfied with the system, but all agreed they needed more time to get use to the platform and more training to make learning and teaching more efficient.
“We’ve had to teach ourselves some things,” said Anita Walker. “But our teachers have been wonderful to share what they know.”
While the teachers said they would benefit from more training, some expressed concern over parents. In a survey about teachers’ perception of the program in regards to teaching, their students, and parents, they rated parents as mostly uncomfortable with the system. Rated on a 1-10 scale 48 out of 57 or 84-percent of teachers at Pickens High School, 34 out of 44, or 77-percent of teachers at Pickens Junior High School, 23 out of 31, or 74-percent of the teachers at Jasper Middle School, and 52 out of 82, or 63-percent of the combined elementary school teachers scored their parents at five or less on being comfortable with the program.
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For special education, the concern was greater.
All the teachers said they could see an improvement over when they first started using ItsLearning, emails and calls have decreased as students, and parents, became more comfortable.
“We can certainly accommodate that,” Townsend told the staff. “The teachers are the backbone of our system-we don’t want to break their backs.”
COVID-19 outbreak and returning to school
Schools will reopen on Monday barring a significant change, Steve Townsend, superintendent said.
Hill City Elementary was the first to close with four, students and staff, were in isolation and 52 were in quarantine, but the rest of the schools quickly followed as the numbers of those who had symptoms increased.
When schools closed, 584 were in quarantine and 27 in isolation.
Projected numbers, based on latest data, indicate the school district as a whole will have two in isolation and seven in quarantined.
Breakdown by school of quarantine and isolation cases related to COVID-19 from Oct. 26 until school resumes on Nov. 9.
Pickens Virtual Academy
The Pickens Virtual Academy, which gives students a chance to do a fully online school, is separate from the online platform that face-to-face students use during unscheduled breaks, has 906 students enrolled in November. This is down 294 students from the 1,200 students who enrolled in August.
Of those, about one-percent or three students moved to another district, four-percent, or about 12 students switched to homeschooling. The remainder, 279 returned to traditional school.
They expect 450 students to attend the virtual academy when the second semester starts in January. Most of those will be returning students for some will be new.
Photo by Susan Kirkland
Principals give updates on distance learning as the system prepares to reopen on Monday.
For those continuing in the virtual academy for the second semester, academy staff plan a more proactive approach.
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Kelly Flatt, PVA coordinator, said they are asking families for their opinion and they have created a fake student profile so parents can preview the platform. She said as the semester goes on, they are seeing fewer problems and parents are even assisting other parents via social media.
Misti Moore, the contact for kindergarten through fourth grade, said they have started face-to-face tutoring for grades kindergarten through sixth grade. Although each grade has a day specifically for it, they do not turn away anyone who needs help.
“Some come to not get help, but to just see their teachers and other students,” she said.
Pickens plans back to school with a focus on flexibility and safety
Board of Education, News July 9, 2020
Superrintendent Rick Townsend discusses the system’s return plans and what could possibly change between now and the Aug. 3 start date.
Despite ever-changing information, Rick Townsend, Superintendent of Pickens County Schools, is confident they have a good plan to resume school on August 3. Townsend said as a system, they had to consider what the ideal would be as well as what was practical and by putting teams in place to analyze both aspects, combined with the unique needs of the individual schools and come up with a plan.
Based on the guidelines from the Georgia Department of Public Health, Pickens County is considered a “minimal or moderate spread” location or yellow. Townsend said up until last week, the Georgia DPH, was considered green, meaning there was very little to no spread, but the department redesigned the criteria.
“I don’t know of any counties who are green right now,” Townsend said, adding that next week might paint a different picture because the information and recommendations have been very fluid. “They are now looking at how different spreads would impact the community.” He used the example of if there was an outbreak at a nursing home, how would it affect the schools.
Masks or No Masks
Masks will be expected when students and staff cannot social distance, such as on the bus and transitioning between classes.
However, Townsend said, there are times it won’t be practical.
“It’s important that students see the teacher’s mouth when teaching phonics or in guided reading,” he said.
“We know the younger children are going to struggle with the masks,” he said.
He also said that when students are working on group projects and are very close, they are expected to wear masks, but if they are sitting in their desks, and the teacher is at the front of the class, teaching, then going without masks is acceptable.
The system will provide one masks, but parents are welcome to provide masks for their children.
There will be wellness stations at each school for students and staff that do not feel well, but they will not require COVID-19 testing.
Camp and recess will continue in the elementary schools, but may look differently than previous years.
“Our principals will be making those decisions for their schools,” he said.
With transportation, students are expected to wear masks. Loading will assigned seats from rear to front when loading. Students will exit front to back and busses will be disinfected between routes.
Visitors and Volunteers
Visitors will wear masks while in the building, said Townsend. Volunteers will still be needed, but the number will be reduced.
“Unfortunately, we have to limit volunteer opportunities,” he said.
SEE THE RETURN TO SCHOOL PLAN HERE.
Teachers, principals and parents attended Thursdays BOE meeting to hear how the county plans to return to school.
First day of school for Pre-K and Kindergarten
Townsend said he knows it’s important to parents to be able to walk their new students to pre-k or kindergarten classes and it will be allowed on the first day, if parents are masked. After that, it will be normal drop off.
Other Aspects of Traditional School
Townsend said before and after care programs will remain and didn’t anticipate a change in cost to those programs.
Cafeteria workers are working on a plan to provide meals to students while maintaining safety standards. Workers would be masked when students enter the cafeteria.
Pickens Virtual Academy
Parents wanted options
“We had many parents ask for a virtual option,” said Townsend. “So, we gave them one. They deserve it.”
That option is the Pickens Virtual Academy, using Pearson Connexus as the platform. Students sign up by every semester.
It costs Pickens County Schools about $220 per student for the virtual academy. Students enroll each semester, allowing them to change their school type at the end of the semester from traditional to virtual or vice versa.
Townsend said that so far they’ve had about 300 students enroll in the virtual academy and he expects that number to grow by the time registration ends on July 13.
The school system hosted a virtual webinar about the virtual academy which had more than 200 parents tuning in to learn about the school. The recorded webinar has had 30,000 views since Monday.
READ ABOUT THE WEBINAR HERE.
Distance Learning
Should COVID-19 cases surge, students in traditional school will switch to distance learning, said Townsend. Teachers will provide work, which will be graded and count toward the final day. While he hopes it doesn’t happen, nothing is certain at this point.
“It’s almost like waiting for a snow day,” he said. “We may get a call at 10 p.m. saying there is no school.”
Supplies
All students, traditional and virtual, will be issued a Chromebook. Pearson representatives said in Monday’s webinar that additional school supplies would be furnished by their company, but most curriculum called for standard household items. Any art supplies would be furnished by the schools.
Sports
As of July 8, 2020 the Georgia Highschool Sports Association had football schedules posted with games starting August 21, but Townsend said anything could change and encouraged parents and students to stay in touch with coaches or staff.
Students attending the Pickens Virtual Academy will be eligible to play and participate in any extracurricular activities.
SEE THE GHSA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE HERE.