Governor: Statewide in-person learning by mid-March

Gov. Ralph Northam recently called on all Virginia public school systems to make in-person learning options available by March 15.

That announcement was a big deal for many school divisions elsewhere in the commonwealth that have stuck with all-virtual learning amid COVID-19 concerns. But local school systems have offered in-class instruction for awhile now.

The governor’s directive was in accordance with new health guidance his administration put forth in January and new research from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a Feb. 5 press release.

Recognizing “significant learning losses over the past year,” Northam also encouraged school divisions to offer classroom instruction during the summer for those who choose to take part in it.

“The health and safety of students, educators, school personnel, and communities continues to be our top priority,” Northam said. “We know that children learn better in classrooms and that going to school is vital for their social-emotional needs and for receiving critical services like meals. It is also important for our youngest learners, students with disabilities, and those with limited access to technology who have struggled most with remote learning. By focusing on mitigation measures, we can provide our kids with safe and equitable learning environments.”

Growing evidence shows “that with proper health and safety protocols, the risk of exposure to and transmission of COVID-19 is low in school settings,” the release stated.

LOCAL REACTION

“Superintendents met with the Governor prior to his press conference and he shared with the group that his expectation would be that all divisions offer in-person opportunities for students,” Wise County Superintendent Greg Mullins noted in an email. “He pointed out that this may be for targeted groups of students and not necessarily for all at once. He also stated that schools will be expected to adhere to CDC and APA guidelines pertaining to social distancing and mask-wearing protocols. I believe the press conference was directed at those divisions that have not offered any in-person opportunities at all since last March. I feel we are in a good place at this time as we have space available for some of our students who wish to return from virtual instruction. Transportation is the most difficult logistical issue as we continually monitor the capacity of each of our runs.”

Norton students have had in-person and virtual options since early August 2020, Superintendent Gina Wohlford noted. “As guidance has been updated from VDH and VDOE, we have made the necessary adjustments to meet those guidelines. Our mitigation strategies have been successful with only five positive COVID-19 cases pithing our personnel and 17 student cases. We will continue to be diligent in our efforts.”

Wohlford stated that she spoke with other superintendents from around the state in an online meeting during the week of the governor’s announcement and provided information about Norton’s trials and successes with its in-person option. “I am an advocate for our students being in school with the in-person option, while I find it necessary to provide a choice for the virtual option for families during the pandemic.”

Some information was provided by staff writers Kelley Pearson and Terran S. Young.