Governor orders in-person learning by March 15; Area school systems react

Students across Virginia will have the option to return to the classroom by March 15.

Today, Gov. Ralph Northam announced he’s reversing a call made nearly a year ago when Virginia was one of the first states in the nation to send children home to learn on laptops.

“We’ve seen more data now, and it suggests that schools don’t have the same kind of rapid spread as other congregate settings,” Northam said.

Northam also wants school divisions across the state to extend schooling options over the summer so that struggling students can catch up on what they’ve missed while learning from home.

“We know this plain fact: children learn better in classrooms, and that’s where they need to be,” said Northam.

Nearly a year ago, school divisions moved mountains and spent millions to purchase new laptops for students, or to lend computers already on hand to students who needed them. School parking lots, and in some cases, cafeterias became internet cafes for children who didn’t have reliable broadband access.

Northam’s about-face on returning to in-person learning comes after his administration provided direction to the state’s 133 public school systems to devise a plan to return students to classrooms.

“We didn’t say throw open the doors five days a week starting tomorrow,” said Northam.

But proponents of putting children back into school buildings, like Republican Pete Snyder, say that’s what parents want.

“It is sad Ralph Northam continues to ignore the calls from thousands of parents, including myself, who are fighting to open our schools. Parents demand five days a week in school with teachers in the classroom— the CDC agrees. His half-hearted plan is an insult to parents, teachers, and students who want to be back in the classroom.” said Snyder, who running to replace Northam (who can’t seek another term) in November.

Northam called attention today to the rising tide of depression among children who have been separated from their friends during the pandemic. More students are failing, he said, while the rate of suicide increases among those between the ages of 10 and 19.

Prince William County Public Schools has led the way in returning children to the classroom, despite calls from the county’s teachers to keep children learning from home.

The school division returned special education students to the classroom at the start of the school year in August. Pre-K and Kindergarten returned in-person in November. The first grade returned in-person in December, and the second and third grades returned in-person in January.

The school division will return students in fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth grades on February 25, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades on March 2.

This summer, the school division will offer a robust summer school program, said division spokeswoman Diana Gulotta.

In neighboring Manassas, an independent city located inside Prince William County’s borders, no students are in classrooms. The city School Board had planned to return some of the division’s 7,800 students to December, but that never happened.

The School Board will meet on Tuesday, February 9, to, once again, talk about its “return-to-learn” plan. “The School Board has stated that the safety of students and staff will be at the forefront of any decision made regarding the return to in-person learning,” said school division spokeswoman Almeta Radford.

In neighboring Manassas Park, the School Board on Monday approved a plan to return students to the classroom at 50% capacity. Details of the plan will be posted in the coming week.

MPCS is excited about today’s announcement by Gov Northam for return to school. Watch for more info to come next week! Enjoy your school newsletters:
CES – https://t.co/HnVN1dFQbz
MPE – https://t.co/wjnEw7fYvu
MPMS – https://t.co/xHhwP5i2mw
MPHS – https://t.co/5eyHtprNkr

— MPCSchools (@MPCSVA) February 5, 2021

In Stafford County, the school system returned students enrolled in career and technical education programs and special programs to the classroom in September. Elementary school students started back in hybrid with hybrid learning October, with two houses– Group A attends in person Tuesday/Wednesday and Group B attends Thursday/Friday.

The school division will start a phased-in approach to bring back students and middle and high schools on February 9.

All middle school students and high school freshmen will begin reporting on February 9. High school 10th, 11th, and 12th graders will begin hybrid instruction on February 16.

The phased-in approach will allow freshmen to experience a transition week before upperclassmen return to the building, said school division spokeswoman Sandra Osborn.

61% of elementary students, 50% of middle, and 46% of high students have requested hybrid instruction, added Osborn.