CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The time for parents to decide how their children will get their education during the 2020-21 school year has arrived, and with less than 50 days until the first day of school, many parents are feeling the pressure to make a decision quickly.
On July 10, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System announced it will reopen schools in the traditional classroom model, with students physically present in schools, but with health and safety modifications and precautions in place. However, all parents/guardians have the option to enroll their child in K-12 Virtual, an online school taught by CMCSS teachers and provided at no cost to families.
CMCSS educates more than 36,500 students and has more than 5,100 faculty, staff and administrators interacting with more than 44,000 parents. That will make planning critical.
“While the district is working hard to ensure that students receive a high-quality education this school year during the pandemic, across our community, the state, and the entire country, this will not be a typical school year by any means,” said Anthony Johnson, CMCSS spokesman.
Here are four things you need to know about returning to school in Montgomery County.
1. Schools want parents to decide this week
On Wednesday, July 15, parents of currently enrolled students will receive an electronic form via email or text asking whether their student will go back to school in-person or enroll in the K-12 Virtual program.
Parents will also have to decide if their child will be riding the bus. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages something other than the bus for students who have other options.
“We will be asking families to complete the form by Sunday, July 19,” Johnson said. “Since we have a lot of transient families in our community, we will continue reaching out to incoming parents/guardians and work to get responses from all families. We need all families to complete the form so that the district and schools can make staffing assignments, develop bus routes, develop school-specific safety and health protocols, and finalize other important operational considerations as we prepare for the first day of school on Aug. 31.”
2. How K-12 Virtual will work
On Wednesday, July 15, CMCSS will share a comprehensive CMCSS K-12 Virtual Handbook. They encourage parents/guardians to continue providing feedback and asking questions.
“If parents do not feel comfortable with their child returning to a traditional, in-person setting, we encourage them to review the information on cmcss.net/reopening regarding CMCSS K-12 Virtual,” Johnson said.
The academics will include core content (English language arts, math, science and social studies) in grades K-8, and high school courses will closely mimic the offerings in the traditional setting.
To the greatest extent possible, Honors, AP, and Dual Enrollment courses will be offered through K-12 Virtual, based on student demand and instructor availability for each course, Johnson said.
Here are five important things parents should know about the K-12 Virtual:
- Teachers: The full-time virtual learning school is staffed by CMCSS teachers certified by TDOE and requires a semester-long commitment.
- Technology: CMCSS will provide technology devices for enrolled students, and internet service (hotspots) for those in need.
- Learning mentors: CMCSS can train parents, legal guardians or approved adults to become the student’s Learning Mentors through a face-to-face or virtual session, and the Learning Mentor will be responsible for monitoring the student’s learning environment, daily academic progress, communication with teachers and managing school at home.
- Extracurriculars: K-12 Virtual does not offer every educational service a zoned school offers in a traditional setting. A case-by-case review will determine if a student’s needs can be met virtually. Athletic teams are not offered, but students can try out for athletic teams in their zoned school.
- Grade-by-grade: This is how Virtual Learning works for the various grade levels:
- K-5th graders are enrolled in four online courses with one teacher and a learning mentor and must log 20 hours per week on SchoolsPLP or the online platform. The Learning Mentor is responsible for creating daily schedules and making sure there’s an hour/day per subject. They will have one scheduled weekly live class in each subject and will schedule an individual session to review each student’s progress.
- 6th-8th graders will be enrolled in four online courses with a teacher for each content area (ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies). The Learning Mentor will have the same responsibilities as in K-5.
- 9th-12th graders will have six online courses with six certified teachers in each subject area. They will offers high school courses that closely mimic the offerings in the traditional setting. The Learning Mentor will be responsible for teaching the student time management and responsibility to do lessons daily and complete assignments successfully. There will be weekly live classes in each subject in the course and regularly scheduled individual sessions to review the student’s progress.
3. How traditional, in-person school will work
According to the CMCSS Reopening Plan, the traditional learning model was chosen in response to feedback from stakeholders. Approximately 54% of parents, 62% of certified school administrators and 55% of classified district administrators opted for the traditional (in-person) return to school.
Here are four things parents should know about traditional schools:
- Masks/face coverings will be required to be worn on the school bus by all students. Middle and high school students will be required to wear masks in common areas in the school building (hallways, restrooms, etc.) and when social distancing cannot be maintained. Special needs and elementary school children are not required to wear masks but encouraged to in common areas of the school building. Employees will be required to wear masks in common areas. Students and employees are urged to bring their own masks, but masks will be available by the district for those who don’t have one.
- Social distancing: The 6-foot CDC recommendation for social distancing is not possible on school buses. Parents and guardians selecting traditional return should not expect their child to remain 6 feet from their classmates during the ride to or from school and while in the school building. Students must stay seated in classrooms and will have assigned seats. Each school will develop guidelines to promote physical distancing that are developmentally appropriate and feasible.
- Cleaning, sanitizing: Hand washing throughout the day will be required for students and staff. Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the school. Disinfecting stations will be established at select entrances, a two-step cleaning process will be implemented by custodians throughout the day, and deep cleaning and specialized pressure cleaning will occur in the evenings. Buses will also be disinfected daily by the Vehicle Maintenance Department using the HDQ disinfectant and the spray, wait, wipe method will be used. Windows and roof hatches will be opened (weather permitting).
4. What if schools have to close
If there’s a need to close schools or have a districtwide closure, traditional students will be automatically enrolled in remote learning through the SchoolsPLP online learning management system, be given a laptop and required to log in to the virtual system daily to complete assignments. Attendance will be tracked. This is for grades 2-12. Kindergartners and first graders will receive paper-based learning materials. Teachers will have office hours and will be available for assistance.
At any point during the academic year, CMCSS may need to have students in the traditional setting move to remote learning based on the circumstances of the pandemic.
Students in CMCSS K-12 Virtual will not be affected.
Any families wishing to enroll new students in the CMCSS should pre-enroll now to receive notifications from the school system. For more read: https://clarksvillenow.com/local/cmcss-encourages-pre-enrollment-for-incoming-cmcss-students/.
To read the entire reopening plan Click here.
To ask questions and provide feedback to the CMCSS parents can click here