Back to school with remote learning in CMS: Parents, here are answers to FAQ

School starts Monday with remote learning in Mecklenburg County.

Earlier this summer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that school districts would have the choice: Return with smaller classes for socially distanced in-person instruction or reopen this fall with full remote learning.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board initially voted to mix the two approaches, starting with two weeks of in-person orientation where students would be split into two groups, while also offering a full-remote academy option for families who wanted to opt out of returning children to school buildings.

After significant pushback from teachers and other employees, the board voted to reopen under a full remote plan. The district said expected staffing shortages in key positions, such as bus drivers, nurses and custodians made a safe reopening difficult.

No school is permitted to fully reopen due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

Here are answers to questions about CMS reopening:

How does remote learning work for students?

Depending on their grade level, students will be in a mix of live lessons, known as synchronous learning, and independent work, also referred to as asynchronous learning. In synchronous learning, the teacher and students will be on a live lesson where the teacher will lead instruction.

In the elementary grades, students will spend roughly 40% of their time in synchronous learning, in a mix of whole group and small group sessions with their teacher. Students in middle school and up will spend time in individual courses that each are split between independent work and time with the teacher.

For more, watch CMS’ tutorial video on YouTube explaining how the remote learning platform works.

Will CMS allow sports?

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association delayed the start of sports until November, but statewide, teams are allowed to have workouts. Beginning as soon as Aug. 24, skill workouts can begin. CMS has not allowed athletes to return to the fields yet, though many surrounding counties have done so. Since June 15, the state has allowed off-season workouts. CMS initially said it would allow students to begin on July 6, but later postponed indefinitely.

How do kids get meals?

Initially, CMS will operate grab-and-go meal sites from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 40 sites across the district each weekday. Students will be provided one daily free breakfast and one free lunch.

On Sept. 1, the district will transition to offering weekly meal bundles, which include five breakfasts and lunches that are frozen with reheating instructions. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, or who attend a school where all students have access to subsidized meals, will receive the bundles at no cost.

Families can choose to pick up the meal bundles at the distribution sites, or have them delivered to their student’s regular bus stop at a specified time slot. Each student will be assigned to one of four groups, each assigned to a different weekday for meal pickup and delivery.

The district is encouraging families to sign up for the program with the hopes of keeping more bus drivers and other hourly workers employed in the shift to remote learning. The meal bundles will cost $15 a week for those who are not eligible for subsidies.

Will grades count this year?

Schools in North Carolina gave students a pass/fail options in the spring when the coronavirus pandemic lead to the sudden suspension of in-person learning. This fall, CMS will return to regular grading.

What about students with disabilities?

CMS said that it would continue to provide required services to students in the Exceptional Children’s division. The district will offer some in-person instruction to specific students with disabilities. That includes students who need accommodations or for whom a learning environment cannot be provided through a remote setting.

The district will evaluate students to see who qualifies, though the year will begin remote for all students prior to those evaluations. For more information, visit CMS’ website.

Can CMS start in-person learning later?

Under Cooper’s executive order, schools in North Carolina cannot have full classrooms and must maintain some form of social distancing.

However, CMS could return to classrooms under their Plan B design, which would rotate students back to the building for one week of in-person learning and two weeks of remote learning. The district has not yet publicized what measures it will use to determine when to shift from the current Plan C to Plan B, but Superintendent Earnest Winston has formed a medical advisory board to come up with those metrics.

Students enrolled in the district’s full-remote academy option will not have to return to classrooms if the district changes its plans.

Are teachers working from a school building or from their home?

Teachers were required to work from their school buildings during the work days that precede the first day of school for students. From Aug. 17 to Aug. 28, Winston said teachers are strongly encouraged to be in the classroom. After that, they may choose to work from home or their classroom.

What platform are students learning on?

CMS will use Canvas, a learning management platform that allows teachers to create digital lessons that students can access. The platform has an app for parents, which will allow them to check assignments and due dates, view grades in the course and communicate with the teacher.

What if we don’t have Internet or computers at home?

Students who do not have access to a device will receive one from their school, such as a Chromebook or an iPad. The district has a number of hotspots available for families who do not have internet connectivity at home.

Are all school systems doing all remote learning, or is that just CMS?

CMS is one of dozens of districts in North Carolina that have elected to reopen under remote learning for the fall, meaning the majority of students in the state will start the year by logging on to their computers instead of walking into a school building.

However, some nearby districts including Gaston and Union counties have chosen to offer some form of in-person learning, a decision that has faced criticism from teachers and other employees in those districts.

Have teachers been given any training on how to deliver effective remote learning?

Unlike the sudden pivot to remote learning in the spring, teachers in CMS have had much more time to prepare for the roll-out of a remote return to school. A task force over the summer created a number of templates and shells for curriculum in Canvas, the learning management system, which teachers can modify and customize for their individual class.

This story was originally published August 15, 2020 at 9:18 AM.