CMS transition to in-person learning may bring youngest children back first

As Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders debate metrics and guidelines for returning to in-person instruction, the district plans to prioritize the youngest and most vulnerable students under its draft plans for reopening.

The discussion comes as some Mecklenburg County Commissioners say they want expanded remote learning options for families enrolled in the county-funded pre-K program. County manager Dena Diorio has said only in-person instruction would be funded this fall through Meck Pre-K, which has traditionally had income eligibility requirements for students.

The CMS plans, first reported by WCNC, outline three possible scenarios to begin bringing students back to the classroom.

A district spokesman said no plans were finalized on an in-person return to school, and that the draft document reflects “preliminary thinking” about what reopening buildings to students could look like.

Students who opted into CMS’s full remote academy will not have to return to the classroom if the district switches to in-person learning. Roughly 50,000, or one-third of the district’s students, are enrolled in that option.

Some parts of the drafted plan include:

▪ In-person learning could begin no earlier than mid-September

▪ Students in pre-K to 2nd grade may return first

▪ Students with special needs and those who are learning the English language may have an in-person option first

▪ Return would be phased and possibly paused if cases soar

Board chair Elyse Dashew said these options are a starting point for the fall reopening and the plan has been presented to teachers, principals and other stakeholders for feedback.

The CMS board has not voted on details of a possible return to in-person learning but a refined plan was expected after board members earlier this year devised three options under guidance from state health officials. The Observer obtained a copy of the draft phased reopening proposal from a CMS administrator.

An emphasis on students who would benefit the most from in-person learning is a priority, Dashew said.

“This is something a lot of districts are looking at right now,” she said. “Can we bring back students with special needs? Are there some more vulnerable populations we can bring back into the classroom first? But this is all predicated on whether there’s some assurance as to safety.”

Dashew said the reopening schemes were being developed in parallel to the work of the CMS metrics advisory board, composed of healthcare professionals and school operations employees who are working to develop guidelines for when the district could begin returning students to classrooms.

Those considerations include Mecklenburg County’s coronavirus trends, such as the positivity rate and the growth of new cases. In addition, the district must also weigh operational concerns like whether buildings are ready for students, its stockpile of protective equipment and any shortages in positions like nurses, bus drivers and custodians.

“We want kids back in school as soon as it’s safe, but that’s the big question,” Dashew said. “There is some medical thinking now that it is safer for the little kids, and the really little ones would do better with face-to-face learning.”

A district spokesman said that an update on those metrics would be on the agenda for the next board of education meeting, scheduled for Sept. 8.

CMS return to classrooms

In-person learning stopped in CMS schools at the onset of the pandemic in March. The district, like others across the state, was forced to abruptly pivot to an all-virtual classroom environment. Over the summer, leaders began planning for a more structured approach and considered offering both in-person and remote learning.

The district plans to maintain its three-week rotational system originally proposed in Plan B, which would break students into three groups to allow for social distancing under reduced capacity.

In its draft plan, CMS notes that it still needs to establish metrics for returning under Plan B. Similarly, the district would set benchmarks for advancing into each phase of bringing students back and would not move forward until those metrics are met.

One proposed solution in the draft plan would split students into five phases, beginning with Pre-K through second grade and students with special needs. Over a 15-week period, the next two to three grade levels would be added every three weeks if metrics hold.

Another option would be to bring back students in three phases, starting with Pre-K through second, 6th and 9th grade, before adding in grades 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 in phase two. High school juniors and seniors would come back last.

The third option is less structured, and suggests bringing back students with the greatest need, listing out English language learners, those with special needs and students who receive McKinney-Vento services for unstable housing as possible groups to prioritize.

Unlike CMS, Mecklenburg County reopened its pre-K program with in-person learning, operating at 50% capacity. The county provides funding to classrooms run by independent providers, and said in early August that it would only fund in-person learning this fall. Traditionally Meck Pre-K has traditionally served students whose household income is up to 400% of the federal poverty level (for example, up to around $100,00 household income for a family of four). But the income restriction was waived due to COVID-19.

Some providers, families and teachers criticized the decision for not giving them the option of remote learning, citing concerns about safety. The county has 801 slots in its program, and as of Tuesday, 723 of those are filled.

Diorio said that to offer virtual seats without cutting into the number of in-person slots, the county commissioners would have to appropriate more money to Meck Pre-K, as it is not included in the current funding level.

At Tuesday’s county commissioners meeting, some speakers said that pre-K should not be confused with daycare and that not providing access to early childhood education to families who wanted to stay at home would leave their children behind.

Banu Valladares, executive director of Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, said that while she supported offering in-person instruction, 42% of the families at her school want an remote option, which they are unable to provide under the current funding scheme.

“The pandemic has disproportionately affected our families, and they are terrified of sending their children to school,” she said. “As a community, we have a responsibility to bring these children along. Let’s increase a little bit more of what we’re doing and offer additional options for those who do need the remote option.”

Others criticized the county for lifting the income cap on the program, and not listening to feedback from a survey of parents and teachers, in which 74% of teachers said they preferred remote instruction.

County commissioners voted to table a motion that would give providers the option of using remote instruction, saying they needed to hear more about the cost of doing so.

This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 3:13 PM.