Does your student need summer school? CMS program to address remote learning gaps.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will operate a summer program for students to address gaps in learning that have emerged during the pandemic, officials said Friday.

Superintendent Earnest Winston said that CMS had been working on developing the opportunity months before state legislators began drafting a bill that would require public school districts to offer remedial learning over the summer.

House Bill 82 would require five days of in-person learning for six weeks over the summer, with five hours of instruction each day. The program also includes lunch and time for physical activity. While any student may enroll in the program, it is designed to address the needs of students most at risk of falling behind during many months of remote-only instruction.

The bill is expected to move quickly through the legislature, the News and Observer reported. Districts would be required to offer the program and identify at-risk students. The program would not be mandatory, however.

CMS chief academic officer Brian Kingsley said the district’s offering would, at a minimum, align with the state’s requirements. Families will be surveyed, he said, and the district will design a program based around student needs and parents’ goals.

The district is also working with its community partners and support staff on the socio-emotional and student wellness portions of the programming. Kingsley said the goal was to support students, not to penalize them for personal or family situations they may have had to deal with during the school year on top of the pandemic.

“We’re going to go really big to ensure that we have a very strong close of this school year,” Kingsley said.

“Our families will have the opportunity to know what their students have mastered, and we’re making sure that they are equipped with the insights and the knowledge to make informed decisions on what type of summer programs that they may want.”