New law gives CMS, other school districts more options for turning to remote learning

The state paved the way this week for North Carolina school districts to be more aggressive in creating virtual learning options amid surges in COVID-19 cases.

It means that districts like Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools can transition to remote learning for COVID-19 emergencies or offer a full-remote academy as CMS did for the 2020-21 school year.

“I am excited we have started this school year with all students in person,” school board member Lenora Sanders Shipp told the Observer. “We know this is the best learning environment for our students, especially to increase achievement.

“The remote hybrid model was very difficult for teaching and learning, and we have seen the results of that.”

In a year of mostly remote learning due to the pandemic, a majority of CMS students failed state exams for the 2020-21 academic year, according to results released Wednesday.

Under the law, which Gov. Roy Cooper signed Monday, school districts can also switch individual classes and schools to remote instruction due to a COVID-19 emergency. A handful of schools in the Iredell-Statesville district announced Thursday a temporary switch to remote learning due to a rise in active cases.

The law also means CMS may consider bringing back its full-remote academy, a popular choice among parents during the second half of the 2020-21 school year. District officials will have to consider the option soon — school boards must adopt a virtual instruction plan and submit it to the state’s Department of Public Instruction by Oct. 1.

It’s unclear whether the option is mandatory for districts to offer.

“Safety is always a priority, and we must keep all our students safe during this pandemic and with the delta variant being so contagious,” Shipp said. “I would only consider putting the remote academy in place if classrooms, schools warranted this. It would be case by case based on numbers — clusters, quarantines and not having sufficient staff to safely operate the classrooms (or) school.”

Concern for teachers

For the school year that opened Aug. 25, CMS introduced two new virtual schools in addition to its virtual high school. The trio of schools serve students in grades 3-12.

As COVID-19 cases steadily increased in late summer, parents clamored for more remote or virtual opportunities. As of Friday, nearly 2,600 students were enrolled in the virtual academies: 880 in elementary, 962 in middle and 756 in high school. Virtual enrollment also closed Friday.

More than 600 students remain on waiting lists for the virtual schools, which have dedicated staffs, unlike last year’s full-remote academy. Educators involved in the full-remote academy were responsible for both remote and in-person instruction.

Parents who have students on the waiting list for the virtual schools were warned Friday that their child must attend at least one day of school in the first 10 days of school or be removed from CMS enrollment at the assigned school and the virtual school waiting list.

“I’m particularly concerned about our teachers,” CMS board member Jennifer De La Jara said. “Last year was extremely difficult as most teachers were asked to teach in a hybrid format. We simply don’t have the resources to offer all courses with separate teachers in remote and in-person.”

During the 2020-21 school year, as COVID-19 cases rose in Mecklenburg County, the number of students enrolled in the full-remote academy rose from 50,179 to 57,552 between the start of the fall semester and the January start to the second semester. Those students made up about 40% of CMS’s total enrollment.

“Compared to last year, I really enjoy being able to meet my students in-person and build relationships with them,” said C.J. Alfonso, who teaches biology and environmental science at Charlotte’s Garinger High School. “However, the constant transitioning with little to no policy changes is infuriating. There’s no consistency on when the district decides to go back virtually and/or in person.

“It disrupts everyone’s education and plans. Parents (and) guardians have to plan their schedule around whether or not their child will be learning at school or at home, teachers have to overhaul their lesson plans to adapt to the mode of learning, and students become confused on what the school is doing.”

Patrick Smith, CMS’ assistant superintendent of communications, told the Observer that the district does not have metrics in place for this academic year that would dictate a transition to remote instruction. The need to do so will be evaluated on a class-by-class and school-by-school basis, Smith said.

“Right now, if the superintendent and district staff determine that classes, portions of schools, etc. need to transition to remote, a recommendation would need to be brought to the (school) board,” Smith said.

But Alfonso says a specific number of cases/quarantines is needed.

“We teachers are frustrated about not knowing what to expect in the near future because there’s no clear guide on when the school will decide to go back virtual,” Alfonso said. “It would be beneficial for the district to publish a closing plan so stakeholders can plan appropriately.”

At the end of the first week of school — a three-day week — CMS reported 125 new COVID-19 cases among students and 50 among staff. That’s among 143,621 CMS students attending classes in person and 19,106 employees.

‘Keep students in school’

Mirroring local health officials, CMS school officials, including Superintendent Earnest Winston, are pleading with staff, teachers and students who can to get their COVID-19 shots.

CMS board member Margaret Marshall said community members can help keep students in school by getting vaccinated, wearing masks and being careful with social interactions to keep COVID transmission rates down.

“I liken the full remote academy school within a school model to a fire extinguisher,” Marshall said. “It is a tool in the toolbox, but you hope you won’t have to use it.”

The dismal test results reported last week, board member Sean Strain said, “speak volumes. Not just about the impact of the pandemic, but the impact that the state and different boards/districts made last year to address (the pandemic.)”

“I don’t believe there is any appetite for a hybrid model such as that which we implemented last year,” Strain said. “Kids are either in school, in a classroom, or they are virtual. Both staff and students suffered last year as a result of a very difficult mix of modalities.”