YORK COUNTY, Va. — Teaching and learning have changed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
School divisions across Hampton Roads are developing instructional plans for students to complete at home. The York County School Division rolled out its plan Monday, but there were some parents who weren’t happy about the plan, and they expressed their concerns and confusion on the school division’s Facebook page.
The York County School Division will provide instruction through "Continuity of Learning Plans" (COLP) for students.
Division leaders developed the extended learning plans in accordance with guidance from the Virginia Department of Education, which will include a variety of resources and instructional activities.
It breaks down to Elementary Plans and Secondary Plans.
For elementary school students, the division chose to follow a VDOE model that implements review work for the remainder of this school year and incorporates new instruction into learning modules in the 2020-21 school year.
The division made this decision realizing that elementary school students rely on their teachers for everyday instruction and are not developmentally ready for self-guided or a remote learning model of instruction. The division also believes that parents should not have to step into the role of teacher.
Its goal is to provide opportunities for students to continue to learn and develop while preventing the regression of skills and knowledge gained during the 2019-20 school year. Additionally, each grade level plan includes enrichment opportunities for students to extend their learning and thinking.
Next school year, teachers will conduct pre-assessments in units of study. Student performance on these assessments will be used to provide targeted remediation throughout the year. Pre-assessments will not be graded schoolwork.
When it comes to the lack of online learning for elementary school students, division leaders considered several factors including equitable access to all resources including technology, students’ ability to guide their own learning, and reasonable expectations for family support.
Students in 6th – 12th grade will get instruction of new and essential content through learning modules starting next week. This week, secondary students will complete a final week of review work in their courses, while teachers participate in professional development and planning for the remainder of the school year.
Students will not receive new grades for work completed between April 13 and the end of the school year.
Nancy Sheppard said she's frustrated with the school division. She has two children in York County Public Schools, one in 6th grade and another in 4th grade.
Sheppard's 4th-grade child has a learning disability, and she believes the new plan the school division laid out doesn't address the needs of students like her son.
“We're given a packet of busy work and told, 'Here you go,'” Sheppard said. “It's not at all conducive and appropriate.”
Sheppard said her concerns are the lack of instruction and lack of virtual learning.
“It is disgraceful to have done this to our students when the resources are there,” Sheppard said. “When you have an extra set of learning differences it requires different activities that giving me a vague packet won't do."
Sheppard is concerned this new plan will impact not only her children but others in the county.
“They come to us after shutting down schools and say, 'We don't have a plan to have any sort of engagement to help them to learn,'” Sheppard said. “The teachers must be frustrated, and I feel awful because they're being told, 'Don't teach anything new. We will give them assessments the beginning of next school year and they'll have to cram.'”
In a letter to parents, the York County School Division acknowledged the fact that some parents may not agree with the decision’s division leaders made for students and staff.
York County teachers and staff are in a training Tuesday and Wednesday. The division will share more information before the week is over about the learning modules for secondary students and how teachers will address the needs of students with disabilities.