Both Owensboro and Daviess County public schools are developing a virtual-only option for students and families who would prefer not to return to the classroom this fall.
Nothing has been finalized for either school district, though both are surveying families so that decisions can be made swiftly.
OPS released a detailed plan Tuesday for their “Virtual Academy,” and they are giving families until July 17 to review the document and sign it if they intend to register.
“We ask people to read very carefully all of these statements,” said Matthew Constant, OPS superintendent. “There’s a lot of caveats to being in this and we need them to understand what those are.”
For example, a student who enrolls in the Virtual Academy must remain in it for the entire first semester. It would also be almost strictly electronic learning, meaning few paper packets like were used for non-traditional instruction (NTI).
And while much of NTI during the end of the last school year was review work, Constant ensured that the Virtual Academy would be new learning, including core content classes and the ability for high school students to earn college credits at the same rate as those who are attending in-person classes.
“We needed them to understand that it will look and feel different than when we were in the NTI period March through May,” Constant said. “We had to do that so hurriedly. This will actually be new learning, whereas the NTI period a lot of that was review. It will be supervised and monitored by a certified teacher, so they will have expectations of learning and assignments daily … as they move along in the Virtual Academy.”
Services such as the Family Resource Center and School Guidance Office would still be available. Accommodations will also be made as much as possible for Individual Education Plans and Plan 504s.
Constant said one of the main goals of creating the Virtual Academy is to provide a comfortable environment for students who are either at risk of contracting COVID-19 or who live in a household with an at-risk family member.
Additionally, if enough students opt for the Virtual Academy, Constant said OPS could possibly move forward with a plan to welcome the remainder of their students back for in-person instruction full time.
“We feel like the best option for everybody involved is if you want to stay at home, here’s the avenue to do that. But if you want to come back to school, you can do that too,” Constant said. “Hopefully those numbers shake out and balance the way we hope and we can get everybody back in school 100% every day that wants to be there.”
DCPS is in the early stages of developing a virtual-only option. They are surveying parents about several return-to-school topics, including the full-time digital platform for learning.
Jana Beth Francis, DCPS assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said they will wait for the results of surveys to the families before they can move forward with more fully developing that option. However, they do know all of the schooling would be virtual.
“The student will be enrolled in a virtual lesson, and all their lessons will be online,” she said. “Everything will be through a digital platform. You won’t be assigned a regular classroom teacher. You’ll have a virtual teacher.”
Francis said they have not yet decided if a student would be required to enroll in the virtual option for the entire semester.
Students who are taking in-person classes would be required to switch to NTI if schools have to shut down temporarily due to an outbreak. However, students enrolled virtually would not see a change.
Logistics for both districts — such as access to internet and making sure there are enough certified teachers dedicated to teaching the virtual lessons — are still being discussed.
Both districts are continuing to discuss reopening plans for those students who do return for in-person classes, with plans expected to be announced later this month. Both districts return to school Aug. 26.
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