Governor: In-class learning by mid-March

Gov. Ralph Northam has called on all Virginia public school systems to make in-person learning options available by March 15.

The directive was in accordance with new health guidance his administration put forth in January and new research from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a Feb. 5 press release.

Recognizing “significant learning losses over the past year,” Northam also encouraged school divisions to offer classroom instruction during the summer for those who choose to take part in it.

“The health and safety of students, educators, school personnel, and communities continues to be our top priority,” Northam said. “We know that children learn better in classrooms and that going to school is vital for their social-emotional needs and for receiving critical services like meals. It is also important for our youngest learners, students with disabilities, and those with limited access to technology who have struggled most with remote learning. By focusing on mitigation measures, we can provide our kids with safe and equitable learning environments.”

Growing evidence shows “that with proper health and safety protocols, the risk of exposure to and transmission of COVID-19 is low in school settings,” the release stated.

Dickenson County schools already offer in-person instruction, but Superintendent Haydee Robinson was asked whether the governor’s directive could force local students back into a hybrid schedule to be able to maintain social distancing.

“Dickenson County Schools has offered students and parents the options of 100 percent remote and either hybrid or four day instructional week since the beginning of the school year,” Robinson wrote in an email. “While more students are returning to a four day instructional week, approximately 40 percent of our students are still participating in 100 percent remote instruction. As of this time, our staff and faculty have been able to accommodate our students in the classroom while observing social distance. Our data, similar to other schools' data, indicates that schools have not been a contributing factor in the transmission of COVID. With the mitigation strategies in place, our schools appear to be a safe haven for both students and staff. We recognize that our students need to be in school not only for the instructional but also their mental and social well being.”

Robinson added, “The March 15 date refers to school divisions who have had not face to face instruction since . . . August and September.”

Some information was provided by Staff Writer Kelley Pearson.