Input sought on COVID plans

As Sampson County Schools prepares for a new way of educating students due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), district officials are seeking input from parents during the summer.

During a recent meeting, the Sampson County’s Board of Education approved a weekly plan to start next school year, with students in classrooms for only two days and learning three days away from the building at home. It includes a moderate social distancing schedule to limit the amount of students in a school at one time, based on recommendations from district officials and guidance from state officials.

Known as Plan B, administrators are being asked to have 50 percent or less students than normal in a building at one time for the Re-entry and Remote Learning Plan. Everyone is required to stay 6 feet away from others in buildings and transportation vehicles.

Dr. Linda Jewell Carr, assistant superintendent of Instructional Services for Sampson County School, is encouraging participation in the Instructional Plan surveys. She added that the district wants parents to know they can select a 100 percent remote learning option if they feel it’s best for their children at this time. Sampson Schools was directed to send a plan to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).

“Each LEA has to submit their plan to NCDPI we have a template that provides examples of what a Plan B scenario should look like,” Carr said. “We have followed all of the guidelines and are making preparations for the required health and safety items in Strong Schools Toolkit provided by NCDPI working in cooperation with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services.”

Other plans included Plan A (minimal social distancing) and Plan C (remote learning only if COVID-19 gets worse). Plan A would have all the required health and safety measures in place, through the work of district officials. According to NCDPI’s “Lighting Our Way Forward” reopening decision, Plan A would have the least restrictions for schools reopening and would be implemented if COVID-19 metrics continue to get better.

“As an educator and a parent consistency week to week is the best case scenario if we are unable to have all of our students in attendance with Plan A,” Carr said. “Our teachers want to be face to face with students and are eager to have them back in our schools safely. All of us realize the need and desire for teacher and student interactions and being present working through the material together maximizing instructional time but also building relationships and just being together brings comfort and success.”

Like other educators, she believes school is meant to be a shared experience where people learn from one another.

“Hopefully, with the approved Plan B for Sampson County Schools the consistent pattern of Monday and Tuesday and Thursday and Friday groupings will allow parents to schedule childcare on the remote learning days. It is important to note that regardless of face to face or remote learning days ALL days count for attendance and grading.”

The survey is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/V8B5SDW and in Spanish at www.surveymonkey.com/r/5MCFDZH. Additional information about “Lighting Our Way Forward” is available online at https://bit.ly/3gyZ6WW.