MCSD superintendent changes reopening plan for Columbus schools amid coronavirus
Muscogee County School District superintendent David Lewis has changed when and how to reopen Columbus public schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.
During the school board’s monthly meeting Monday night, Lewis said MCSD will reopen Aug. 17, one week later than scheduled, and conduct all classes virtually instead of allowing an in-person option for at least the first three-and-a-half weeks.
MCSD’s original plan, announced last month, was to give parents and guardians the option of choosing in-person or remote learning for their children and for classes to start as scheduled Aug. 10. But after the deadly virus surged in the Columbus area, board members passionately debated the plan during last week’s work session.
That prompted Lewis to come back with a new recommendation. In his email to the board Monday afternoon, Lewis explained his rationale for the new plan:
“We have continued to closely monitor the data related to the spread of COVID-19 in our community to include discussions with epidemiologists and infectious disease doctors from Emory University,” Lewis wrote. “These specialists cited two specific benchmarks to help determine the re-opening of schools: the 7-day average rate of infections, the positivity rate of 10% or greater and hospital capacity. Unfortunately, Columbus has met all three indicators.”
Delaying the first day of classes by a week will give teachers “ample time for relevant professional development,” Lewis said.
By Sept. 9, when the school year’s first progress reporting period has ended, MCSD will determine whether to allow in-person classes for those who choose it, he said.
Meanwhile, he said, teachers will report to their buildings Aug. 3 “in a staggered model” based on the school’s needs.
“During that time period,” Lewis wrote, “all teachers and instructional leaders will receive professional development per our Division of Teaching and Learning to ensure all staff members are properly equipped to meet District expectations for curriculum and instruction in a virtual learning environment.”
The meeting was conducted via videoconference due to coronavirus precautions. The recording is on MCSD’s YouTube Channel.
The board wasn’t required to vote on the recommendation, but board members praised Lewis for his decision. None of the nine representatives spoke against it.
Doctors express support for decision
Lewis invited several doctors to join the meeting and voice support for his decision.
Dr. Beverly Townsend, director of the state’s West Central Health District, said, “We have seen a significant rise in our (COVID-19 testing) positivity rate..”
Dr. Chris Edwards, chief medical officer at Piedmont Columbus Regional, said, “The disease is very active in our community. We are actually right now at our peak as far as hospitalization rate.”
Lewis emphasized his preference is for all students to return to in-person classes but his priority is health and safety.
“If everybody would follow the pretty-commonsense guidelines of wearing a mask and the hygiene and all those different things we have been told over and over and over again,” Lewis said, “that’s the biggest way we can get control over this virus and get everybody back to some sense of normality.”
“Amen to that,” Edwards said. “There is no question that wearing a mask and social distancing helps mitigate the transmission of this disease. … Unfortunately, I think our community has been a little bit slow to embrace that. I do see some progress out and about in the community over the past week and certainly over the weekend. So that was very promising, but there’s still a significant number of people that are not wearing masks.”
Virtual classes will be more rigorous
Face coverings will be mandatory whenever MCSD returns to in-person classes, Lewis said. The superintendent expressed confidence that date will be “sooner than later” because he has seen residents rally around other causes for the greater good.
“When Columbus sets its mind to do something,” he said, “it gets done. … It’s going to require all of us to do that. I’m just relying on our community to respond to that call to action.”
Meanwhile, the virtual classes will be more rigorous than the format during the spring, Lewis said.
“We’re going to be having direct instruction provided by teachers on a daily basis,” he said. “Other than the platform itself, it will not resemble anything like we did in March, April, May. … Attendance will be taken. Accountability will be held for everybody concerned.”
The board has authorized the administration to buy mobile Wi-Fi units to help families who don’t have sufficient or any internet service.
MCSD will supply students in grades 3-12 with Chromebooks. For K-2 students, Lewis said, “we’re going to have to re-appropriate some of our other computers and other devices we have.” That’s one of the reasons parents and guardians should submit their answers to the district’s survey by July 24 at noon, he said.
Lewis didn’t say how MCSD will make up the five days of classes that will be missed from the one-week delay to starting the school year, but he told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email Tuesday, “Our Strategic Waiver agreement with the State permits flexibility with our school calendar as we have exercised in past years due to inclement weather. We will invoke that again this year.
“While many activities such as assembly programs and field trips are beneficial to the overall student experience, the fact that they are restricted under current health guidelines allows for more efficient use of the instructional time provided in the revised calendar.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 4:58 PM.
