Jefferson County Board Of Education Unanimously Approves ‘School Roadmap’
Starting next week, parents of students in Jefferson County schools will have to decide how their kids will start the 2020 school year. The recently approved district “school roadmap” includes traditional in-person classes, remote learning with Jefferson County teachers, or virtual learning with outsourced teachers, but at a press conference this afternoon, Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin said traditional in-person learning may not happen if coronavirus numbers continue to rise.
“You know we’re not health officials, and so there’s going to be a point where we have to rely upon the health officials to say ‘hey guys, look, these are the numbers this is what has to happen.’ And if that occurs we will be prepared to make that call,” Gonsoulin said.
Gonsoulin said over the last two weeks, the district has held virtual town halls to hear concerns from parents, faculty and school staff, including bus drivers and cafeteria workers. Their concerns ranged from the sanitation of buses to teaching remotely and what happens if a student tests positive, according to Gonsoulin.
“Transportation, that’s the one – and I’m just being totally transparent – that’s the one that gives me pause,” Gonsoulin said. “You can imagine, on any given day we have 50 to 70 kids on a bus. Closed area and a bus driver.”
Gonsoulin said face masks are mandatory for all students over the age of six. The district will provide students face masks or laptops depending on whether they are learning in person or remotely. Gonsoulin said after safety, the next top priority is making sure every student gets fed.
“That’s very important,” Gonsoulin said. “When school starts, for those people that are remote we will activate and deploy our school buses and we will find areas we’ll be dropping off lunches. We will find a way to feed our children.”
Parents can expect to receive a survey next week asking them which option they want for their children. Parents must return the survey by August 3. The board will likely vote on how to reopen schools later that week.
Other highlights from the Jefferson County Education Roadmap:
- Six “smart buses” with built-in wifi will be provided for areas with Kimberly and Corner, which have less access to broadband
- Teachers will received professional development on techniques for digital teaching
- The district has ordered about 2,000 laptops for faculty and staff, as well as personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, masks and face shields
- Services like occupational and physical therapy will still be provided for students in special education programs
- Each school will now have its own nurse
- Accommodations will be made for faculty and staff who have school-aged children
- Each nine weeks, students and parents will have the option to change their method of education
- The school board is considering a $30 hazard pay for all employees that are considered essential workers
JEFCOED Roadmap Approved by… by Miranda Fulmore on Scribd
Mentally ill people are stuck in jail because they can’t get treatment. Here’s what’s to know
Hundreds of people across Alabama await a spot in the state’s increasingly limited facilities, despite a consent decree requiring the state to address delays in providing care for people who are charged with crimes but deemed too mentally ill to stand trial. But seven years since the federal agreement, the problem has only worsened.
Ivey appoints Will Parker to Alabama Supreme Court
Parker fills the court seat vacated by Bill Lewis who was tapped by President Donald Trump for a federal judgeship. The U.S. Senate last month confirmed Lewis as a U.S. district judge.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
