Fulton Schools Working On Face-To-Face Instruction Plan, Timeline

FULTON COUNTY, GA — After announcing students will begin the semester virtually, Fulton County Schools said at a school board meeting last week that it plans to return to the classrooms after Labor Day, as long as health conditions allow it. A planned phase reopening is in the works for the district, based on county data and health statistics for the coronavirus.

Fulton Superintendent Mike Looney said every school system is facing new challenges due to COVID-19 and that they must move forward, learn as much as possible from the situation, and be adaptable to changing circumstances.

"The decision to start school in Universal Remote Learning mode prioritizes student and staff safety while providing continuity for instruction and families," Looney said. "The decision also allows school leaders to monitor the COVID-19 reports and data trends for Fulton County and Georgia so that a return to in-person instruction can be made wisely and prudently."

Looney presented the school reopening matrix, which shows a move from universal remote learning back to face-to-face instruction in schools. The plan is data-driven and dependent upon the level of community spread decreasing by specific targets over a set time period. This could begin as early as after Labor Day, but again, will depend on the health data in the county. Data will be reviewed on three-week cycles to determine which phase the district can operate under.

When those targets are met, the district would progress into the next phase and give parents the option to allow students to gradually transition to an in-school learning environment. The plan allows for brief in-person interaction during each phase and building up to more time in school until there is full-day, Monday through Friday instruction. The plan is outlined on pages 14-15 of the back-to-school plan.

Chief Academic Officer Cliff Jones, Chief Talent Officer Ron Wade, Chief Operations Officer Patrick Burke, and Interim Chief Information Officer Emily Bell shared details of the superintendent’s back-to-school plan.

Board members shared that they have received hundreds of emails from parents with varying opinions about the district’s decision to start school in a virtual setting rather than face-to-face. Throughout the meeting, board members asked questions about reopening plans, including many questions posed from these emails.

When schools return in-person, students will:

• Be required to wear face coverings
• Have small group instruction
• Student program eligibility

Teachers and staff are returning to school sites on Aug. 3, with social distancing, face coverings and other safety and cleaning protocols in place, so they can prepare to begin the school year on Aug. 17 in universal remote learning mode. Universal remote learning will be more rigorous than last spring and there will be live daily instruction in an online setting in multiple subjects, the district said.

Attendance also will be taken, and consistent grading standards will be followed. Teachers will teach from their classroom to students in their school. Microsoft Teams will be used for meetings and collaboration, and ClassLink will serve as a single sign-on point for students with apps such as iReady, Safari Montage, Illuminate, etc. used to supplement teachers’ live instruction. An additional 7,400 digital devices are being procured for student and staff use and the district is working with community groups and grant funding to supply internet hotspots to eligible families meeting income requirements.