Governor Ralph Northam called on all K-12 school divisions across Virginia to make in-person learning options available by March 15.
Northam says the schools should reopen in accordance with the health guidance that his administration put forward in January and new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Recognizing significant learning losses over the past year, Governor Northam also encouraged school divisions to offer classroom instruction during the summer months for those who choose.
“The health and safety of students, educators, school personnel, and communities continues to be our top priority,” said Governor Northam. “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.”
Northam used an executive order in 2020 to shut down in-person learning in the spring of 2020 for the remainder of that academic year. He later allowed school boards to make the decision in each locality as the the next school year began in September.
Some localities sent their students back for some form of in-person learning, but at least 40 school districts have not offered any options except virtual learning.
“For those who choose to return to in-person instruction, we know that school will not look the same as students remember it from past years,” said Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. “However, implementing evidence-based public health strategies will provide students who need it most the opportunity to have an in-person environment to learn and develop academically, socially, and emotionally.”
Virginia’s top health official says that the Virginia Department of Health will stay committed to helping students learn safely. “In-person learning is critical to the current and future well-being of our children,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Norm Oliver. “VDH remains committed to supporting school districts in getting kids back into classrooms as we work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and get Virginians vaccinated.”
The Virginia Education Association (VEA) disagrees with the decision to set a specific return date. “No one wants to be back in those buildings more than we do. We know that in-person instruction is the goal, and we believe that we are getting closer to being able to do that every day,” said VEA President Dr. James J. Fedderman. “However, the best way to move ahead is not to set an arbitrary date. Instead, we must keep our focus on ensuring that all school staff members have the opportunity to be vaccinated and that all necessary safety precautions and mitigation measures are in place, along with the resources to sustain them.”
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recommends schools use the CDC Indicators for Dynamic School Decision-Making jointly with the Interim Guidance for K-12 School Reopening document to inform decisions about school operations with regard to COVID-19. VDH also maintains a school metrics dashboard, which compiles a variety of data sources, providing a visualization of COVID-19 community transmission by region and data trends in specific communities to guide local and state governments and school officials in determining whether additional mitigation measures are appropriate.
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