Wood BOE discusses upcoming school year
PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Board of Education met Tuesday night to receive updates on Wood County Schools’ fall reopening plans and online programs.
Teachers and personnel returned to schools this week and students will begin classes Sept. 8. As part of the school system’s COVID-19 re-entry plan, the first three weeks will be a mix of in-person and online learning.
Among the topics discussed Tuesday:
- Virtual School
Jason Potts, a curriculum coordinator for Wood County Schools, gave an overview of the West Virginia Virtual School program and enrollment. The school system has about 2,400 students enrolled in the program, but those numbers continue to fluctuate.
“One-fifth of the students in Wood County will be virtual school students this year,” Potts said.
That number also includes about 400 students in special education programs, he said.
The state virtual school follows all West Virginia content standards and requires at least 4 hours of dedicated time each day to work through online materials and lessons. Potts said there are no “live” instructors in the virtual school, but students can email questions and completed work will be reviewed by West Virginia teachers. Students are largely responsible for the pace of the program. Potts said about half the coursework should be completed by the end of October, the halfway mark for the semester.
Families can opt to return students to in-person classes only during the first two weeks of the school year. After that, students will be expected to complete the semester in virtual school before returning to traditional classes.
- Blended Learning
Members of Wood County Schools Curriculum and Instruction Department presented an overview of blended learning. When students return on Sept. 8, they will be on a staggered schedule, with half of the students having two days a week in-person instruction and two days of online learning. All students will attend online on Fridays. The staggered schedule will be used the first three weeks of the school year to help students, parents and teachers adjust to COVID-19 precautions. Schools will have the ability to return to a blended-learning format if needed due to an upswing in COVID-19 cases.
Online instruction will be done through the Schoology program and will be a mix of discussions, activities and video instruction, depending on the grade level and topics being covered. The online instruction will mirror in-person instruction.
Academic Coach Candace Lewis said the first few weeks of the new school year will be spent teaching students how to use the Schoology program, and the district will provide a Schoology help line for parents.
Wood County Schools teachers and staff are attending online training sessions this week and next to prepare for the mix of online and in-person instruction. Officials Tuesday said the goal is to move blended learning ahead at a normal classroom pace, which requires more careful thought and planning as educators simultaneously work with the two platforms.
“We’re going to have to be incredibly intentional in our instruction, every minute,” said Joanna Mulligan, one of the district’s academic coaches who presented to the school board Tuesday evening.
“The idea is to keep instruction moving forward,” said Lewis.
- Construction Update
Assistant Superintendent Mike Fling, who oversees facilities for Wood County Schools, presented an update on construction and renovation projects throughout the county.
Fling said in recent weeks a disruption in supplies and materials for worksites has delayed several projects which were slated to be finished before students returned to classes Sept. 8. The disruptions
Shipments of items such as window glass, doors and tile have been delayed or only partially delivered, Fling said. In some cases, such as countertops and sinks for school science labs, are specialized materials and only available from one source, he said.
As a result, Fling said only two of four middle-school classrooms at Williamstown High/Middle School will be available at the start of the school year, and several projects will not be completed until late September or early October. Those delays, however, will not affect the reopening of schools or the opening of the new Williamstown Elementary School.
- Re-entry Plan
In his regular superintendent’s report, Superintendent Will Hosaflook said guidance state and federal authorities on reopening schools continues to be tweaked and revised. Hosaflook said much of the guidance
Hosaflook and other West Virginia superintendents are scheduled to hold a conference today (Wednesday) call with West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch to review new and revised guidance.
The next meeting of the Wood County Board of Education will be Sept. 8.