Tag: Virtual School

WVPB Reporters Recap Bills Passed And Failed This Session

On this episode of The Legislature Today, when the session began in January, our government reporter Randy Yohe was assigned to cover the House of Delegates and our southern West Virginia reporter Briana Heaney was assigned the Senate. With a budget bill still to be finalized, Yohe and Heaney offer some of their insights into bill proposals, passed and failed, that affect the lives, wallets and communities of West Virginia. 

On this episode of The Legislature Today, when the session began in January, our government reporter Randy Yohe was assigned to cover the House of Delegates and our southern West Virginia reporter Briana Heaney was assigned the Senate. With a budget bill still to be finalized, Yohe and Heaney offer some of their insights into bill proposals, passed and failed, that affect the lives, wallets and communities of West Virginia. 

In the House Wednesday, several Senate bills on third reading were sent to the governor’s desk for his signature. Bills were completed on adult education, safeguarding health care worker’s personal information, and leadership and structural changes to the Educational Broadcasting Authority – which governs West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Randy Yohe has more.

Also, a bill with bipartisan support to criminalize artificial intelligence (AI) child pornography now has an unexpected insert – resurrecting a bill regarding libraries and obscene materials. Randy Yohe has more.

In the Senate Wednesday, the chamber processed many House bills with zero debate and unanimous or near unanimous votes. It was also Suicide Prevention Day at the Capitol. Briana Heaney has more.

Finally, the Senate Health Committee met in front of a room full of white coat-wearing physicians to discuss House Bill 5105 – a bill to eliminate vaccine requirements for public virtual schools. The committee approve the bill after amending it to remove religious exemptions for public school students, but not for private and parochial school students. The bill will now be considered by the full Senate.

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The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Lawmakers Discuss Vaccines In Private, Virtual Schools, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, there has been a lot of discussion in the West Virginia Legislature this year about vaccines and whether they should be required in private, parochial or virtual schools. Emily Rice spoke with Del. Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, to get their perspectives.

On this West Virginia Morning, there has been a lot of discussion in the West Virginia Legislature this year about vaccines and whether they should be required in private, parochial or virtual schools. Emily Rice spoke with Del. Chris Pritt, R-Kanawha, and Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, to get their perspectives.

Also, in this show, one of the banks barred from state contracts by the Treasurer’s Office is financing the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Curtis Tate has more.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

State Pushes Back On Counties In Remote Learning, Says They Must Offer In-Person Option

Just three West Virginia counties are still offering remote-only schooling, but that could soon change.

In an emergency meeting held by the West Virginia Board of Education Wednesday, board members discussed Marion, Gilmer and Taylor County schools — the only counties remaining in the state that have opted to continue with remote-only learning.

This is a change from Monday, when seven counties were still opting to keep students working from home.

West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch said in the meeting that Gilmer County is asking for assistance, although he did not specify what type of assistance the county is requesting. Taylor County has opted to follow its own metric system, according to Burch, and Marion County has opted to stick with a blended model and continue to follow the state’s coronavirus map — keeping all students remote when a county is orange or red. This is what all counties followed in the fall.

The state school board and Burch discussed at length why students should be back in brick-and-mortar classrooms, citing educational and social-emotional needs.

“Closures disrupt school based services such as immunization, school meals, mental health, psychological support,” said board member James Wilson, referencing a chart he said was from the World Health Organization. “Keeping children at home also affects the ability of parents to work which comes with its own list of risks.”

Members argued that all students under age 15 should be attending in-person school full-time, pointing to health experts who say COVID-19 does not transmit at the same rate for children as it does for adults. Board member Stanley Maynard said safety concerns also go beyond COVID-19.

“Safety is not just a one-dimensional thing,” Maynard said. “I think it’s crucial, when we talk about the safety of the emotional aspect of one caring adult — somebody who knows their name, somebody who they know loves them, cares for them, and that’s a teacher. And the safest workplace that we have in the state of West Virginia is a school. The safest place for our children is at a school.”

Board member Debra Sullivan also spoke, and while she agreed that physical classrooms are where students should be, she encouraged members to hear from Gilmer, Taylor and Marion counties for detailed reasons why they opted to continue with remote-only learning.

“Let’s show courtesy to invite folks in and let them share with us what their concerns are,” Sullivan said. “They may not have [substitute teachers]. That’s a problem … They’re all different, and I just think we need to hear what it is they have to say.”

Board President Miller Hall, however, did not agree and gave an impassioned speech saying there’s no excuse for them not to be in school when health officials say it’s safe.

“We did give a mandate that they would follow, and we gave them some flexibility and options they could use,” Hall said. “You can’t tell me that those kids … cannot go in [the schools] and social distance. I can’t take that. We’re not going to accept that … This board is charged today to come up with ways to deal with the ones that continue to say ‘we’re not gonna do what we’re supposed to be doing.’ I cannot accept that.”

The state school board was provided with various options to consider if counties did not comply, such as withholding state aid to a county. Members were also told that the state board or parents could bring legal action against a county for “failure to provide a thorough and efficient education,” or the board could require schools to limit extracurricular activities, such as sports, if that county does not provide some form of in-person schooling.

None of these scenarios were committed to, however, only discussed, and the board did not vote on penalties for the three counties.

Instead, the board opted to give Gilmer, Taylor and Marion County schools until Jan. 26 to provide an in-person option or present a convincing reason why they must remain remote.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting emailed each of the three county superintendents directly and heard back from Taylor and Marion counties.

Taylor County Superintendent Christy Miller said the “Taylor County Board of Education has called an emergency meeting for tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. The board will be discussing the response to the West Virginia Board of Education’s mandate.”

Marion County Superintendent Randall Farley said he made a recommendation to his county school board, but the “board disagreed with me and made a motion that did not comply with the state’s motion for increasing in-person learning. Our local board is meeting on Friday morning to reconsider their decision. We will await the outcome on Friday.”

Burch said during Wednesday’s meeting that Gilmer County Schools are expected to have a meeting on Thursday evening.

The American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia also officially filed a complaint Wednesday evening in the Kanawha County Circuit Court “to protect the health and safety of students, teachers and the community in West Virginia.”

In a post on the union’s website, AFT-WV said it is seeking “a temporary restraining order and/or injunctive relief to enjoin in-person teaching in Kanawha County until all education employees have the opportunity to have the second vaccine which is scheduled to be provided in the first and second week of February.”

AFT-WV is also seeking to ensure county boards have control of their school systems as they navigate reopening.

A week ago, the West Virginia Board of Education voted unanimously to require all 55 counties to return to in-person learning — with some flexibility. Counties were allowed to consult their local health departments to determine what’s best for their districts.

Under the ruling, pre-K through 8th grade are no longer allowed to offer a remote-only option, although virtual school is still permitted for families who do not feel comfortable sending their children to physical school buildings. Not all virtual options are alike, however, and neither are remote options.

The WVDE defines remote learning as self-paced and without face-to-face instruction. Some West Virginia teachers argue that’s not always the case, and some of their remote classrooms run similarly to a virtual classroom, which is often a real-time, video conference with a local teacher and classmates.

The WVDE offers a virtual option to all 55 counties called West Virginia Virtual School, but it’s asynchronous, and the teachers are often located out-of-state. Some West Virginia counties offer a local, virtual option, such as Jefferson Virtual Academy in Jefferson County, which is five days a week, real-time instruction over a video platform with a local teacher from a student’s school.

Additionally, under the state school board’s ruling, high schools are encouraged to offer in-person learning unless a county is red on the state’s coronavirus map.

Counties are also permitted to offer blended models, such as two days a week in-person and three days a week at home.

All schools, both public and private, are required to follow COVID-19 mitigation efforts, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing.

Some School Districts Say They Won’t Return To In-Person Classes Next Week, Awaiting Full Vaccinations

West Virginia’s pre-K through 12th grade students are set to resume in-person school next week. But some counties are opting to remain virtual until teachers can be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Among those are Berkeley and Jefferson County schools, which plan to remain in virtual and remote-style-only learning models until all teachers and school service personnel can receive the required two doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

Jefferson County Schools announced Thursday in an emergency meeting that students will not be in physical classrooms again until March 1.

“While we all agree that most students learn best in a physical classroom with a trained and caring teacher, we cannot put that ahead of safety,” Jefferson County Schools said in a statement. “Based on the latest information from the Jefferson County Health Department, as well as feedback from JCS staff, the Jefferson County Board of Education determined that remote learning was the best way forward right now. They plan to revisit the decision regularly should any current conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic change.”

Following an executive order issued by the governor on Monday, the West Virginia Board of Education ruled on Wednesday that pre-K through 8th grade would no longer be allowed to offer full, remote learning. This option remains, however, for high school as long as high schools attempt a blended model of instruction — where students spend some days a week in a physical classroom and the others at home.

Still, high schools are also encouraged to be fully in-person, unless a county is red on the state’s coronavirus map.

 

Virtual school, which is different from remote, is still available in all 55 counties and for all grade levels.

The state school board also ruled that county superintendents and county boards have the ultimate authority to work with their local health departments to determine what’s best for their districts.

But Gov. Jim Justice made it clear in his Friday afternoon virtual press briefing that he did not think the path being taken by Jefferson and Berkeley counties was the right one.

“I think, without question, they ought to be back in school,” Justice said. “But I think that it’s going to be completely up to them.”

The governor’s coronavirus health team has said that children under age 15 do not transmit the virus at the same rate as children who are high school-age or adults. Justice again pointed this out in his press briefing.

“All the health experts, all the scientific research says that the transmission possibilities from 8th grade down is next to nothing,” Justice said. “If we don’t go to school, then our kids are failing, our special needs kids need us. Without any question whatsoever, we have all kinds of abuse and situations that we can, we can really help our kids if we’re in school.”

All West Virginians Can Now Pre-register For The COVID-19 Vaccine
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Following the state Board of Education’s ruling to require in-person learning for pre-K through 8th grade, on Thursday, the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia announced it plans to file an injunction against the state Board of Education, the Department of Education, and certain county boards of education early next week.

The reason is “to protect the health and safety of school employees” from the coronavirus, the union said.

The AFT-WV applauded school districts that have already chosen to remain with remote and virtual learning. The union is urging more districts to follow this example and remain fully remote until all teachers can receive both doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

The governor said in response to the move by AFT-WV that if “unions are pressuring weak board of education members” and they decide not to have in-person schooling, then those local school boards will “have to deal with consequences from the [state] Board of Education.”

County School Boards Push Back As State Plans In-Person Classes, Limits Remote Learning

Many brick-and-mortar schools in West Virginia are reopening next week after an executive order from the governor and approval of the plan Wednesday by the state school board. The plan was met with push back, however, from some teachers and county school districts.

Fully remote learning will no longer be an option for West Virginia’s pre-K through 8th grades, starting next week. Virtual schooling, which is different from remote, will remain.

Members of the West Virginia Board of Education in their monthly meeting approved a motion outlining the parameters for both public and private K-12 schools as they resume in-person teaching.

Starting Tuesday, pre-K through 8th grade will attend in-person school regardless of a county’s color on the state’s coronavirus map. County superintendents and county school boards, though, have the ultimate authority to work with their local health departments to close school and adjust as necessary.

Fully remote learning, which means students fulfill studies on their own time and often without face-to-face instruction, will no longer be permitted at the pre-K-8 level.

West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch said this learning model doesn’t work efficiently and creates too many gaps in a child’s education and well-being.

“We can’t say remote learning and handing a packet of papers to a child on Monday is any form of education,” Burch said. “I think during the governor’s [spring] executive order, we were under a health emergency. We allowed and talked about remote learning and how to possibly just fill that gap during an emergency, but now I’m really, really concerned where we’re headed if we continue to talk about remote.”

Students in pre-K through 8th grades will still have access to virtual school though, and Burch acknowledged some counties, like Kanawha, Upshur, Ohio, Wood and Jefferson, have robust virtual options.

Virtual is different from remote, in that students are often in a real-time video conference with a teacher and classmates, mirroring an in-person classroom.

Board members agreed with Burch, including West Virginia Board of Education President Miller Hall, who gave a passionate speech saying the state can’t afford not to send children back to in-person school. He added that it could result in the loss of “an entire generation” of student education.

“Remote learning is not teaching,” Hall said. “But here’s the problem, it’s not equity, because some of them don’t have a computer. Some of them can’t do it. Some of them, if they had [a computer], still wouldn’t do it. How do I know? Because I’ve been to the homes. I’ve traveled all across the state … They need to be in-person.”

Some West Virginia teachers took to social media during the meeting denouncing the claim that remote learning isn’t teaching, arguing that they worked hard this fall to make this model work when it was necessary.

Board members were made aware of comments and walked back the statement that remote learning isn’t teaching, but maintained that the remote model can no longer be an option for young students.

West Virginia’s coronavirus health team has said transmission of COVID-19 among children under age 15 is “very low.” Burch told board members that throughout the fall semester, transmission of the virus was 0.2 percent among children, while among teachers, it was 0.3 percent.

“When schools move to remote settings, we oftentimes saw spikes in the community transmission rate,” Burch said.

New parameters for high school have also changed.

High school will be held in-person, unless a county turns red on the state’s coronavirus map. High schools are permitted to keep remote-style learning but are still encouraged to have in-person as much as possible. For example, creating a blended model of instruction — attending in-person two days a week, while the other days would be remote.

All grade levels, pre-K-12, will still have access to a virtual school model if families don’t feel comfortable with in-person.

Some county school boards, such as Kanawha and Berkeley, have already decided on reentry plans for next week. Kanawha County Schools have opted to use a blended model, while Berkeley County Schools have voted to remain in remote and virtual models until teachers have been vaccinated for the coronavirus.

Burch said by the end of the day Friday, at least 19,000 teachers and school service personnel over age 50 are expected to have received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Mask-wearing and other COVID-19 mitigation efforts will continue to be required in all grades, regardless of vaccine status.

Nine W.Va. Counties Will Go Virtual-Only In First Week Of School

The West Virginia Department of Education announced Saturday that nine counties will begin with only remote learning for the week of Sept. 6 through 12. State officials rolled out updated data Saturday at 9 p.m.

 

Monongalia, Fayette, Kanawha, Logan, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Putnam and Wayne counties will not initially open for in-person instruction. 

 

Monongalia is the only county in West Virginia as of Saturday night that is marked red on the state’s color-coded map that gauges whether schools are ready for in-class teaching, sports and other activities. Previously, Monroe County was also labeled red but was moved to orange on Saturday.

 

A level of red indicates “substantial community transmission.”

 

As of the Saturday update, orange level counties — which indicates “heightened community transmission — include Fayette, Kanawha, Logan, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Putnam and Wayne.

 

The remaining counties in the state fall into the yellow and green levels, which allows for in-person instruction to begin. Yellow counties indicate “increased community transmission,” while green translates to minimal spread of the virus.

 

The color-coded threat levels are based on an average of new daily cases — with counties of 16,000 or more on a 14-day rolling average. Those with populations of less than 16,000 are measured on a 7-day rolling average.

 

State officials announced last week they would create a data review panel to evaluate county coronavirus case data to determine its accuracy and reliability.

 

“Upon further review of the data by the Panel, it was determined that Monroe County should be moved to orange status,” said West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch on Saturday. “This is because the county’s daily number of cases and the average seven-day incidence have declined sufficiently to meet the criteria for orange. From this analysis, the Panel concluded the level of COVID-19 transmission in Monroe County was improving.”

 

Monroe and the other counties in orange means school is remote only, but extracurriculars can still resume, however athletic competitions may not.

 

Updates to the map will be announced each Saturday at 9 p.m. and will be in effect until the following Saturday at the same time, according to the state Department of Education. The only exception would be if a county turns red during the week.

 

All schools, both public and private, are expected to adhere to the education department’s re-entry map to guide in-person instruction and extracurricular activities.

 

“We’re about ready to go back to school,” said Gov. Jim Justice in a virtual press conference Friday. “Unfortunately we’re going to have some that we just can’t turn loose right yet, which is in the best interest of the school.”

 

Justice announced Friday the state will devote an additional $50 million in federal pandemic relief funds for personal protective equipment and testing capacity at schools.

 

The 2020-2021 school year in West Virginia is set to start on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

As of Saturday morning, the state Department of Health and Human Resources reports 11,289 total cases of the virus and 243 deaths. 2,530 cases are considered active.

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