36 | October 2020
@therant905
virtual setting? Yes, I would consider this as a possible option.
that are not guided by the wind.
As a member of the Board of Education, one of my priorities and responsibilities will be the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and their families. On any decision before the Board, I will not make a knee-jerk reaction due to the tremendous impact the Board’s decisions have on all residents of Lee County.
As I referenced previously, the option to return to completely online instruction remains, if warranted. Having this as an option (albeit a difficult and disruptive option) or perhaps an increased virtual environment, provides the plan with a safety net.
All options must be on the table that will allow the Board to make a decision that is in the best interest of most every person. To limit the Board’s options by stating I would not consider going back to a more virtual setting under any circumstances is foolish. I realize that common sense might not be so common anymore but part of the Board’s responsibility, to the best of our ability, is to provide an environment conducive to the success of each student’s learning. The actions of this Board matter, and I commit to making informed decisions
FRYE: Yes.
KELLY: I've already led our Board of Education through this decision making process. On July 20, the Board of Education voted unanimously to start the school year in Plan B. Ten days later, after learning from the health department that our positivity rate had risen to 16 percent, our Board unanimously voted to begin the school year with Plan C, remote learning. Given the uncertainty with this pandemic, I believe every board member should be willing to shift course when conditions drastically change--that includes returning to remote learning. LAUDATE: Let me preface by saying I am a parent of three children in Lee
County Schools — one at Lee County High School, one at West Lee Middle School and one at W.B. Wicker Elementary School. There is nothing I want more than getting those three children safely back in the classroom. However, I would absolutely consider a return to a virtual setting if numbers spike. We are not out of the woods. It would be irresponsible to say “we are sticking with in-person learning no matter what the numbers do.” The responsibility falls on the entire community to keep numbers down and keep schools in-person. Don’t send your children to school with symptoms, reinforce the importance of wearing a mask while in school, maintain social distancing whenever possible, and wash hands religiously. MILLER: This is an era of mass technology and the ability to reach each other in an instance at our fingertips, regardless if we have an increase of new COVID-19 cases or not we should implement a virtual setting for in class education. This would
not only assist with the current issues we face but be the cornerstone for future issues. Instead of having to close schools for weather; or students missing classes or assignments due to illnesses students would be able to continue their much needed education. Virtual Learning is not new. So we do not need to recreate the wheel but implement what already works into our education system. SMITH: If we get a surge of coronavirus infection, my first choice is a short pause in-school attendance, as in Durham Hillside high school, to allow for cleaning and sanitizing classrooms and identifying where cases exist and conduct contract tracing to isolate and contain the disease. Only if the spread of the virus cannot be identified and controlled, would I be in favor of returning to plan C on a long term basis. WOMACK: No response.