More North Texas School Districts Say It's Time For Struggling Students To Come Back To Campus
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Citing failing students and burned-out teachers, Texas school districts are beginning to abandon plans to provide virtual instruction alongside traditional school classes.
Others will require students to return as soon as next week, after finding failure rates among secondary students were nearing 70%.
In Whitesboro ISD, east of Gainesville, remote students will have to return next week.
Superintendent Ryan Harper said it was apparent from the onset that remote learning would not be sustainable, with some students never logging in once since school started in August.
"So those kids are failing eight classes at the high school," he said. "And it's a no-win situation for them. The teachers are stressing out every night knowing that they're getting nothing, obviously."
Just 15% of Whitesboro's students chose the virtual learning option, but Harper said teachers found they didn't have enough to time to work with those students when they needed help, or contact those who weren't participating.
"When you have teachers running on empty, they're doing no good for their class room kids that are face to face and then they're struggling to keep everything going online as well," he said.
Students at Como-Pickton Consolidated ISD, east of Sulphur Springs, have been back in school since August 10.
Dr. Greg Bower though estimated 60% to 70% of online students were failing due to not logging in.
Staff was relieved, Bower said, with the announcement the virtual work will end October 9.
"The overwhelming burden that it has placed on them, for the few success stories that we have, the majority of our kiddos in online learning, are not successful," Bower said.
The districts are telling families who don't want to return, they will need to find a private school, do home school or transfer to another public or charter school for education.