Superintendent Explains Why Philadelphia School District Scrapped Plans For Hybrid School Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The School District of Philadelphia is explaining why it scrapped plans for a hybrid school year. After fierce opposition, the school district announced Tuesday it was revising its reopening plan, proposing students continue virtual learning through at least November.
The start of the school year on Sept. 2 will begin with all virtual learning, which makes it critical that the district's more than 125,000 students have access to learning.
In the midst of a city still in the grips of rising COVID-19 cases and growing concerns among teachers and parents, the Philadelphia School District reversed course on its initial reopening plan.
"After careful consideration, we have made some changes to our proposed health and safety plan, and we are proposing that we start the school year with all students engaging in digital learning for the first marking period, which goes through Nov. 17," Superintendent Dr. William Hite said Wednesday.
The district has scrapped plans to begin the school year with a hybrid learning format, where students would attend in-school classes two days a week.
Now, all students will stay home, learning in an all-virtual setting.
"People were worried that, felt like things were being rushed, and that things were moving too quickly and that individuals just wasn't a community level of comfort that I felt was needed," Hite said.
Hite says numerous surveys and meetings with teachers and parents lead to this decision, along with guidance from health officials.
Ensuring that all children have internet access is now a top priority.
"We know children fell behind and we know that without them having a routine and having the structures and having the adult with them that is helping them to navigate their learning that they may fall further behind so that's what I worry about," Hite said. "Our IT team is in the process now of calling all of our families to get a better sense of who has internet access and then we're going to merge those two things to ensure that we have as accurate information as possible."
The school district is working with internet providers and the mayor's office, even saying there may be certain places that will be set up for kids to go to access the internet, if necessary.
Chromebooks will be available to any student who needs one.
The revised plan will be presented to the school board on Thursday.
