Virtual School in 2020

I was really not excited when our county’s school board made the decision to go all virtual last week. We’ve done virtual school before - my kids were enrolled in a virtual school for the 2018-19 school year - and that wasn’t too bad, but the virtual learning that the physical school tried to do in the spring when the schools shut down was basically a joke.

Fortunately it looks like the school system has been working on a new virtual learning platform, so I’m hoping this new virtual school experience will look more like what we did in the online school and less like the crazy attempts at zoom meetings they did in March, April, and May.

I got an email today from the middle school principal - she’s really on top of stuff and I like her a lot, so I was glad to see she’s already addressing concerns. Here’s the basics of what she said:

1. Virtual Learning will be very different from March of the 2020 School Year.
2. We have been working and planning for both face to face and virtual learning for our students.
3. We will be ready for instruction beginning August 17.
4. Attendance will be taken in every class, every day.
5. Assignments will be graded.
6. The hours and model for Virtual Instruction may vary from the model sent out last week. As soon as a schedule is finalized, we will share.
7. Preview Day and Open House will be held virtually-more information to come.
8. This too shall pass.

Now I’d just like to hear something from the high school. Sigh. At least we have another month before classes start.

We’re going to rework the space where the kids have their desks, and in fact probably get them new desks since the ones they have now have been through two moves and aren’t really in great shape. I’m debating getting a room divider for that room too - but I think they should be okay as long as they both use headphones. Their desks are fairly close together but they don’t face each other, and they’re both good students so I’m not worried about them distracting each other.

I need to stop borrowing trouble. I think about how difficult this will be for families with younger kids, especially when both parents work outside the home, and I feel sick to my stomach with worry for those people. Not to mention kids that are in abusive or neglectful homes. But all I can do is worry about my own family and do the best I can for them.

It’s not ideal, but it is the safest option. I just keep reminding myself of that.