Como-Pickton CISD to halt remote instruction options

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Quarantined students only to continue online learning

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Como-Pickton CISD will no longer be providing online learning options, according to a release from the school. 

Citing increased workload for teachers and failure of students to complete assignments, CPCISD Superintendent Dr. Greg Bower announced Monday the district will no longer offer online learning options. However, for students confirmed to have COVID-19 or quarantined because of close contact, the online learning system will still be used.

"Online learning for our students has not been successful," Bower said in the release. "Many are at risk of either failing as a result of their neglect to attend school online... or they are at risk of failing as a result of their neglect to do the required assignments or tests."

The district requests that students now return to campus Oct. 12, and Oct. 9 will be the last day of online learning. The district further said families who do not wish to return their students to face-to-face instruction could transfer to a district that takes online students, engage in homeschooling, or enroll in an online school.

“We feel that this decision is in the best interest of the students and staff of Como-Pickton CISD,” Bower wrote. “We also understand that there will be a small handful of you who do not agree with this decision. We respect your right to do so.”

Bower clarified in an interview with the News-Telegram that while there are students having successful in online instruction, “a vast majority of them are not being successful with it.”

“I don’t necessarily think it’s the kids’ fault. It’s just a bad situation for everyone,” Bower said. “This virus has everyone in a bad way and has taken us of out the normalcy that we have in our everyday educational setting, not to mention our everyday lives.”

Bower also opened up on the struggles teachers have faced balancing the face-to-face instruction and online learning, saying they are “overwhelmed and overburdened with the additional workload.”

“They’re already overworked and underpaid in the vast majority of the subjects that they teach right now even if you took away the virus,” Bower said. “But when you take the virus and add on top  they have to conduct online learning in addition to their regular duties of face-to-face instruction, it’s just too much to ask.”

When teachers and administrators received data from the first six-week period, “tough decisions” had to be made, Bower said, and students were “losing the knowledge base that they need to continue transitioning academically.”

“For me as an administrator, sitting back and looking at those ratios of success and the amount of the stress and workload that it’s placing on our teachers, the amount of resources and effort does not match the results that we are getting,” Bower said. “It’s not sustainable for the results that we’re receiving.”

Rains ISD in Emory just south of Hopkins County is another area school district transitioning from online learning to face-to-face, stating in a Sept. 24 release students not succeeding with online learning “may be required to return to in-person instruction.” Bower speculated other rural districts may follow suit while bigger, more urban districts may still offer online learning options.

In the district’s September board meeting, the board approved their asynchronous plan, meaning the district would offer remote learning through online programs like Google Classroom or paper packets. Assistant superintendent Jana Andrews said at the meeting limited or unreliable internet access throughout the district was a major obstacle for offering anything else.

It is not mandated by the Texas Education Agency to offer remote learning options for its general student population, according its guidance documents. Asynchronous or synchronous plans must be approved for a district to receive funding for those plans, but a district can choose to only offer those plans during a student’s quarantine period or during a campus closure.