As the Prince William County 2020-2021 school year enters Quarter 2, the plan is for the county to pursue a robust in-person establishment for all grade levels. Over the weekend, the Prince William Education Association released a statement in support of maintaining the current model, which is virtual for students K-12, save for Special Education and ESOL (English as a Second Language) classes. Based on recent surveys, studies show that the virtual model has been quite successful. Below are some of the statistics that were conducted by the PWCS Student Senate across high schools on how the process was going.

Survey conducted by PWCS Student Senate of High School Students (1 – Not Well to 4- Very Well)

The next question of the survey discussed the advantages of learning in a virtual environment.

Question 2: Which of the following do you see as benefits to learning in a virtual environment (check all that apply)? The most common selections:

1. No classes on Mondays (88.9%) 2. Later start times (87.0%) 3. Breaks in between classes (73.7%)

How students would like to see the Second Quarter of the School Year be conducted.

As much as the students have benefitted from a virtual environment, the chances of opening the schools in November are increasing. However when it comes to re-opening the schools, the most often ignored component has been the plight of the teachers. Recently we spoke with some teachers who have supported the schools remaining in their current state of virtual learning.

Oveta Scott, a teacher at Fred Lynn Elementary in Woodbridge, and one of the most vocal leaders for the virtual learning initiative, discussed how the efforts of teachers to obtain back-to-school details from the School Board and in particular, Superintendent Steven Walts, have been left unanswered. “We have not had any reply on our ADA forms that was sent back in August but they are preparing for us to return,” said Scott. “On Wednesday October 7 we are going to make our voices heard that it is not safe to open the schools until they address our concerns.”

Scott was among several teachers who expressed their dismay at the lack of communication between the school board and the teachers regarding the re-opening. Graciela Reed, an ESOL teacher at Jenkins Elementary, spoke about another issue that needs to be taken into consideration. “Our schools are not ready for the emotional loss that students have to deal with,” said Reed. “What support will be there for students who may have lost loved ones to this virus? Are we ready for the kids to deal with this and be at school for most of the day?”

Reed also discussed the potential problems that could arise from students who do not follow the social distancing and mask wearing mandates. “Is there a system in place for students who don’t want to wear a mask? As an ESOL teacher, I have to talk with students and they need to see how to communicate verbally. That’s almost impossible to do while having to wear a mask. Also, what are they going to do about the bus drivers? How are they supposed to watch the students and drive at the same time?”

Iysha Burt, a school teacher at Fannie Fitzgerald Elementary, discussed how there has been no updates on how the schools will allow for teachers to take time off for personal dealings. “There has been no clear documentation for how they’re going to allow us to take off for sick days. I’ve had several teachers who have sent in their ADA’s and today have not received a response. It’s insulting how little information we’ve received.”

“Decisions are being made on our lives.”

Tomorrow a caravan rally will be held at 5:00pm, starting at Colgan High School and heading to the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center in Manassas.