Wake students to start school year remotely

HEAT WITH 95 IN RALEIGH, 94 IN

FAYETTEVILLE WITH MORE HEAT TO

COME BUT IT WILL BREAK SOON,

COMING UP.

>>> THE WAKE COUNTY PARENTS HAD

TO KEEP THE CHILDREN AT HOME A

BIT LONGER.

THE SCHOOL YEAR OFFICIALLY

STARTS WITH REMOTE LEARNING.

>> SCHOOL LEADERS HAVE APPROVED

THE PLAN WITHIN THE LAST 90

MINUTES.

IT IS NOT THE GOVERNOR PLAN C

AND THEY CALL IT PLAN B

TRANSITION.

YOU WILL HEAR THAT OFTEN IN THE

COMING WEEKS AS WE EXPLAIN

EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS.

JOE FISHER WATCHED THE ENTIRE

MEETING AND HE IS LIVE WITH THE

ANSWERS.

>> Reporter: FIRST OF ALL THE

DISTRICTS THAT THEY PLAN ON

PUTTING COMPUTERS WITH EVERY

STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT THAT

NEEDS ONE.

THEY WILL BE A SURVEY EMAILED

OUT TO PARENTS TOMORROW, SO BE

ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT.

THE DISTRICT SAID THEY'RE

WORKING ON A PLAN TO OFFER

REDUCED CHILDCARE TO HELP OUT

WORKING PARENTS MOST AFFECTED

BY THE BIG CHANGE TODAY.

>> GO BACK TO ONE, TWO, THREE,

FOUR AND FIVE.

>> Reporter: WHEN STUDENTS

RETURN TO CLASS IN WAKE COUNTY

IT IS ONLINE ONLY.

>> IT'S A BETTER PLAN THAN PLAN

B BUT NOT THE BEST PLAN.

>> Reporter: TEACHERS ARE

STILL CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THE

DISTRICT CALLS PLAN B

TRANSITION WITH STUDENTS WITH A

MODIFIED SCHEDULE STARTING

AUGUST 13 AND TRADITIONAL

STUDENTS START AUGUST 17.

THE FIRST TWO WEEKS IS A SOFT

LAUNCH FOR STUDENTS AND

TEACHERS TO GET ACCLIMATED WITH

PROGRAMS.

PRE-K AND SPECIAL ED REGIONAL

STUDENTS RETURN TO THE DAILY IN-

PERSON CLASS ON SEPTEMBER 8.

>> WE SWITCH UP WITH NO

PREPARATION TIME.

WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF

PREPARATION TIME YOU END UP IN

AN EMERGENCY LEARNING PHASE

LIKE MARCH THROUGH JUNE.

>> Reporter: IN THE THREE HOUR

SPECIAL MEETING SCHOOL

OFFICIALS LAID OUT A PLAN FOR

VIRTUAL LEARNING.

IT GIVES THE STUDENTS

FLEXIBILITY BUT REQUIRES

ATTENDANCE WITH TWO OR THREE

HOURS OF LIVE INSTRUCTION EACH

DAY.

OFFICE HOURS, CONSISTENT

GRADING AND CLEARLY DEFINED

EXPECTATIONS THEY SAY WILL HELP

TO KEEP THE STUDENTS ON TRACK.

>> WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE BAR

MUST BE RAISED FOR THE 20-21

SCHOOL YEAR.

>> Reporter: THERE IS A

POSSIBILITY OF STUDENTS

RETURNING TO IN-PERSON

CONSTRUCTION, DIFFERENT THAN

THE MORE CONSISTENT VIRTUAL

ACADEMY THAT WILL KEEP THE

STUDENTS ONLINE FOR THE ENTIRE

SEMESTER.

SUPERINTENDENT CATHY MOORE

POINTED OUT THE RISING COVID-19

CASES AS ONE REASON FOR THE

SWITCH, AND A NEED FOR MORE

TIME TO SECURE ADEQUATE PPE FOR

ALL OF THE SCHOOLS.

>> THERE ARE PEOPLE MAD WE ARE

CHANGING UP THE PLANT BUT IT IS

MY SINCERE BELIEF WE WILL GET

TO A BETTER PLAN AND BETTER

PLACE.

>> Reporter: THE SUPERINTENDENT

SAID IT IS HER GOAL TO GET THE

STUDENTS BACK INTO THE

CLASSROOM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,

AS SOON AS PRACTICAL.

DURING THE MEETING TODAY SHE

DID NOT OFFER AN ESTIMATE ON

EXACTLY WHEN THAT WILL HAPPEN.

THE PLAN AS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW

PUTS PRE-K STUDENTS BACK IN THE

CLASSROOM FIRST, WHICH WE

ALREADY HEAR FROM TEACHERS THAT

ARE RAISING RED FLAGS ABOUT

THAT.

THEY FEEL THE YOUNGER STUDENTS

WILL BE HARDEST TO SOCIAL

DISTANCE AND TO WEAR A MASK ALL

DAY.

THERE ARE MANY MOVING PARTS TO

THIS ONE.

>> NO MATTER WHAT THERE IS NO

PERFECT PLAN.

JOE FISHER LIVE, THANK YOU.

>>> PARENTS GET ANOTHER CHANCE

TODAY TO APPLY FOR VIRTUAL

ACADEMY WITH AN OPEN THREE-DAY

ENROLLMENT WINDOW BEGINNING

MONDAY, JULY 27.

THE NEW DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY

AT 5:00 P.M.

FAMILIES THAT HAVE SIGNED UP

CAN MAKE CHANGES DURING THE

WINDOW AS WELL.