What we do — and don’t — know about schools reopening for fall - The Washington Post

What we do — and don’t — know about schools reopening for fall - The Washington Post

It’s mid-June and schools still aren’t sure how they will open for 2020-21. Here’s why — and what’s likely to happen.

It’s mid-June and most school district superintendents still haven’t announced exactly what schools will look like when they open for the 2020-21 school year. In many places, reopening will be in August, which doesn’t give them a lot of time to decide and put the plans in motion.

But we do know that just about every aspect of schooling will be different than it has been in the past. Protective measures will be in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, and a “hybrid” model of in-person and remote learning will become commonplace in many, if not most, districts.

In California, for example, the state Education Department recently issued guidance calling for the implementation of a hybrid, or blended, instructional model in all K-12 districts.

Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni said recently that he envisions some combination of remote and in-school learning, with in-school learning most necessary for students with special needs, young children, English-language learners and other at-risk students.

In Ohio, some districts have informed the state they plan to use blended learning.

And many colleges and universities throughout the country that have declared that they are welcoming students back to campus envision a hybrid model, with students doing some classes in their dorms and others in front of a teacher.

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According to a new survey by AASA, the School Superintendents Association, 94 percent of K-12 superintendents nationwide indicated that they are not ready to announce when schools will reopen and exactly how they will do it.

Part of the holdup in making decisions is uncertainty about how serious the coronavirus crisis will be in their communities when it is time for school to start — especially with infection rates rising now in a significant number of states. Reported coronavirus cases have topped 2.1 million in the United States. CONTINUE READING: What we do — and don’t — know about schools reopening for fall - The Washington Post