Jefferson County Schools Distance Learning – Citizens Should Be Proud Of Community, Faculty, & Parent Support

Successful learning always takes a partnership, and this has been especially true in 2020. Talk to any teacher or parent and you are bound to hear a story of challenge, a story unprecedented. Just a year ago, no one could have predicted the need for distance learning days for all students. Yet, in the first semester, Jefferson County Schools implemented six scheduled and three emergency distance learning days. These are days when traditional students join the students that chose to learn remotely so that every student is distance learning. There is a series of questions about the distance learning days that many people have asked. What do teachers do on those days? What do parents think about those days? Are students able to learn anything from home? Let’s answer some of those questions.

What do teachers do on distance learning days?

First, teachers in Jefferson County are busy on distance learning days. They devote time to the distance learners that are on their classroom rolls. This includes time to plan lessons, organize resources, digitally record lessons, design and grade online assignments, answer questions from students and parents, assess distance learners, mark attendance, guide and train caregivers, and tutor individual distance learners.

Teachers are not just focused on their distance learners, however. One of the goals of scheduling distance learning days has been to prepare traditional students to be successful at distance learning in case they ever become a close contact and must quarantine or in case school buildings are forced to close for a period. Teachers have spent class time preparing their in-person students to use the online platforms and programs. On distance learning days, students implement what they have learned at home with the support of their caregivers and families. Schools host labs where families can safely come into the building to get individualized academic support, technology help, or access to the internet.

Classroom teachers are not the only ones working hard on distance learning days. Speech therapists conduct virtual therapy, special education teachers facilitate IEP meetings, school counselors complete virtual check-ins, and bus drivers deliver meals. These are only a few examples of how every school system employee has an assignment on distance learning days.

What do parents think about distance learning days?

Schools have received both positive and negative feedback from families about the distance learning days. The negative feedback has decreased to a trickle as the school year has progressed. Issues that were experienced on the first DL (distance learning) day have been resolved and expectations appropriate for each grade level have been clarified leading up to each DL day. Seventh and eighth grade parent Jamison Robison emailed Principal Tammy Beach at Jefferson Middle School to express her gratitude for all that has been done for students. “DL days are hard on EVERYONE, but your teachers have gone above and beyond to be communicative and have shown students and parents grace with this new way of learning.” Robison went on to detail that the teachers have reached out to the students to provide clarification on instructions, give tips to the parents to help them teach the kids, and have modified the work when there has been a need.

Elementary Principal Jacob Bellissimo shared, “Parents deserve credit for working with their children to find ways to make DL days a success. Education has always been a team effort between our schools and the home, but the DL days have shown us how invested our parents are in their children’s success.” Others have echoed these sentiments. It has been pointed out that when children are learning at school, we have the parents supporting the teachers. When children are learning at home, we have the teachers supporting the parents. A first-grade teacher at Dandridge Elementary stated, “Parents are really communicating with us this year, and I think that is making all the difference.”

How has student learning been impacted by distance learning days?

Research has long demonstrated that of all the factors in a school, the teacher in the classroom has the greatest impact on student learning. Are teachers able to have that same impact on students when they are learning from home? Honestly, it is not known yet. Principals and teachers are reporting lots of positives from distance learning days though. Principal Angie Rogers shared that young students at White Pine School recorded themselves reading and shared it with their teachers. They did their phonics lessons from home and took pictures of their work. According to Principal Ron Overton, Maury Middle School students participated in large numbers in online meetings and did a tremendous job communicating with their teachers. On DL days, teachers are using Microsoft Teams, a video-conferencing platform, to teach lessons just like they would if students were sitting in front of them. Traditional students in sixth through twelfth grade were asked to complete an online survey about DL days. Of the 1,493 traditional students that completed the survey, 72% said that they were able to participate in Microsoft Teams meetings.

Parents and teachers are concerned about student learning as education is the key to a bright future. One ESL teacher reports, “Most of our English Language Learners cannot complete online work without face-to-face support. Many of our students come from large families and are expected to watch over younger siblings when they are home.  The older students are expected to complete their homework and work one on one with all the younger siblings as well.” Teachers are also reporting a percentage of students that are not engaging in their lessons or assignments at all during DL days. Existing learning gaps between groups of students are likely to get even bigger.

Conclusion

Continuing to educate students during a pandemic has required an immense level of flexibility and hardship on all involved. It has taken a great deal of collaboration between teachers and families. Moreover, it has really taken a community effort. Area churches have opened their doors for students. The public libraries have stepped up their support. Retired teachers have come back to work as distance learning teachers. Neighbors are tutoring neighborhood children. Jefferson County citizens should be proud of the efforts that have been made for the sake of our children.

Submitted by Jefferson County, TN Department of Education, Elementary Supervisor Kristi Waltke