WASHINGTON — As kids and parents gear up to go back to school this month, this article explains more about what a typical day will look like for students in D.C.
D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) is starting off the school year 100% virtual.
The sources for this story are DCPS and Elizabeth Davis, President of the Washington Teacher’s Union (WTU).
DCPS announced the first term of the school year, Aug. 31 to Nov. 6, will be all virtual.
WUSA9 learned the experience will be altered depending on the child and their grade level.
Pre-K to elementary students will get one to three hours of live instruction most days and older kids should expect four to five hours of live content, according to the school district.
Learning at home will happen in a few ways. Teachers can either lead lessons live and in real-time or students can be required to watch recorded videos and webinars.
All of the learning activities will be facilitated through a single system called Canvas.
Students’ schedules will also include fun social activities to give their brains a break.
The WTU applauds the mayor’s move to start the school year off virtually but said it is working to develop protocols with DCPS to ensure safety when schools eventually return to in-person learning.
“We want to ensure that we are following D.C. Health guidelines, the CDC guidelines that class sizes are going to be conducive to social distancing. We want hallways, entryways – all of that. We want to make sure the buildings are cleaned properly,” Davis explained.
What’s next?
DCPS said parents still need to enroll their children in school if they have not done so already.
If a student needs a device or Wi-Fi access, parents should request the technology via a DCPS survey.
Additionally, the school district created training classes to help support families with the virtual learning process.
All of the resources can be found here.