The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
School board details virtual learning concerns
The Clearview Local Schools Board of Education mulled over issues and concerns Jan. 20 during a work session regarding virtual learning and urging some sort of change for the rest of the school year.
Currently, the district uses several online learning courseware, including Plato, Edmentum and Calvert for those who chose the virtual learning option, rather than hybrid learning.
Kindergartners through third-graders are taught by Clearview teachers.
Fourth- and fifth-graders then transition to using the Calvert program, then sixth-graders and beyond use Edmentum, which includes Plato services as well.
A majority of the districts 1,700 students — over 560 of them virtual learners — are in elementary grades, said Superintendent Jerome Davis.
Davis said although parents had a lot of questions to start with the new virtual system, calls to the district have reduced.
However, board member and district parent Heidi Adkins said the struggle continues for her sixthgrader and freshman in the district.
Once a straight A student, Adkins said her child in high school now is struggling in his fully remote classes.
“You just feel like a failure, because, it’s all these kids with this program, you see them retake these tests 50 times over,” she said. “But it’s like, what is it teaching our kids?
“What are they learning from this?”
With Edmentum requiring each student put in at least three hours of work online a day, Adkins said her son doesn’t have enough work to fill out his day. The only work posted through the program is different tests, she said.
This results in a struggle to meet requirements and lackluster grades, she said.
Adkins said while she has been helped most by counselors and teachers in the district, the problem lies with the companies running the programming who, she said, are difficult to contact.
“For our teachers, they want to help, they try to help, but it’s hard because they can’t give them work to work on...,” she said.
Board member Mike Kokinda also found issue with the fact that teachers, although individually assigned virtual learning students, do not directly influence or impact the curriculum for online learners.
Kokinda urged the district to find a software that involves more teachers uploading content.
“Otherwise, you’re basically sending them to an online school that has nothing to do with what Clearview does in their built-in curriculum,” he said.
Adkins recommended the district start streaming or taping live lessons from Clearview teachers for online and absent students.
Davis said the district previously tried to integrate Zoom sessions with virtual students into the in-person classes, but it proved to be more distracting than helpful.
However, he said the district can reach out to Edmentum.
Another concern is that the district’s MacBook laptops have not been delivered.
Ordered several months prior to the new semester and originally slated to arrive in November or December, Clearview has not received the order, Davis said.
The shipment of laptops should provide almost every student in the district with a computer, he said.