Putnam City to start school virtually
Another major metro school district will start the academic year at home.
Putnam City Public Schools announced Friday it will begin school with an upgraded model of distance learning for the first nine weeks. All students who planned to attend in-person must switch to distance learning.
The first day of school is Aug. 21.
Oklahoma City Public Schools similarly nixed in-person classes for the first nine weeks, announcingon Tuesdayit would delay the beginning of school by three weeks to prepare schools for a virtual start.
Putnam City school board President Cindy Gibbs said she supported the choice from Superintendent Fred Rhodes and district administrators to start with at-home learning.
“While supporting their decision, I do realize the hardship this puts on our families, including mine,” Gibbs said in a statement. “However, the safety of our students, teachers and staff are of the utmost importance.”
Though not in a classroom with their students, teachers still will have daily lessons in which they will take attendance and grade classwork. The district will provide a technology device to each of its 19,000 students to access online schoolwork from home. Schools will release a device check-out plan at a later date.
Unlike Oklahoma City Public Schools, Putnam City has not said it will provide free hotspots to households with no home internet service. Instead, the district directed students to schools and local areas with free Internet service. Lowincome families who qualify for the National Lunch Service
Program and other government assistance might be eligible for discounted service rates from Cox or AT&T.
The district has not specified yet whether extracurricular activities will continue during the distance-learning period.
Putnam City also offers an online curriculum that differs from the distance- learning model. The PC Virtual School requires a semester-long commitment, and grades 3-12 will work on the OdysseyWare learning program. Students in pre-K through second grade would work with an assigned teacher.
Parents are allowed to switch their children's enrollment from PC Virtual School to distance learning.
Putnam City released i ts original Return to Learn plan on July 14, in which the district intended to offer both in-person
and virtual learning options. However, Oklahoma's transmissions of COVID-19 steadily increased and now approach 30,000 cases.
“I want nothing more than to return to a sense of normalcy,” said Jay Sherrill, school board vice president. “... Based on recent trends, data, and guidance by our State Board of Education, it's clear we are not back to a sense of normal.”
The Oklahoma State Board of Education voted Thursday to recommend a color-coded COVID- 1 9 Alert System to schools similar to one state health officials developed. Under state guidance, Oklahoma County has reached Orange Level, more than 14.39 cases per 100,000 people. The state suggests schools consider alternative class schedules or distance learning at this alert.
“While supporting their decision, I do realize the hardship this puts on our families, including mine. However, the safety of our students, teachers and staff are of the utmost importance.”
Putnam City school board President Cindy Gibbs