After public health authorities in Tarrant County, along with the cities of Arlington and Burleson, signed a joint control order on July 21 to keep all schools closed for the first six weeks of the year, Arlington ISD Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos says the decision was the right one.
“I think it’s a responsible way of moving forward,” Dr. Cavazos says. “Now I understand that doesn’t meet the needs of everyone, and not everyone is pleased with that order, because many people wanted face-to-face instruction. I’ve said often that face-to-face instruction we know is the best. Students learn best when they’re in front of and with teachers. That’s not the question. The question is, ‘When is that possible? When is that safe?’”
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The superintendent says the decision to postpone face-to-face instruction until Sept. 28 in light of Texas’ uncertain COVID-19 situation was based on the advice of health authorities.
Though students will start the 2020-2021 school year on Aug. 17 where they ended 2019-2020 – at home because of the pandemic – Cavazos says they won’t be significantly affected during the online learning time at the start of school. He notes that there will be rigorous online instruction, with grades, attendance, and social and emotional learning embedded.
Here, also, are two measures that will take place once students, faculty members and staff return to physical classrooms:
- Students will have school for at least four hours a day. Then they’ll have a choice of face-to-face instruction or remote.
- Masks will be required throughout the day, including on school buses, and hand washing procedures will be taught in every classroom.
For more: aisd.net.
The official announcement from the Mansfield Independent School District:
As Mansfield ISD plans for the 2020-21 school year, we know that we must be prepared to provide the excellent education that our community expects. In the midst of the unknowns of COVID-19 and guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on the requirements to reopen schools this fall, MISD’s top priority has and always will be the safety and well-being of our students, families and staff.
MISD is committed to opening school for in-person instruction with guidelines that prioritize public health and that protect our students and staff to the greatest extent possible. While we strongly believe that face-to-face learning and connection is most beneficial for the vast majority of students, we have streamlined our process and dedicated ourselves to ensuring that a virtual learning experience will be as successful for those students who do not yet feel comfortable coming to school in person.
While we are planning for these two different instructional environments, please know that adjustments may be necessary throughout the coming school year. It will be our commitment to keep the community informed of those changes and updates.
Following a joint order released on July 21 by the Tarrant County, City of Arlington and City of Burleson health authorities, all Mansfield ISD students will begin the 2020-21 school year on Aug. 12 in a virtual setting until Sept. 28. Mansfield ISD parents can choose to enroll their child(ren) for in-person instruction or virtual instruction for the fall semester.
For more: mansfieldisd.org.
