Your Wake County Public Schools reopening plan questions answered here
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Since Governor Roy Cooper and NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen announced their plan for reopening schools in the fall, parents, teachers, and others have been tweeting to WCPSS with questions about what the new school year will look like.
Do you have questions about your child returning back to school? Click to ask them here.
Here are a few of the questions that have been answered:
Q: I've heard that classes won't have to quarantine but only those that were within 6 ft. I've also heard you don't have to tell anyone if you get it. They rather you not. I don't understand how that is legal.
WCPSS: We have heard none of those things and none of those things are true.
Q: We are starting on Plan B. If WCPSS decides to move to Plan C at some point in the year, are we out of luck for Virtual Academy (VA) and therefore have to do the remote learning that we finished 2019-2020 with?
WCPSS: Yes, you won't move to Virtual Academy. No, the instruction won't be the same as 2019-20. That was "crisis teaching." This year will be very different. The last board work session describes the changes.
Q: What devices/tech will kids need at home for VA and Phase B/C? Will schools make any available to borrow? Will all materials work on both iOS and PC? Tablet, desktop/laptop? Will each kid need their own device or can siblings share?
WCPSS: Students need to have a laptop computer (Windows, Chromebook, Apple). iOS devices may not work with all resources. Students should have their own device in order to participate in remote learning. More info will be available soon on how to request/ receive a device or hotspot.
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Q: Will students continue to have their placement at their assigned school? Thank you for the updates and answers! Lots of information to process
A: Yes. They keep their enrollment in their current school.
Q: Question- if students have to go from Plan B to Plan C, will they automatically be enrolled in Virtual Academy or will it be a separate program? If a separate program, will the teachers be required to do live sessions? Thank you.
WCPSS: Virtual Academy and Plan B/C are two DIFFERENT programs. The online portion of both will be similar -- a mix of live and recorded instruction.
Q: What happens when teachers in elementary schools are quarantined? Will substitutes then be leading in-class instruction, and are we confident in the bench strength and volume of substitutes willing to work?
WCPSS: Principals will decide based on the class. (Just like any other year.) Yes, we are confident in the ability to support students during this period.
Q: If the VA numbers continue to grow, is there a point at which the board and system will decide to revamp Plan B? (Change to one week in, one week off, or some other major change.)
WCPSS: That's always been on the table, with the idea that we might start with the students who need it the most, like pre-K.
Q: Will a school nurse be available every day in every school this year?
WCPSS: We have not expanded the number of nurses available in schools. The funding is not currently available for that.
Q: Will Electives class in middle school such as foreign language which has high school credit be provided in Virtual Academy?
WCPSS: ¡Por supuesto! World languages can be successfully taught virtually!
Q: Will kids registered for VA have to go to the school's campus at all the first two weeks?
WCPSS: Students in Virtual Academy never have to go to school in person. Not the first two weeks. Not ever.
Staff from WCPSS will be holding a live online forum via YouTube answering many Virtual Academy questions on Thursday. To find out more, click here.
