Classroom Learning is Best, but Schools Should Retain a Virtual Backup Plan

The 2020-21 school year was defined by social distancing, interruptions to in-person attendance and a rapid adjustment to virtual learning. It’s been a particularly challenging and stressful year for teachers who had to juggle both classroom and online education.

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was assumed that virtual learning would be temporary. As school districts navigated student quarantines and Covid infection spikes, it became a more permanent solution. In fact, most districts intend to offer online learning options to their students for the 2021-22 school year. School districts in Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Miami have all committed to offering a fully virtual option this fall. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, one of the largest districts in North Carolina, announced that it will provide a full remote academy for third through 12th grade students during the 2021-22 school year. The offering was made after a district survey found that thousands of CMS families want to continue with virtual learning next year.

While most districts plan to retain remote options for students, a few are restricting or even eliminating it altogether. New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced that schools will not offer a remote option for students next fall. New Jersey schools are also required to “reopen this fall on a full-time in-person basis without remote learning as an option.” Other districts in Illinois and Texas will allow remote instruction only for students who have a medical condition or meet eligibility criteria.

Bringing all students back into the classroom eliminates complicated split schedules and eases the burden on teachers. It’s also a reflection of scientific research. According to the CDC, reopening schools did not cause substantial community transmission, especially when mitigation measures were strong. In addition, new infection rates have plummeted now that roughly half of U.S. adults are vaccinated.

In-person instruction offers valuable benefits that are difficult – if not impossible – to duplicate online. It gives students opportunities to work with others, manage social situations, interpret feedback, build oral communication skills and engage in tactile educational experiences. Distance learning can also be isolating and demotivating for some students. Others may not have reliable access to high-speed internet.

However, eliminating a remote option altogether would squander all the hard work teachers and administrators did to establish a more flexible system. From a medical perspective, schools should have a remote option in place if COVID-19 levels were to spike again locally. There are other situations in which a one-time or limited use of remote learning are beneficial. Schools could continue instruction during inclement weather and seasonal flu outbreaks. On an individual level, students would be able to keep up with their classes while traveling for sports or recovering from a minor illness.

The option that best serves most students is to bring them back into the classroom while keeping a robust virtual backup plan in place. Ideally, schools should set criteria around how and when virtual learning will be utilized. Administrators can work closely with individual families and students to make allowances when necessary. To address additional financial and time commitments, school districts could use APRA funds for additional staff, technology and curriculum needs.