The Flagler County School Board today signaled support for a request from Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt to push back the return to school from Aug. 10 to Aug. 24 for students, and either a week’s or two week’s delay for faculty and staff, depending on finances and other metrics.
The school board will almost certainly approve the delay at a special meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. on July 28.
The surging Covid-19 numbers have little to do with it, at least not directly, though the coronavirus pandemic is certainly the reason for the slew of non-traditional contingencies at work. Rather, Mittelstdat wants to give school staff time to train and adapt to the non-traditional approaches, and give administrators time to balance out staffing needs, with up to 40 percent of students choosing one form of remote instruction or another.
“We are planning for things we never realized we would,” Mittelstadt told the school board in a workshop this afternoon, after board members were briefed on the 40-some percent of students who may be opting for remote instruction. “The process for our staff needs time to evolve, and there’s articles within our contract that we must be honoring as we do that, so I would like consideration from the board, it would require board approval, to delay the start date by 10 days.”
Board members raised various questions, but at least four board members, with the exception of Chairman Janet McDonald, support the delay, if in some cases for different reasons. McDonald didn’t voice opposition, but raised the most questions about the feasibility of the plan. She doesn’t want students cheated of time or rushed through their calendar, and wasn’t clear on how the delay would not subtract instructional days from students’ calendar.
But there will not be a loss of instructional time, only a shift, and the semester would not end in December, but in January, Diane Dyer, the director of curriculum and instruction, said.
As of now, St. Johns County is delaying its opening to Aug. 31. Volusia and Putnam Counties are delaying their openings two weeks. Many counties across the state have announced delays as Florida became the national epicenter of the Covid surge after the June 5, Phase 2 reopening of the economy, with numbers accelerating upward in July. Flagler’s positive cases have surged to nearly 700, cumulatively, with over half recorded since July 1. The county has seen 10 Covid-related deaths, including two non-residents. On Tuesday, the county told some parents and students that a Matanzas High School student athlete had tested positive.
The district is offering three options for students and parents: traditional, in-person instruction at the district’s nine schools; virtual instruction through iFlagler, which dovetails Florida Virtual School’s approach (it’s not live instruction, but online instruction supervised by teachers who can be reached frequently); and in what the district is calling its third option, streaming instruction from the classroom, allowing students to remain at home and follow daily courses as webcast live from their teacher’s classroom.
Some 1,300 students have confirmed attendance through iFlagler. Last year, iFlagler accounted for 55 students. Another 2,100 students are opting for the third, remote option. And 1,160 students are “in limbo,” Dyer said: they requested information about iFlagler, but may shift between iFlagler, the remote option or even the in-person option. About 800 of the district’s 13,000 students attend Imagine School at Town center.
Subtracting all those numbers from the traditional model leaves less than 60 percent attending the district’s five elementary schools, its two middle schools and its two high schools–a diminution the district is encouraging.
“If we could have 40 or more percent that are not coming to campus,” School Board member Andy Dance said, “that helps us with the social distancing, that helps us with the different seating arrangements and smaller number of students on the buses and everything else.”
“That should be the story,” Board member Colleen Conklin said. “I think that should be the message we’re pushing to families, reserving almost those seats in the classrooms for those families that have to go to work, those children that really remote learning didn’t work for, our ESE population, and just try to drive the numbers that are actually on campus, down.” ESE is exceptional student education.
At 4 p.m. outside the Government Services Building, where the board was meeting again at 6, parents and students gathered in cars for a “motor march” demonstration protesting the reopening plans–before the board had signaled its willingness to delay the reopening. The motor march was one of many organized in the state. It was organized locally by Christine Patterson, a former Flagler County teacher who started Flagler for a Safe Return to Campus.
“Data and science tells us that it is not safe to return to campus,” Patterson said, referring to numbers reported by the health department. “If schools are to be data driven with our instruction, they should be data driven with our safety.” She added: “Right now the best measurement we have is not returning to campus unless there are 14 days of no new cases in the county. If a plan doesn’t outline in detail how to handle an inevitable outbreak why are we returning to campus?”
Mittelstadt addressed the board about reopening plans (and delays) after inviting her executive team to join board members at the board table. (The board members were socially distanced. The executive team was not. Nobody wore masks.)
“The suggestion coming from you is extremely important to me only because your team has been working behind the scenes on the logistics,” School Board member Andy Dance told Mittelstadt. He said a lot of the issues can be worked out, from supplies to “in-limbo” parents. He said the proportion of students opting out of traditional school settings will help with transportation and other settings where social distancing must be accommodated.
The board did not consider approving the plan today because Mittelstadt first needed to be sure she had the board’s support before assigning the Calendar Committee to work out the scheduling details, and before continuing negotiations with the teachers union and the service employees’ union on the new arrangements. After its workshop, the school board held a strategy session behind closed doors–an allowable exemption to the open meetings law, as long as the board is discussing legal strategy, bargaining strategy or confidential security matters. Expulsion hearings involving students are also confidential.
The unions sent a lengthy memorandum of understanding to the board, outlining its concerns and proposals on how to reopen schools safely, though the local unions are also indirectly part of the state Florida Education Association’s lawsuit against Ron DeSantis, filed on Monday, seeking to stop the reopening of schools. The unions consider the approach unsafe.
Katie Hansen, president of the Flagler teachers union, said the most-favored approach is remote instruction on last spring’s model, because Option 3 as currently proposed raises concerns. “FCEA has expressed significant concerns about this third plan with remote learning in terms of having cameras in the classroom, because that brings some unforeseen consequences,” Hansen said.
“I want the district to be cautious,” Hansen said, looking at the larger picture. “If we’re still unable to do many things like go to a restaurant at full capacity, why are we considering doing this with students? I worry about my teachers who have underlying health conditions, my teachers who are over 55,” as well as students who have underlying conditions, she said. “Maybe it would behoove us to push the start date a few weeks or a month, or start with virtual learning.”
Hansen has kept in close contact with Mittelstadt, she said, who has been accessible and as perplexed as teachers.
But during the workshop, there was not much clarity about the looming question: what happens if the surge continues?
“My concern would be, where does this conversation go in two weeks?” Conklin asked. “We’re talking about basing decisions on local data. For the last seven days, looking at that data, we’ve seen almost 20, 25 cases, new cases, per day. I guess the question is: while you’re looking at an opening date of the 24th, has there been conversation around–if the data continues to move in the wrong direction.” She asked if the district was considering such questions as virtual instruction exclusively for the first nine weeks.
“I don’t want to have this based on Covid numbers,” Board member Trevor Tucker said, “because based on Covid numbers, let’s say it flattens out and then spikes, are we going to stop school? Like, that’s too much unknown. To me, now if it’s because hey, we have all these additional things that we don’t have worked out. I’m OK delaying it 10 days, but if it’s going to be based on Covid numbers which are unknown and they can change throughout the year, I’m not OK with that.”
“We can debate the numbers all we want but at some point we should be looking at data,” Conklin said. “The biggest problem we have right now are all the questions around the validity of some of the data we’re looking at.” But that’s why she wanted to know if the questions about a plan B are being asked.
Mittelstadt said the various plans, including an all-virtual approach, have been studied in concert. “All along we’ve been working since March on, if we had to do all school-based distance learning, we can flip that switch, we can do that,” the superintendent said. “We’re not prepared to go there yet. We will if we have to. But right now it’s about getting school started with all of our kids by the 24th if there’s consideration for allowing continued work moving in the right direction and getting our teachers ready.”
JimB says
Close the schools. Fire the teachers and administration staff. It doesn’t matter. This is the end of human existence on this planet.
Nicole Rabbat says
Thank you for your time and attention to the matter of re-opening the schools safely and when ready. Haste makes waste!
Michael Cocchiola says
It’s a start. If the schools can provide proper spacing, that will help. There’s still the issues of personal protection and desanitizing classromms and other areas where students, teachers and staff may come into contact.
Louise Vos says
The idea of opening schools later in August is amazing. Many school districts are doing it. I disagree with Janet Mc Donald on the kids being cheated of their education. I am a retired teacher who volunteers in a Flagler County school. I have been doing this for fourteen years. The teachers in this county are by far the best and most dedicated to the children they teach. You need not worry about the kids losing out because these teachers will work three times as hard to insure a quality education for all. The thing is not about opening the schools to prove that we are macho people; the thing is the safety and protection first of the kids who are number one, the teachers and the school staff. It behoves you to take a look at at this again. Make a sound and common sense decision for the good of our kids, teachers and staff.
Matt says
That great but what happens to the younger kids that can’t do the online school do they just get screwed and dont get the option to learn
Jonathan says
So many people have been outraged by this idea. They’ve already come out with the 2020-2021 schedule so it’s basically too late to ‘delay’ school to ‘social distance’ students. Sorry to say it but you got 20+ kids in every class and there is no way you’ll successfully do that. I also love how you have made up your facts as they aren’t correct at all. Most families in Flagler County are sending their kids back to school for mental health reasons, as we’re not as vulnerable to COVID as older people are. Let us students go back to normal, not feel like we’re living in a apocalypse. I can already see many students dropping out or families deciding to ‘home school’ kids because they’re not having their kids locked inside for another like month. I’m sorry Flagler Schools and I’m a student at MHS but YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY STUPID!
palmcoaster says
If my children were still in school I will still choose virtual classroom as I would not like to risk their lives. Tough decision for parents may God help them on their choices and keep our students safe aside from politics.
CB from PC says
The Flagler County Schools “Decision Makers” have had several months to determine “worst case, best case scenarios” and what is needed in both personnel and resources.
Fact is, the Coronavirus is here to stay thanks to the Chinese Communist Government.
Locally, people were all over without masks, we had a ton of out of area people visiting, etc etc.
So open the Schools, have several options at the ready to quickly deal with possible scenarios.
If there is an infection rate which is causing high numbers of hospitalizations of students or teachers, then shut down and formulate a new plan.
And BTW, I am not even billing Flagler for information which a consulting would charge a hefty sum.
Melanie W. says
And have only remote learning at least for the beginning half of the year to keep our children and our families and teachers safe
MELANIE M. says
Keep our schools closed until we are prepared to do remote learning which seems to be the safest option for our community at this time
Watch the Skies says
You may be right . Pentagon just released proof of extra-terrestrial hybrids on earth NOW. Mixing with humans.
The invasion is being planned and the Pentagon has NO WAY of stopping them. Our existence is futile !!!!
Robin says
I’m so glad that these three instruction modes are being discussed. The safety of our students and staff depends on a sensible approach to this unique situation. Hopefully by 2021 we can go back to the ‘traditional’ school year .
I will miss not mentoring my first graders this year but look forward to returning when this pandemic subsides.
CANDACE CLARKE says
I being a mom of two kids that will be attending Buddy Taylor… With one going into their second year their, and one coming from Wadsworth, think that it’s an awesome idea to delay reopening. It also gives us parents home schooling our children more time to prepare for it mentally, being we will play a major role in the discipline required to keep the kids sharp and on the clock through the school day, and ready to assist with the school work if necessary.
Jimbo99 says
The push back is because this is 1/2 baked, not ready for prime time. Remains to be seen who gets the better education out of this, the on-site or the learn from home remote student ? We’re seeing the same remote worker from home experiment with education here. With employment, during Coronavirus, some were paid, never missing a paycheck, while others flat out out were uncompensated as unemployed. Are the on-site & remote programs the same course curriculum ? Nobody ever received the same education before, even as on-site, because back room office visits or even parenting influences to gain advantages have always factored into the teaching/learning dynamic. Education disparities are just the start of the income disparities in America.
DH says
Way to be a Debbie Downer JimB.
I think remote learning is the best route till the end of this pandemic.
erobot says
Another attempt to divide and conquer. Either all students go to school or they don’t. In either case, the union must go and curriculum must revert to standard arithmetic, and all the other subjects cleansed of lefty cant.
Everything the last three generations think they know, is wrong.
Only Me says
Senator Scott was interviewed and said his grandchildren in Florida will not be attending to go back to school, Governor DeSantis children are too young to go to school and Donald Trumps son goes to a private school.
Why are they pushing for poor and middle-class children to go back to school in Florida when they aren’t doing the same for their own families?
There is something definitely wrong with this picture.
L.H. says
It’s interesting that Flagler schools can’t manage to implement temperature checks for students, but Chicago schools can. I’m certain there are far more students in Chicago than there are in Palm Coast. Flagler schools say it’s “too hard to manage” and “they won’t let us hire anyone to do them.”
I’m glad we, as a city, have money to pour into landscaping around roadways, superfluous street signs on Belle Terre, and expensive traffic circles where lights would have been sufficient, but no money anywhere in any budget to pay a few people minimum wage to scan heads at school to keep our kids safe. In Palm Coast you have to have your temperature taken to enter places like City Hall, the dentist and the nail salon, but not our schools.
They want the parents to ensure their children are healthy each day before sending them. In a perfect world, that idea makes sense. In reality, it’s not going to happen. So far this year we’ve put a parent in jail for molesting his daughter, arrested a 17 year old with a gun in Seminole Woods whose mother had just gotten out of jail herself, and had two grown women beat a 13 year old and each other with a belt. That’s just off the top of my head. None of those parents are capable of making good decisions, and I suspect there are plenty more awful parents lurking in the shadows.
It only takes one idiot to send their kid to school sick to infect everyone else with the virus. The very least our schools can do is to implement the same check in processes that other schools in the country are putting into practice. It’s not that hard, it just doesn’t matter to the powers that be.
Jason says
Delay reopening, Assign teachers and start virtually, the same way it was done this spring!! All the teachers would still be working and everyone will be safe!!! Do it for the first semester and go from there!! WHAT IS THE PROBLEM???? in that time … keep an eye on the number of cases and guarantee there is no new cases or a clear decline over a time. At that point .. move to what opt for in-house or continue with virtual. Everything is being made to seem like it is so complex. Parents had to manage in the spring when schools were closed … well, everyone’s safety is still a serious concern, So, they will need to deal with it longer. The children’s, teachers, staff and loved ones at home .. supercedes parents saying they need their kids in school because of work. School is not intended to be a babysitting service.
OVER IT! says
This is bullshit! Who’s gonna pay my bills when I have to quit because my kids can’t go to school??? The teachers who are getting paid for not working? (Yes there are a few that deserve it) Better yet where’s my reduction in taxes that I’m paying for no school? I’m not thinking in haste but in logic! Let’s put on our masks social distance and cleans damn class room and let these kids have some sort of normalcy. There’s no reason in all this time off of school the school board couldn’t have thought of this and made a plan. Yeah things are gonna be different even more difficult but our children deserve better! And don’t tell me all you parents are really scared of your kids getting sick! I see you and your kids at Walmart and Publix and Disney and everywhere else. It’s pure idiocy!
Anonymous says
Teachers are not babysitters.
B. Hoyt says
Open the schools before the end of August. Give families the options of letting students attend in person or through virtual lessons online. Also, consider plastic face shields, they are safer; don’t impede breathing of children. AND in early March, Fauci & other experts stated “herd immunity” would eventually occur. I believe that is why our number of confirmed positive Covid-19 is so high; more people being tested & HERD IMMUNITY. Why is no one else talking about this??? I can assure you all, that schools will open by Nov. 4th – media is “fear- mongering” & political elections will be over by then.
Pudentainer says
Couple of thoughts…If the students start late and end late…. what happens to the dual enrolled and the kids that will graduate this year that get accepted to college on the condition that they start summer semester (there are alot of conditional acceptances from universities for summer starts AND needing official transcripts which takes over a month after graduation). What about the high school children going to FTI for their trade to get a job upon graduation, these are hands on and cannot be fully remote. Not opposed to late starts or virtual, but need to also iron out all that it may affect by the end of the year, especially for the uprising seniors.
CB from PC says
Excellent points. The Decision Makers have had plenty of time to develop plans to have in-class education resume.
Their incompetence is sticking it to the kids and working parents.
down so says
think how much the tax payers will save by remote learning.
1. no bus drivers along with fuel and maintenance
2. limited maintenance personnel for the brick and mortar schools
3. no AC and very limited electricity and water required at brick and mortar schools.
4. no PE teachers
5. no nurses
6. no school resource officers
7. limited admin staff
8. probably no more than three teachers per grade for the entire county – video only why have more
that all seems to be some significant savings! let us begin. you know it is “for the kids”
Gary R says
@ OVER IT! – Best comment about opening schools. Yes, where is our reduction in taxes! My idea is schools can open by everybody (teachers and students) wearing a hazmat suit. You could even tell the kids it is dress up day. You could even have a spider-man hazmat suit, batman hazmat suit, star wars hazmat suit, etc. The possibilities are endless. Fixed it!
School Board owes me.
Dan says
Exactly! Closing schools, delaying openings, etc. have all been proven time and time again to hurt middle to lower class yet they still push it hard. It’s just far easier to scream shut them down. Yes, I’m fearful when my kids start back shortly but we’ll have to make a lot of changes trying to adapt and be safer but our kids aren’t going to attempt to learn online. Option 3 makes no sense to me having some students learn remotely simultaneously as the teachers had a heck of a time keeping the 100% virtual classes going last year (which is no nock against teachers as they did an excellent job).
TheBoldTruth says
Only Me,
You are correct that something is wrong with this picture. If you think for one second that anyone with even a little common sense, would send their kids to public school if they had the money or the brains to homeschool or pay for private school, then you are only kidding yourself. Our great country is in this condition because of the indoctrination of students from kindergarden all the way through college with this mental inability to think for themselves. Try going to a store and being charged $12.66 for your items and hand the cashier $23.00. The look on their face is priceless. Private schools are by far the better option.
Madmom says
Are you gonna remotely help my children learn while I work?
Madmom says
Actually Karen it is a form of care for my children. And parents that have to work want their children to have a fair and productive learning experience and this joke of a system is NOT! So If your gonna offer to watch my children and help them remotely learn for a reasonable price than great. Other wise keep your ignorant comments to yourself about working parents having no other choice! I have one parent in Florida who just went through cancer and is not able to help watch and be a teacher to my children. The virtual learning this past spring was a joke and my children didn’t learn anything! It’s to much responsibility to put on a 1st grader to basically teach themselves when you have an older grandparent that can’t figure out the learning programs. Don’t judge or comment on a situation your not in!!!
MIKEY D says
HEY—–I LIKE THOSE SUPERFIC……SUPERFUNCT……..SUPER DUPER NEW SIGNS ON BELLE TERRE !!!!!!!
CB from PC says
Flagler County School Administrators and the Teachers Union have had what, 4 months,to have a plan to provide education to the students this Fall.
That is why they ate paid.
They have been given plenty of time.
Open the schools because the kids want to go back, the student athletes want to participate in sports, the working parents cannot afford to quit their jobs to monitor remote learning, there are students who have no internet access and…The Taxpayers are funding Education, AND THE SALARIES OF THESE SCHOOL SYSTEM EMPLOYEES.
Those are plenty of reasons why the schools need to ‘re-open.
This Teachers Union reminds me of the NYC days under Albert Schanker, a bunch of entitled, whiny folks, who either need to get back to class or find another career path. I am sure many parents have worked in hazardous jobs for a lot less, and if they did not work, no paycheck.