BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – The Berkeley County board voted Tuesday night to suspend the traditional learning pathway in favor of virtual instruction days for all students from Jan. 4 – Jan. 8.
BCSD Blended Distance Learning will serve as the model for instructional delivery during the Jan. 4 – Jan. 8 virtual learning week for students currently enrolled in the traditional and distance blended learning pathways, according to school district officials. Teachers will deliver livestream instruction from their school classroom to students learning from home Jan. 4- Jan. 8.
Students in the traditional learning pathway will return to school for in-person instruction on Jan. 11.
The motion to transition to virtual learning Dec. 22, 2020 until Jan. 11, 2021 passed on a 5-4 vote following a lengthy discussion by board members that began in the Finance and Human Resources Committee meeting.
The motion failed in committee but was later passed by the board. However, Board Chair Sally Wofford opposed the measure for schools to go completely virtual.
“The wrath of the people in Berkeley County is hard to take, and the number of people that showed up tonight is a drop in the bucket. This is bad for our kids, bad for our working families, and it has zero science related to it,” she said.
Tuesday night’s school board meeting was packed with parents, teachers and students – some who weighed in on the district’s move to go to virtual learning.
“We have too many students in school to properly social distance. We do not have enough substitutes to cover when teachers and staff members are quarantined,” said one teacher.
“I am begging y’all to keep these children in school. They have finally gotten back into the swing of things,” said a parent at the meeting.
Schools will be closed Dec. 23, 2020 through Jan. 3, 2021 for winter break.
Among other items discussed by board members with action taken was the decision to give all employees of Berkeley County School District a one-time loyalty bonus to be paid on December 15, 2020. The board voted to approve a $1000 bonus to all BCSD full-time employees and a $500 bonus to all BCSD part-time employees.
Do you agree with the school district’s decision to move classes to virtual learning beginning Dec. 22? Tell us in the comments section below.
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