Superintendents react to Gov. Northam’s plans for in-person learning, summer school

Donald Wolfe February 5, 2021

Superintendents react to Gov. Northam’s plans for in-person learning, summer school

RICHMOND, Va. — School divisions in Central Virginia are reacting to Governor Northam’s plan to get students back in the classrooms.
For schools that are currently offering in-person learning, Northam’s announcement doesn’t change much.
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“We were doing that the beginning of September and we’ve been doing that all year,” Amherst County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Arnold said.
“We’ve been in school since September 1 so we feel like we’ve already met all the directives or the goals that the governor’s trying to put in place for March 15,” Campbell County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Johnson said.
Both Amherst County Public Schools and Campbell County Public Schools have plans for summer learning opportunities.
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For Amherst County, summer school will be offered to all students K-12.
“We’re going to be offering five days to our students and we’re going to provide more than reading and math,” said Arnold. “We’re gonna really focus on some extension activities to help our students catch up and so and we’re gonna do it all day.”
A remote-learning option will also be available.
Dr. Johnson said Campbell County will also offer an extended summer school.
“It’s not every student, it’s not year-round school, but it will be for those students that have large learning gaps, students who need credit recovery, students that need additional skill development,” said Johnson.
While Arnold said he is comfortable with the position his division is in, he does feel for those who aren’t in the same boat.
“I can see how other school divisions are going to have a real hard time returning because the longer you wait just the more anxious I feel like people have gotten about this and so you know I don’t envy what they’re gonna try to have to do,” said Arnold.