SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Three school districts headed back to school Monday for the first time since the pandemic. Millington Municipal Schools, Lakeland School System, and Fayette County Public Schools resume classes, but all have very different reopening plans.
At Fayette County Schools, all students are beginning the year with virtual learning.
Lakeland students are back in the classroom five days a week.
“We’re feeling good. We’re excited," Dr. Ted Horell, Lakeland School System Superintendent said. "We’ve obviously got some little more trepidation than usual because we’re doing so many things differently than we’ve ever done them before."
Over in Millington, the district opted to begin with a hybrid schedule.
At Millington, PRE-K through 2nd grade are in classes four days a week. Functional skills special education classes go five days a week.
The rest of students will learn virtually three days a week and spend the other two days in the classroom. Students with last names beginning with A through J will attend classes in person on Monday and Wednesday. Last names K through Z will be on Tuesday and Thursday.
"The biggest reason was to have space available so we can social distance in the classroom," Bo Griffin, Millington Municipal Schools Director said. "Also to help our parents as well. We have, in Millington, a lot of parents that had to go back to work to pay the bills to support their families and that was one of the reasons we wanted to give them choices in that."
Both Lakeland and Millington districts also offered students and families the choice to do virtual learning instead of returning to classes. In Millington, 42% of students opted for that. In Lakeland, about 20% chose virtual learning.
Both districts said their decisions were made based on the feedback of their communities and teachers.
While Lakeland will return to the normal five days a week, Dr. Horell said things will look and feel different.
“Very, very, very different," he said. "I’ve emphasized that because I don’t want parents and students to think that they’re just going to show up and it’s going to look and feel like it ever has before. Even at the elementary school, there’s going to be less movement."
Dr. Horell said students will remain in their classrooms, even for lunch, to limit too much interaction and movement. Teachers have carts meant to move them easily from classroom to classroom.
“If we have that mindset that this is important, this is daily, we’re tight on this, it’s not optional, then we’re hoping that that makes a difference," he said.
Both Lakeland and Millington said social distancing is a strict rule they'll both be following. Desks have been spaced apart to ensure all students and teachers are six feet apart.
“The first week of school is always a little controlled chaos, as they say," Griffin said. "Everybody is excited about being back but there’s a new twist to it this year because of all the new rules and the not knowing. But the thing is, just like everybody else, across the state of Tennessee and the nation, we are all in this together. We don’t have all the answers but I do know that we have the will to work towards making it right, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
School leaders say they hope to lead by example but they expect it's not going to be an easy feat.
"We acknowledge that is not a guarantee that we’ll be able to stay open but we will know that if we can’t stay open, it won’t be for a lack of trying," Dr. Horell said.
Masks are required for teachers and students at both districts. All virtual learners have been provided with computers or tablets.
"The community, this is going to be a group effort. We are going to demand more of our educators and our students as far as discipline, as far as doing the right thing," Griffin said.
If a student or teacher tests positive, both districts said they will follow the protocols outlined by the Shelby County Public Health Department. Classmates and parents will be notified and students or teachers that had extended contact would be asked to quarantine. The hope with the social distancing in the classrooms is there would be no extended contact in the first place.
More from Lakeland Superintendent Dr. Ted Horell:
How are you feeling heading into Monday with reopening?
“We’re feeling good. We’re excited. We’ve obviously got some little more trepidation than usual because we’re doing so many things differently than we’ve ever done them before. Our school administrators and staff have just done a tremendous job and it’s been exciting. Once you get the teachers back in the building that’s when the magic starts to happen I think and you can sense their excitement. They want to see these kids whether they’re learning in person or remotely, they’re just excited to make those contacts. They’ve missed them since we all said goodbye in March and so it’s good to have some familiar feelings amidst all this newness but for the most part we’re looking forward to it and ready to work out whatever kinks come up and there will be some.”
How different do you think the school day is going to look and feel for the students and teachers?
“Very, very, very different. I’ve emphasized that because I don’t want parents and students to think that they’re just going to show up and it’s going to look and feel like it ever has before. Even at the elementary school, there’s going to be less movement. We’re keeping students in cohorts. So students that are used to changing classes and seeing each other in the hallways and maybe seeing a group of different students in the cafeteria, we’ll spend just about the whole day with the same group of students. They’re going to eat in their classrooms, something that we normally would discourage, we’re now kind of requiring, teachers on carts coming to the students instead of the students moving so it is very different and frankly, students in masks is different. Just the way it looks and feels and the spacing in the rooms is different. Those are the things we felt like we needed to do. Those are the practices that were recommended and the result is a very, very different looking school year. However, as we always find, the teachers know how to make the most of any situation. That is what they do. They overcome incredible obstacles in a normal year and what we’re seeing is this is no exception. Teachers are excited. They’re going to make sure that students learn and are loved and are supported in spite of the challenges so that’s our goal.”
Why is that you think it’s important that students and teachers are at school?
“We know and believe and there’s evidence to support that students learn best from in-person instruction from a qualified teacher. As they call us LEA – Local Education Associations, that’s our default. Our default is to come to school and to teach kids. While we’ve obviously studied the guidance, there is a lot help and professional guidance that agrees. That if you can get kids back into schools safely, you should try to do that. So we’ve taken that as well along with really every recommendation that is out there that says this is how you do school safely and we’re going to try and do school safely. We acknowledge that is not a guarantee that we’ll be able to stay open but we will know that if we can’t stay open, it won’t be for a lack of trying. Because we’ve put a lot of things in place, we take it seriously. We don’t fear the coronavirus but we respect it as our school board chair says, in that respect has acclimated in a lot of specific things that we think and hope will make a difference.”
How will Lakeland handle a positive COVID-19 case with a student or teacher?
“There are procedures in place for that. We’ll let the classroom know that a student in that group tested positive. We compare it to the head lice letter that some parents are used to getting, particularly in elementary schools. We won’t identify anybody in particular and then it becomes a the matter of contact tracing working with the health department and making sure that students ad faculty that were exposed by the technical definition which is closer than six feet for more than 15 minutes would be asked to go into home quarantine. Again the goal is that we don’t have to put people in that category if we can keep our distance consistently. Even if there are little breeches, hopefully not more than 15 minutes, then what would happen is somebody contracts it and they go home to hopefully recover and then get back to school as soon as they can."
More from Millington Municipal School Director Bo Griffin:
How are you feeling heading into Monday?
“Honestly, I’m excited. Anxious anxiety, however you want to say it but I’m very excited about the new school year. Our teachers are back. This is a whole new world. How else is there to say it? There’s new challenges but they’re ready to take on those challenges and most importantly ready to take on the kids, take care of their kids this year.”
Why the hybrid approach of having two days in the classroom?
“The biggest reason was to have space available so we can social distance in the classroom. Also to help our parents, as well. We have, in Millington, a lot of parents that had to go back to work to pay the bills to support their families and that was one of the reasons we wanted to give them choices in that."
What is your message to the community, parents during this time?
“Number one is that we’re in this thing together. We don’t have all the answers. If they need anything, communication is the number one priority. Let us know if you need anything to take care of yourself or your students be it at academic, be it sanitation, whatever it is let us know and we’ll get it to you. The community, this is going to be a group effort. We are going to demand more of our educators and our student as far as discipline, as far as doing the right thing. We need the support of our parents as well and stakeholders. Everybody is going to have to come together. This is a pandemic that doesn’t just affect schools, this affects our community and if schools go well, our community goes well. If our community goes well, our schools go well. It goes hand in hand. This is a total community effort. The old African proverb is it takes a village to raise a child, well that’s never been more important than this year.”
Have you lost any teachers who chose not to work during this?
“No, we have not and that’s what I’m real proud of. I told them that today, at every school. I just told them I thank you for being here because you have accepted the challenge that has never been asked upon our educators in the history of education. I know they’re worried. I’m worried because the last thing I pray about beside taking care of my family. I pray that God doesn’t let one of my kids get sick or one of my staff."
