Tue
Mar 24 2020
04:32 pm
By: fischbobber

I just got kicked off the SPEAK facebook page. I wasn't being sensitive enough. I think the schools are going to be closed for at least 18 months (a year from next Christmas) and probably for the next two years.

At this point, I believe getting an education system up and running is imperative to get an education system up and running. Best guess high is 25,000 kids that will need a computer and internet access. That will cost about five million dollars. We will ask for an exemption from penalties and consideration for compliance with regulation while we rebuild our education system. Put a computer in their hands and getting everyone online should take a month. We can work around that number while we're in the process of achieving it. We can Wi-Fi or hardwire internet access. Chattanooga has a nice model to follow.

There is no way to do this on a sociologically equitable manner. At least, if someone has an idea of how to get it done in a month, I would yield to their plan. Therefore we must commit to doing the best we can and committing to the highest degree of human integrity possible. We have become so accustomed to and been conditioned to think solely in terms of self interest. We must change and think of the group.

If the public sector does not step up and respond to this crisis, then we should focus on the 45 million dollar charter school slush fund and appeal to local Angels to allow us to set up and operate a cyber magnate school. A program of this magnitude is unprecedented, so it's hard to say exactly what will happen. We are restructuring from a totally centralized to a totally decentralized system. That is not a small task.

I think, first things first. Get to work on internet access today. Spec and order computers tomorrow. Assigned computers are already in place in several schools. Fill in the holes and gaps. Assemble a cyber teaching force and provide them sanitary working conditions.Start approving classes for general curriculum. Assemble classes for art, music, creative writing upper level math, remedial reading, whatever, just get the thing up and running by summer and commit, as a community, to working out the bugs by the start of fall semester. And go from there.

We need our schools and we need the work.

fischbobber's picture

Boy, this didn't take long.

(link...)

I think it's important to note that getting operational and being philosophically committed to the way we're operating are two different things.

Sandra Clark's picture

K-12

Tennessee already operates an online program for grades K-11 through Union County Public Schools. It's a contract with K-12 corporation. No cost to enroll. (link...)

fischbobber's picture

Thanks.

Does it work? I'm not a young hep-cat anymore. Are these folks putting forth a product that is getting results? Could we plug their model into our school system and be in compliance with federal education regulations?

fischbobber's picture

Wondering......

If we could get the computers in hand and finish the course that each student was participating in at the shutdown on line before the start of fall semester while setting up and testing a computer system, what is the downside?

Mike Knapp's picture

3/26 - Special BoE session to discuss online instr'l materials

via Carly Harrington

PUBLIC NOTICE: Special-Called BOE Meeting and Executive Session (20-020)

The Knox County Board of Education will hold a special-called meeting electronically, pursuant to Executive Order No. 16 issued on March 20, 2020 by Gov. Bill Lee, to discuss online instructional materials at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2020. Prior to the called meeting, there will be an executive session at 3 p.m., also held electronically, to discuss pending litigation. Executive sessions are closed to the public.

Members of the public can attend and listen to the special-called meeting through access of the video at knoxschools.org/kcstv.

CathyMcCaughan's picture

Let them read

After years of begging the school to put something in place for extended closures due to tornadoes, flooding, flu, and virus, this is frustrating: "Because we cannot ensure that online learning opportunities will be equitable for all students, the county is now "asking teachers to refrain from offering online teaching opportunities or sharing any materials with students."

The rest of this school year is a wash. Figure out a way to get books in the homes of students who don't have access to digital libraries. Maybe deliver it with the meals they are distributing. Definitely team up with another agency to make sure the grandparent led families are getting food.

Figure out alternatives for the high school seniors who are going to jump from being in high school to college with none of the traditional transitions or ceremonies that serve as psychological endings and beginnings.

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