Lee county pushes back school start date, with students and teachers in mind

The Lee county school board voted to push back start date for the 2020-21 school year.

Member said one of the main reasons behind the decision was to give teachers a chance to prepare ahead of a unique school year.

VIOLENT CRACKDOWNS ON PROTESTERSHAVE PUNCTUATED A SUMMER THAT’SBEEN ROCKED BY DEMONSTRATIONSAGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY.ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT AFFECTINGHOW YOUR CHILD WILL START THISSCHOOL YEAR ... LEE SCHOOL BOARDMEMBERS HAVE VOTED TO PUSH BACKTHE STATE DATE BY *3 WEEKS...TOAUGUST 31ST.4 IN YOUR CORNER’S ROCHELLEALLEYNE EXPLAINS WHY TEACHERSWERE A BIG PART OF THATDECISION...(101-111)SHOULD SCHOOLS HAVE A LATERSTART DATE?IT’S A QUESTION THE LEE COUNTYSCHOOL BOARD MULLED OVERTODAY...MUCH TO THE ANNOYANCE OF SOMEPARENTS..."It is ridiculous to ask someparents to continue makingarrangements for their children,when we have an agreement thatschools will teach our childrenduring the school year."BUT ULTIMATELY...THEY CHOSE TODO IT..."It was unanimous."PUSHING THE FIRST DAY BACK TOAUGUST 31ST FOR STUDENTS...ANDAUGUST 18TH FOR TEACHERS..AND THERE WERE A FEW BIG REASONSBEHIND THE DECISION...THEDISTRICT SAID IT WOULD GIVE THEMTIME TO PREPARE, ORDER MORE PPE,FILL OPEN POSITIONS, AND WATCHTHE COVID-19 NUMBERS IN OURSTATE."Giving those, even that fiveadditional days might give timefor the trend of those numbersto go down."TEACHER TRAINING AND PREP AHEADOF AN UNUSUAL SCHOOL YEAR WASALSO TOP OF MIND.((Kevin Daly//TeachersAssociation of Lee CountyPresident))Rochelle: "As the teachersassociation how do you feelabout that move?"Kevin: "It doesn’t seem like alot but it’s enough to make adifference in the preparation ofa teacher and kind of theability of a teacher to be readyto meet the challenges they’reall going to face."ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGES WILL BELOST TIME...TEACHERS WILL NOWLOSE SOME OF THE DAYS THEYTYPICALLY HAVE TO GET THEIRGRADING DONE.((Kevin Daly//TeachersAssociation of Lee CountyPresident))"I think we’re going to be ableto adapt."DALY SAYS TEACHERS ASSOCIATIONMEMBERS HAVE SEALED A DEAL ONPAY FOR THIS ADJUSTED SCHOOLCALENDAR...BUT HE SAYS THEYSTILL HAVE TO HASH OUT ANAGREEMENT WITH THE DISTRICTABOUT ALL OF THEIR NEWRESPONSIBILITIES THIS YEAR.((Kevin Daly//TeachersAssociation of Lee CountyPresident))"We’re expected to beginnegotiations next week aroundsome of the issues around covidand how it’s gonna impa