NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – A survey of 25,000 teachers shows more than half are concerned about students having access to remote learning should school buildings not reopen in the fall.
The Tennessee Education Research Alliance and Vanderbilt University distribute the survey to teachers across the state each year in partnership with the Department of Education. This year, they added questions about Spring barriers due to COVID-19 after the survey was sent out and schools started closing.
“A lot of students didn’t have internet access or did not have laptops,” said Geneva Cook, who is a Senior English teacher at Blackman High School in Rutherford County. “Quite frankly, students don’t check their email very well and so sometimes I would try and try to get in touch with students or parents and just not have much luck.”
Depending how the COVID-19 pandemic moves forward, virtual learning may be a reality for some school districts in the state. Some putting out plans how they’ll go about it.
“Both teachers and school leaders are very concerned about access. So access both to remote learning via technology, do students have what they need to be able to access anything especially virtual learning?” said Susan Patrick. She’s a Post-Doctoral Scholar with the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt.
Patrick continued, “So two kind of big issues were around internet access, specifically in rural areas. Rural areas that don’t have a lot of broadband access. This was a big issue that teachers identify. And also in schools that serve more low income families. Having devices that were appropriate for any sort of school learning was a major concern of teachers.”
The top findings from the survey:
- Student Access: More than half of teachers identified access to remote learning or access to crucial services, like meals and counseling, as among their top concerns for students amidst closures.
- Technological Needs: More than three-quarters of teachers selected technological supports for remote learning as the most helpful needs to promote educational access.
- Guidance and Resources for Remote Learning: Schools and districts were identified as important sources of guidance for teachers in planning remote learning.
- Student Engagement: More than two-thirds of teachers reported regularly sending electronic learning resources to promote remote learning while fewer than one-quarter reported regularly planning virtual classes.
“In their open ended comments, a lot of teachers expressed kind of deep concern for their students. And you know concern that they couldn’t be as present or be as supportive when working virtually,” said Patrick.
She adds that teachers also commented they felt like their districts did a good job getting students instruction after closing, but had fears students with disabilities or who are English learners aren’t getting everything they need.
“We have four in ten teachers respond and I think given everything going on in the world and all the extra pressures that are being put on teachers and everyone, that’s a lot of teachers across the state that took the time to respond to these questions,” she said.
Geneva Cook says all school districts just need to have a safety plan “that they’re ready with everyone wearing masks or taking temperatures, asking questions. And I think it’s really important now more than ever that we have school nurses who are really trained in that and know what to look for.”
She continued, “I think that it’s very important that when school starts in the fall that all the same certified and classified employees have their jobs. So keeping those jobs are very, very important. I know that a lot of teachers are worried about layoffs.”
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