Zoom Or In-Person?

Phoenix AZ

03 December, 2021

2:00 AM

Description

In 2021, when we think of education, we think of Zoom. Virtual diplomas and degrees have been the norm since last year, and students have adapted to online learning to pursue their education. However, the distribution of vaccines has made it possible for students to return to the classrooms and get the in-person education that they once were able to receive. However, there is now controversy about letting hundreds of incautious children be in a closed building for many hours a day. The New York Times says that with appropriate measures, it can be. "A combination of precautions — masking indoors, keeping students at least three feet apart in classrooms, keeping students in separate cohorts or 'pods,' encouraging hand washing and regular testing, and quarantining — have been effective." However, Arizona may not be doing so well with regulation of the virus. "Just 30% of Arizona's 215 traditional school districts provide public-facing dashboards that track outbreaks by school," says AZ Mirror regarding AZCIR's review of their website. The article demonstrated how this lack of regulation is peaking while COVID cases among children are surpassing those among the elderly. Parents in Surprise are therefore concerned about sending their children to school in-person. Dr. Shad Marvasti, in an interview with AZFamily.com says that the reopening of schools may not be a great idea. "There's no scientific basis or support for this. It's really just exposing everyone and creating a dangerous situation for children and families," said Marvasti. However, Ashton Ranch Middle School in Surprise assures that they have safety measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID in school. "Currently we recommend face coverings, but they are not required, so that is a family choice. We do have Personal Protective Equipment readily available for anyone that wants it, encourage frequent hand washing, and have additional cleaning protocols in place to help keep our campuses safe and clean," said Renee Ryon, an administrator from the school. She explained that parents are asked to keep their children at home when they are sick and are evaluated by the school health services to see if they "may remain at school or not." Parents have also been given the option of self-isolating their child if needed after direct contact with someone who tested positive for COVID. Ryon explained that their students have exhibited better student outcomes by learning in-person, which is why many students have now voluntarily chosen to learn at the school itself. Between 2020 and 2021, the re-opening of in-person classes in September motivated roughly 15-20% of families to choose online learning. However, this year's "full-time online student numbers" for Ashton Ranch decreased significantly, with "less than 2% of families" enrolling their children in online courses, said Ryon. Since students are now distanced, learning is mostly done through Chromebooks, and the school has "worked to avoid sharing supplies and Chromebooks between students in the classroom," said Ryon. Ashton Ranch provides not just academic but mental and economic support as well to students hit hard by the toll of COVID. These resources such as "academic counselors, health service staff, social workers, English Language Learner (ELL) and Exceptional Student Services (ESS)" along with external references to agencies help families recover from COVID while also providing the students with proper schooling, said Ryon. However, online schooling can also have its perks. ThrivePoint High School, a non-profit charter high school for 26 years, provides students a fully online curriculum up to the age of 22 years, with four-hour days and six-week school semesters. With up to two classes per semester, ThrivePoint helps students recover the credits that they may have lost lagging behind or dropping out of school altogether due to COVID. Their "independent study" method helps students learn at their own pace and are provided success coaches to help them stay on the right track or receive much needed academic assistance. These success coaches aren't just academic supervisors but also "just an ear," said Tony Downs, one of the administrators at ThrivePoint High school. Downs believes that ThrivePoint can "provide what other schools can't" by getting them back on track at their own pace. "We want to help students get their degree, but what we really care about is getting them a career after their degree," said Downs in a phone interview. He explained how the school's attendance numbers before COVID were comparatively higher to the ones during COVID, but that they focus less on the "hours in the seat and more on the courses that are being completed." Many of their students are able to graduate in a year and half or even less if they wish to. All such student wishes are looked into primarily with the help of their success coaches, who put them on whichever track suits each student. "They'll do whatever it takes for their students to get engaged," said Downs. He explained that kids that struggle with finishing any more than two courses are "very real," and in the midst of COVID need a minimal two-course workload to get their credits completed. Since ThrivePoint had been executing online learning since before COVID, they acted as a "trailblazer" for online learning and prioritized engagement as they went along. ThrivePoint allows students to work and take care of their family while finishing course activities in a given time. A lot of ThrivePoint activities are proctored, and the school has state testing to make sure that students are absorbing the needed information and not cheating through any classes. The success within the courses "depends on the student," said Downs. Although schools in Surprise seem ready to regulate the waves of young students in-person, it eventually depends on the preference of each student and their families. By following proper precautions, the spread of COVID can be minimalized and eventually extinguished, so students can return to school without the threat of COVID-19 looming over their shoulders.