Surveys are in and so are many of the students ready for in-person learning

The votes are in and after 10,000 surveys sent to McCracken County schools and Paducah city schools’ families, 6,200 will be returning to the classroom for in-person instruction. Surveys sent out a few weeks ago, asked parents how they preferred their child to learn this fall, either through online learning or in-person. 

Both McCracken County Superintendent Steve Carter and Paducah City Superintendent Donald Shively agreed that the goal was to have as many students learn in the classroom as safely as possible. . 

McCracken County schools have seen a 70-75% return from the survey while Paducah city schools still has surveys out. Of the 75% returned surveys, 49% prefer in-classroom instruction

Walking the halls will be different. With tighter quarters, students and faculty will be required to wear masks. When sitting down, students will be socially-distanced and have an opportunity to ‘take a break’ from wearing a mask if needed. Asking a student to wear a mask all day while in school could be daunting but students and faculty will be asked to wear them as much as possible while in their seats.  

McCracken County schools will be in session five days a week. The Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) will be different compared to the shuttering in March. They’ll be using ‘Google Classroom.’ There are different programs that will be utilized such as Class-Dojo and Edgenuity for grades 6 - 12. Edgenuity offers a flexible learning model and curriculum in ELA, math, social studies, science, and world languages. This program is also an NCAA-approved curriculum. All online courses will meet Clearinghouse requirements. 

The Paducah city schools will have one-day home instruction for all students. There will be no paper packets, all learning will be online. There will be videos to watch at home, as well as other modes of learning. 

During the time when teachers participate in professional training, teachers will be instructed on video-taping lessons and student teaching strategies. Professional days are typically eight days in length. Teachers will have to balance both online learning and in-person learning. It’s a balancing act. 

McCracken County teachers will report on August 6 and the city will report on August 10. Student start dates are August 24 and 26, respectively.

St. Mary schools will have all students returning to the classroom. There’s plenty of room for social distancing. The start date for students is to be determined.