Maury County schools to go remote as educators receive second vaccine
The Daily Herald
Maury County Public Schools will temporarily transition to remote learning this month as school district educators and staff are offered the second round of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Middle and High School students at Maury County Public Schools will pivot to remote learning on Friday, March 19, and the entire district will move to remote learning on Monday, March 22 as the school district’s educators receive the second round of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Teachers and staff who received their first vaccine on Friday, Feb. 26, have been scheduled to get their second vaccine on Friday, March 19.
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Avalon McCartney, a 16-year-old sophomore at Spring Hill High School, stood before the Maury County Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday calling for the district to begin mandating face coverings in an effort to protect students and teachers from COVID-19.
“Please give us the protection we need to stay safe and healthy, McCartney told members of the school board during the board’s monthly meeting.
“People in Maury County are not taking this virus seriously. Masks are not required in school and less than half the students wear one [estimate]. This is a simple problem with a simple solution masks.”
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Maury County Public Schools has unanimously approved a one-time bonus for all the school district’s educators and staff.
The bonus combines state funds approved for a 2% raise for teachers and other certified educators, including school administrators, librarians, social workers and counselors, along with local funds needed to expand the bonus offering to all personnel.
The raises will cost the school district a total of more than $1.5 million.
Of the $891,250.19 state funds allotted to implement the raises, just $537,500 of those funds are covered through the state s BEP education funding formula. MCPS must spend $353,750.19 of its own funds to ensure all teachers and staff (certified and classified) see the one-time boost in pay.
Hope for a really hard year
All middle and high school students enrolled at MCPS transitioned to remote learning on Friday as their teachers, principals and staff received the vaccination. The medical center remained open Saturday as the school districts’ elementary school educators and staff received the vaccine.
“It think, both personally and professionally, we can breathe a little bit more,” said Mandy Perrish, an 8th grade teacher at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, moments after receiving her first dose
“It is at least one more step to getting to normal,” Perrish said. “I’ll still wear a mask and practice social distancing, but it does feel like a burden has been lifted a little bit.”
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Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn toured Spring Hill’s Battle Creek Elementary School, praising the work of Maury County Public Schools educators.
Schwinn met with MCPS Superintendent Michael Hickman and Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka. The trio observed classes and participated in a few classroom activities during the visit Friday morning.
In Andrea Helton’s kindergarten class, Schwinn danced with students and practiced American Sign Language.
During a quick stop at the school cafeteria, the education commissioner met with the school district’s food service staff, sharing her gratefulness for their work.
“What you see and hear is rigorous instruction and a commitment to students, Schwinn said at the end of her visit. There is nothing more that I want to see that would made me feel better about education in this state.”