Parents, educators wonder what standardized tests will be like, if students have to take them
James Martin said his children have dealt with COVID-19 related family deaths, financial hardships and the adjustment of in-person classes all in one school year. He said his son, a freshman at Flowery Branch High School, is worried about staying healthy and completing weekly assignments, not “proving” his knowledge in a standardized test.
“This test is the last worry students need right now is a high stakes test looming over their head,” Martin said.
In the request letter, Kemp and Woods state that while students must be supported, the focus should not be on “test scores, accountability or percentiles.”
The Hall County School District reached a milestone on Feb. 7, and school board members held an impromptu celebration at a work session Monday evening, commemorating the district s 150th birthday.
While board members enjoyed some birthday cake, Finance Director Jonathan Boykin, who has taken on the unofficial role as district historian, offered up a quick history lesson, telling the board that Hall County was one of the first counties in the state to set up a board of education in 1871, electing Brian Moses as president at the first meeting on Feb. 7. In those days, the school board would oversee the certification of teachers as well as levy taxes for the school district. Each school had its own board of trustees - made up of parents or community members - and that board would decide which teachers to hire and what subjects each school would offer.
Hall County teachers who contract COVID-19 - or who have to quarantine because of COVID exposure - will be eligible for paid sick leave following a vote by the Hall County School Board Monday night.
The unanimous vote allows up to 10 days of paid sick leave for employees under funding from the federal CARES Act.
District Superintendent Will Schofield cautioned that the approval of paid sick leave does not mean that every employee is entitled to an additional 10 days of sick leave; employees are to use the paid leave only for COVID-related absences and only when needed. Schofield also noted that the funding will be beneficial especially to younger teachers who have not accrued sick leave.
District Superintendent Will Schofield communicated the plan to staff, parents and students. Our team member COVID numbers have stabilized and reported student numbers have also decreased significantly, Schofield said. In addition, our contact-tracing activity (an indicator of future school district spread) is down dramatically.
That means Hall County schools will hold an in-person hybrid schedule for at least one week following the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday. The hybrid schedule had been planned for the resumption of school following the holiday break, but the spread of COVID cases in December prompted district officials to opt for virtual learning for all students at the start of the second semester.
By AccessWDUN staff
Tamara Etterling, Director of Student Services for the Hall County School District, tells county school board members at a Monday evening meeting that a video has been produced to educate teachers and other school employees about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Photo pulled from online coverage of work session)
Georgia teachers and other school employees won t be eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines until next month, but Hall County School District school nurses are encouraging their fellow employees via video to roll up their sleeves when the time rolls around.
School board members got a look at the video featuring some facts and figures about the vaccine presented by Andrea Williamson-English, the Health Services Coordinator for the Hall County School District. In addition, the video features testimony from school nurses who received the vaccine.