Adjustments to educational delivery anticipated by Fulton County Acting Superintendent

Acting Superintendent for Fulton County Schools Patrice Chambers wants to assure students and their families the administration believes it is imperative that students get as much face to face instruction with teachers as possible for the 2020-2021 school year.

“At Fulton County Schools, safety is always our number one priority. We are striving to be back in school on Sept. 9,” she said, adding Gov. Beshear and Commissioner of Education Brown have given schools flexibility with their school calendars and instructional plans this year.

“Your student will receive 1,062 hours of instruction this year. As we are dealing with many uncertainties, I am confident that your child(ren) will be able to learn even if there are slight adjustments to the educational delivery. There are several avenues we are exploring in order for your student(s) to be safe and successful at school and at home,” Chambers said.

She explained there are several guidelines to be followed, in order to maintain safety at school.

“We will follow the Governor’s “Healthy at School” guidelines to make sure we are doing what is necessary to keep our students, faculty and staff members safe,” the Acting Superintendent said, offering some of the proactive safety measures that Fulton County Schools will adhere to in the building and on the bus so that face to face instruction can continue to occur.

Included in the process will be temperature checks before entering the schools.

Non-essential visitors into the building will be limited, with the maintaining of a social distance of six feet, and if that in unable to be maintained, faculty, staff, and students in grades 1-12 will be required to wear cloth face mask or coverings unless a medical waiver is given to school officials.

“We encourage sending your child(ren) to school with one they are comfortable wearing. We will provide masks for students who do not have one. As much as possible, we will do our best to limit masks times during the school day,” Chambers said.
Daily cleaning and disinfection of all school facilities will be conducted with recess and meal times staggered for students.
Collaboration will continue with the local health department for guidance, she said.

“Fulton County Schools value our relationships and partnerships with our families and community friends. Our reopening school’s survey revealed some parents are not comfortable with sending their student(s) back to school. The survey also showed that paper packet was the best delivery method for students’ learning during nontraditional instruction (NTI). We understand your concerns and have listened to them! We are working diligently to develop instructional alternatives to help your child receive the quality education (s)he deserves,” Chambers wrote in an open letter to parents and guardians of students.

“The 20–21 school year will look different from previous school years, but Pilots are known for maneuvering through difficult conditions. As “lead Pilot,” I ask for your support to help navigate our schools safely towards our vision of Proficiency, Positive Relationships and Pilot Pride,” she said.