School Has Started – Virtual Learning and Technical Issues

Review‌ ‌the‌ ‌latest‌ ‌information‌ ‌related‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌coronavirus‌ ‌disease‌ ‌2019‌ ‌(COVID-19)‌ ‌pandemic.‌ Our special education attorneys and advocates can help you and your child prepare for the return to school.

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)

• ACPS started their first day of school through their Virtual PLUS+ model on Sept. 7, 2020.
• They have acknowledged that the amount of screen time for the younger students may be too much, and are considering potential solutions to address this issue. They are also working on their plans to make learning more accessible for special education students.
• ACPS has created a Virtual PLUS+ Advisory Team to guide them on the issues noted  above. The team will meet weekly and include:
  • A teacher from each grade level from each elementary school.
  • Representatives from:
    • Encore
    • Specialized Instruction
    • English Learners
    • Talented and Gifted
  • Teachers from the secondary schools.

Arlington Public Schools (APS)

• APS started their first day of school on Sept. 8, 2020.
• There were quite a few technical issues while using APS devices, with families having difficulties connecting to Canvas and Microsoft Teams. It appeared the issue was due to the large volume of traffic trying to access the platforms at the same time. Since then, many of the issues have been resolved.
  • APS is still looking into some issues related to using Microsoft Teams. They are attempting to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. They encourage families to go back to using APS devices, since these devices have all the necessary software students need.
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams are still collaborating with families to determine necessary supports for students during distance learning.
• The Office of Special Education has created two working groups.
  • One group’s goal is to work on how to bring small groups of students in to receive adult support to help them access distance learning.
  • The second group’s goal is to ensure everyone can fully access all instructional resources, facilities, and transportation.
• Virtual back-to-school nights have started and will continue through mid-October. Each school will provide instructions on their website about how to attend virtually. The dates for the remaining back-to-school nights are below:
  • Sept. 22: Middle Schools
  • Sept. 23: High Schools
  • Sept. 24: H-B Woodlawn
  • Sept. 30: Career Center/Arlington Tech
  • Oct. 14: Langston High School Continuation Program

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)

• FCPS started their first day of virtual school on Sept. 8, 2020.
• At the end of the week, they learned that ransomware was placed on some of their technology systems. They are coordinating with the FBI on the matter, as this incident may be connected to ransomware attacks worldwide. If they determine that personal information has been compromised, they will notify the affected individuals appropriately.
  • This is an ongoing investigation and FCPS will release updates accordingly.

Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS)

• FCCPS has presented their Return to School Plan to the School Board. It includes three different metrics that must be met before they consider moving from the all-virtual model to a hybrid model:
  • Health
  • Operational
  • Instructional
• FCCPS is hoping they will be able to have hybrid instruction for a small number of the most impacted students in early October and slowly bring more students in November. However, they will be evaluating all metrics every two weeks before the end of the first quarter to determine if this is feasible.

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS)

• FCPS started school on Sept. 8, 2020 with their hybrid model.
• They have changed their inclement weather procedures this year. In the event schools are closed due to inclement weather, all students will be expected to participate in distance learning.

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS)

• LCPS started school on Sept. 8, 2020.

Prince William County Schools (PWCS)

• PWCS started school on Sept. 8, 2020, with their most vulnerable students attending some portion of in-person school.
• They recognize that once students start returning to school, there will likely be positive cases and the need for quarantine. Six students and 11 staff entered a two-week quarantine subsequent to the first week of school.

Spotsylvania County Public Schools (SCPS)

• SCPS plans to prepare to transition into their hybrid in-person model on Oct. 12, 2020 for the families who have chosen it.

Stafford County Public Schools

• Stafford is still hoping to follow their plan to transition students back to in-person learning. As of now, the hope is that K–2nd grade students will be able to return on Oct. 6, 2020 in the planned hybrid schedule (two days of in-person learning and three days of asynchronous learning). This plan will be assessed on Sept. 22 at the School Board Meeting.
• There are two committees who will help make these transition decision:
  • Parent Advisory Committee.
  • Equity, Diversity and Opportunity Committee.