This is part two of a two-part series on how local school districts are handling the covid-19 pandemic.
Faced with challenges as school moves through the second week of instruction, Barbara Warren is facing double the trouble during the pandemic. As superintendent for both the Dollarway and Pine Bluff school districts, Warren has plenty of ways to describe the challenging times.
From safety, wellness and student contact, Warren said she needs to get her hands on every child.
"We need to know where everyone is," said Warren. "We do have some families that we have not had contact with. We have been trying to reach and call."
The pandemic is not to blame, as Warren said that this pattern is normal in a school district where some students don't return to class until after Labor Day. "We are working on doing home visits as well as getting letters out," she said. "Some may have moved, and we may get a request from these families later but that has really been a big challenge."
Though she couldn't provide an exact number, Warren said she wants every child to be accounted for. Phone visits from the staff to go beyond what social workers can't get to is what Warren says has to be done.
"Whatever we need to do, we need to see these children," said Warren. "We need to connect with them."
Another challenge was equipping the students with their Chromebook and Wi-Fi devices in time and helping the families become acclimated to the digital world. Warren said that 70% of the families in the Pine Bluff School District have a virtual learning child, and about 65% are virtual learners in the Dollarway School District.
A delayed distribution of the devices became a frustration for some parents, but now that all devices have been distributed, Warren said things are going well for the most part.
On Wednesday, the Dollarway School District held its first Virtual Learning Day, which included in-person students participating from home or off-site. Instructional staff collaborated with students and families using digital platforms and video conferencing tools.
Working out the kinks of their first Virtual Learning Day also came with challenges.
"Teachers are testing the infrastructure, making sure everyone can connect when they need to for face-to-face," said Warren. "We want to make sure everything is in place and connecting with families to make certain we get any bugs worked out."
Pine Bluff's first Virtual Learning Day is Friday.
Not every situation presented a challenge. Both school districts were able to implement a plan to serve meals for their face-to-face students on Virtual Learning Day. The solution was for virtual students to participate in a meal pickup program.
Those in the Pine Bluff district primary schools pick up their meals twice a week at Belair Academy from 9 a.m. to noon. Secondary school students pick up their meals from 9 to 11 a.m. at Jack Robey Middle School.
Virtual student food services for Dollarway students are provided Mondays and Wednesdays with enough meals to last them the entire week.
By completing an order form each week, students receive their prepackaged meals to go.
Whether in the classroom or virtual, the focus on engagement is an avenue that Warren is also paying attention too.
"I'm wanting to know how much they are logging in virtually," she said, "and for our face-to-face students, what is their usage?"
Warren applauded her staff for their innovative work. Virtual students are able to attend class at the same time as their in-person classmates by using Zoom.
"They're in the classroom except they are at home," said Warren. "The teacher is able to teach the lessons to both of them."
With 16 staff members currently in quarantine in the Pine Bluff district, Warren says technology makes it possible for asymptomatic teachers to still teach safely, and while she takes on each challenge head-on with a smile, some of her administrators and staff are not.
"They are concerned. They are worried," said Warren. "Some have preexisting conditions."
Optimistic about the future of both school districts, Warren asks for patience and accountability.
"I am really proud of where we are and what we are doing but there is a lot more we need to do and a lot more we are going to do," said Warren. "This is a challenging time and we've got to pull together."