A
A SEMESTER UNLIKE ANY OTHER IS COMING4@ TO A CLOSE >>.
THE OLD WAY OF TRADITIONAL
LEARNING4@ HAS CHANGED LITERALLY
OVERNIGHT.
IT FELT SO WEIRD NOT BEING ABLE
TO RUN UP AND HUG FRIENDS AND
TEACHER FROM >> BEFORE THE
FIRST DAY AND JUST SEE MY
FRIENDS WHO REALLY HAD TO
PREPARE AND I LOOK DIFFERENTLY
TO THE FINAL BELL >>.
IT HAS BEEN A WEEK GOING FULL
VIRTUAL.
WE'VE SEEN FAMILIES ADAPT IF
SCHOOL IS >> GOING TO BE A
LITTLE4@ WEIRD THIS YEAR WE'RE
GOING TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE
DIFFERENT STRUGGLE FOR >> THE
FIRST TIME CLASSROM UP AND
SCARED AND SUCCEED >>.
BUT MY SON IS LEARNING AND HE
IS ACTUALLY THRIVING IN THIS4@
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT >>.
THIS4@ IS NEW TO EVERY BOY AND O
WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH4@4@ WE E
A COMMITMENT THIS SUMMER4@ TO
SPEND THIS SCHOOL YEAR KEEPING
KIDS IN EAST TENESSEE CONNECTED
DURING WHAT PROMISED TO BE A
CHALLENGING SCHOOL4@ YEAR FROM
MANY.
WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING FROM
THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS TO4@
STRUGGLES FOR TEACHERS WORKERS
INSIDE SCHOOLS TO4@ EDUCATION
GAPS AND INEQUALITIES
HIGHLIGHTED BY4@ THE NECESSITY
FOR SOME AT RISK STUDENTS TO
LEARN FROM HOME AS OF TONIGHT.
MORE THAN SIXTY THREE HUNDREDS
TENESSEE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
HAVE TESTED POSITIVE THIS
SCHOOL YEAR FOR KOVIK AT 194@,
THIS MAP SHOWS THE NUMBER OF
CASES PER THOUSAND STUDENTS4@ AD
STAFF IN EVERY COUNTY.
THE DARKER COLORED COUNTIES
HAVE MORE CASES PER CAPITA.
MORGAN, SCOTT AND ANDERSON ARE
AMONG4@ THE WORST.
UNION GRANGER AND COUNTIES SEE
THE FEWEST4@ CASES SO FAR BUT TE
IMPACT OF THIS VIRUS ON THE
SCHOOL YEAR STARTED LAST SPRING
TO REMIND US HOW WE ARRIVED AT
THIS POINT.
WE TURN FIRST TO 104@ NEWS
REPORTER GABRIELLE HAYES FOR A
LOOK BACK OVER THE CHALLENGES
OF THE LAST NINE MONTHS.
TENESSEE STUDENTS ONLY HAD
ABOUT THREE4@4@ MONTHS OF SCHOOL
BEFORE CLASS BECAME EMPTY >> IN
TERMS OF WHAT THE SCHOOL DAY
WAS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT
OBVIOUSLY.
AND PEOPLE JUST NEED TO NEED TO
UNDERSTAND IS NOT GOING TO LOOK
LIKE IT'S ALWAYS >> LOOK4@ ON
MARCH 24TH THE GOVERNOR BILLY
ASKED SCHOOLS TO CLOSE FOR A
MONTH BUT STUDENTS WOULD NOT
HEAD BACK FOR MORE THAN4@ FIVE.
TODAY >> I'M OFFICIALLY
RECOMMENDING THAT SCHOOLS
REMAIN4@ CLOSED THROUGH THE END
OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
>> THE EXTENDED CLOSURE MEANS
SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAD TO PIVOT AND
SO DID4@ PARENTS BOTH >> LEARNIG
HOW TO WORK FROM HOME AND
FACILITATE4@ VIRTUAL LEARNING >>
.
THIS IS ALL JUST A COMPLETE
ADJUSTMENT AND YOU JUST GOT TO
BE PATIENT.
FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THEIR BEST
.
>> THE CLOSURES ALSO BROUGHT UP
SERIOUS INTERNET ACCESS
INEQUITIES HIGHLIGHTING HOW
BROAD PARTS OF EAST TENESSEE
HAVE LITTLE TO NO CONNECTIVITY
>> IN4@ OUR AREA BECAUSE4@ WE OR
TECHNOLOGY IS SO OUTDATED AND
WE DON'T HAVE THE HIGH SPEED
INTERNET THAT IS REQUIRED.
SOME >> FAMILIES FORCED TO
DRIVE ALMOST 30 MINUTES DAILY
JUST TO SEE4@ WI-FI BARS POP UP
ON THEIR COMPUTERS.
WE >> HAVE FOUND IT DIFFICULT4@
IN TRYING NOT HAVE AN ACCESS TO
THE INTERNET >>.
SCHOOL SYSTEMS SAW THIS AS A
KEY PROBLEM.
MANY PASS4@ PLANS TO BECOME ONE
TO ONE.
OTHERS SIT AT HOME PACKETS EACH
WEEK HOPIN4@G TO REACH THOSE
STUDENTS WHO NEEDED IT MOST.
I >> THINK IT'S AN HAS SOME
FLAWS BUT I THINK THAT IT'S A
RESPONSIBLE MOVE >>.
SUMMER BREAK BROOKLYN PLANNING
FOR THE FALL SCHOOL LEADERS
TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO OPEN
AND IF THEY WOULD EVEN OPEN.
MANY DISTRICTS RELEASED PLANS
LATE IN THE SUMMER, MOST WITH
BOTH AN IN-PERSON VIRTUAL4@
OPTION WHICH AGAIN MET MORE
BOTH AN IN-PERSON VIRTUAL4@ OPTION WHICH AGAIN MET MORE4@ DIFFICULT DECISIONS4@ FOR PARENS
.
>> DO I SEND HIM BACK AND ALLOW
HIM HAVE MOR4@E OF A NORMAL YEAR
OR DO I KEEP HIM HOME4@ WHERE HE
IS CLEARLY DOING WELL?
>> AS FOR COLVARD CASES4@, THE
SCHOOLS WELL T4@HEY CONTINUED
WITH SPRING SEMESTER RIGHT
SCHOOLS WELL T4@HEY CONTINUED WITH SPRING SEMESTER RIGHT4@ AROUND4@ THE CORNER AND THE
UNCERTAINTY OF A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC.
THE STATE4@ OF EDUCATION IN 2021
COULD STILL LOOK A LITTLE
DIFFERENT >> AND I'M STILL
LITERALLY JUST WAITING ALL MY
OPTIONS IN KNOXVILLE.
I'M GABRIELLE HAYS4@ SHOUD
KNOXVILLE ELEMENTARY SITS AT
THE CORE OF THE URBAN4@
KNOXVILLE ELEMENTARY SITS AT THE CORE OF THE URBAN4@4@ REVITALIZATION ON THAT SIDE OF
THE RIVER.
IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD OF
CONTRASTS WHERE LUXURY4@
RIVERVIEW APARTMENTS SIT WITHIN
WALKING DISTANCE OF A SCHOOL4@
WHERE MANY STUDENTS CAN SEE4@
WALKING DISTANCE OF A SCHOOL4@ WHERE MANY STUDENTS CAN SEE4@4@ NEYLAND STADIUM FROM THE CAR4@
DROP OFF LINE.
BUT THEIR FAMILIES CAN'T AFFORD
SEASON4@ TICKETS TO TENESSEE
FOOTBALL SOUTH KNOXVILLE
ELEMENTARY HOME OF THE BEARS
BUILT4@ IN 1955.
IT'S SMALL ROUGHLY 40 STAFF ONE
HUNDRED4@ SEVEN4@TY FIVE STUDENS
INCLUDING FIFTY FIVE WHO OPTED
TO LEARN VIRTUALY AT THE START
OF THE YEAR.
ALMOST 30 PERCENT4@ OF THAT
COMMUNITY SCHOOL IS RACIALLY
DIVERSE.
THE LATEST SCHOOL REPORT CARD
SHOWS ACADEMIC SUCCESS RATE
IMPROVING SLOWLY IN RECENT
YEARS TEACHERS KNEW TWENTY
TWENTY WOULD BE A TEST AND A
HANDFUL4@ OF SCA C SKG EDUCATOR@
ARE HELPING US DOCUMENT THEIR
YEAR AND HERE IS HOW IT STARTED
THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL4@ AT
SOUTH KNOXVILLE ELEMENTARY IN
2020 LOOKS DIFFERENT4@ THAN ANY
OTHER IN ITS 65 YEAR HISTORY.
THIS4@ SIGNS THE MASKS AND DAY
ONE DELAYED A4@ WEEK TO LATE
AUGUST HELPING 40 STAFFERS PLAN
AND PREPARE FOR TEA4@CHING IN A
PANDEMIC.
>> A LOT HE'S EXCITED, NERVOUS.
HE'S A WHOLE LOT OF FINGER LIKE
MANY CLASSMATES.
SIX YEAR OLD ALIJA FACED BACK
TO SCHOOL JITTERS PARTING AT4@
THE DOOR WITH MOM AND DAD TO
WALK INTO FIRST GRADE FOR THE
FIRST TIME >> T4@HAT AUGUST 24TH
,2000.
TWENTY FIRST DAY BACK AT SKG.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
4@A >> FAMILIAR FACE LEADS THE
WELCOME BACK DR. TANAH4@ NICELY
IS MARKING HER SEVENTH YEAR AS
PRINCIPAL AND 30TH YEAR IN
EDUCATION HAVING TAUGHT EVERY
GRADE4@ EXCEPT FOR FIRST >> IF I
SEEMS HAPPIER.
THIS IS4@ ON THE CLASSROOMS BOTH
VIRTUALY AND IN PERSON >>4@ T4@O
WEEKS BEFORE THE START OF
CLASSES.
DR. NICELY OUTLINED4@ HER
WORRIES, ENCOURAGEMENT AND
EXPECTATIONS JUST MAKING SURE4@
THAT OUR KIDS ARE STILL SAFE
AND ARE SAFE AND OUR STAFF SAME
WAY TO SWAT THE SWEETEST
SCHOOLS4@ I'VE EVER HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR
HARDWORKING STAFF, HARDWORKING
COMMUNITY.
IN FACT THE COMMUNITY REACH OUT
TO ME THIS MORNING AND SAID
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU
ALL?
THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE
STRUGGLING.
THEY KNOW THAT OUR HEARTS ARE
OUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE END.
BUT THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT@
WE FEEL SUCCESSFUL TOO.
ALONG WITH THE CHILDREN AND
THAT MEANS4@ A WHOLE LOT.
WHAT'S THAT FIRST DAY GONNA BE
LIKE FOR YOU4@?
VERY >> EMOTIONAL.
COUNTWIDE I CANNOT WAIT TO BE
HERE.
I WILL NOT SLEEP THE NIGHT4@
BEFORE AND JUST BEING ABLE TO
YOU KNOW, SOCIALLY DISTANCE BUT
STILL LOVE MY KIDS4@.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE CHALLENGE
FOR ME >> THAT LATE SUMMER DAY.
WE ALSO HEARD FROM FIVE
TEACHERS ALL AGREED TO SHARE
THEIR EXPERIECES4@ THROUGHOUT TE
UNCERTAIN FALL.
A LITTLE MORE PREP WORK AND
LEFLER FIFTH GRADE.
21 YEARS AS A TEACHER AS >> I
CAME INTO TEACHING AND THERE
WAS ONE COMPUTER4@ IN THE
CLASSROOM AND THERE WE BARELY
EVEN USED E-MAIL4@ AND IN THE
YEARS THAT I'VE TAUGHT IT'S
EXPLODED >>.
SCOTTY JOHNSON SECOND GRADE
SEVEN4@ YEARS AS A TEACHER >> I
THINK IT BE MORE CHALLENGING
FOR ME THIS YEAR COMPARED TO
WHAT I USUALLY DO.
BUT4@ I JUST WANT I WANT HIM TO
KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SAFE
AND THEY'RE GONNA BE TOOK CARE4@
OF AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE
FUN.
>> THE ONLY ISSUE I THINK I
ANTICIPATE IS YOU KNOW, THAT
ISSUE OF MAKING SURE
EVERYBODY'S ONLINE AT THE RIGHT
TIME4@ AND THINGS >> LIKE THAT.
SO WORST CASE4@ I'M MAKING PHONE
CALLS AND ASKING, HEY, YOU KNOW
YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO BE ONLINE
RIGHT NOW.4@
>> JESSICA MAYNARD 12 YEARS AS
A TEACHER, FIRST YEAR ALL
VIRTUAL HER 13 FIRST GRADERS
WON'T EVEN SET FOOT IN THIS
CLASSROOM.
A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WERE
NERVOUS ABOUT ESPECIALLY4@
KINDERGARTEN FIRST AND SECOND
BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE
COMPUTERS BUT4@ IT'S BEEN MY
EXPERIENCE THEY KNOW IT BETTER
THAN MOST ADULTS.
>> MICHAEL ROGERS,4@ 274@ YEARS
EXPERIENCE THEY KNOW IT BETTER THAN MOST ADULTS. >> MICHAEL ROGERS,4@ 274@ YEARSN
SPECIAL ED, FIVE IN CLASS AND
TWO VIRTUAL4@ TO START.
>> AND I THINK THAT WE NEED
GRACE THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, 4@FOR
TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO TO
KINDOF SAY YOU KNOW WHAT?
THAT DIDN'T GO WELL.
LET'S TRY IT AGAIN.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO SAY I'M A4@
FIRST YEAR TEACHER?
>> OH, IT'S BEEN A DREAM COME
TRUE.
>> AND DALLAS BUCKNER FIRST
GRADE4@ FIRST YEAR IN THE
CLASSROOM.
>> BEST CASE SCENARIO IS WE GO
ON GREEEN AND EVERYTHING'S
NORMAL.
WORST CASE SCENARIO WE GO ON
RED AND I HAVE TO GO BE A
VIRTUAL TEACHER AS WELL.
YEAH4@, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO
THAT.
I REALLY DOUBT IT.
I SPENT FIVE YEARS IN COLLEGE4@
TO GET TO THIS POINT RIGHT HERE
AND I WOULD CRUSH ME4@4@4@4@4@ D
TO GO TO VIRTUALY >>.
SO >> WHAT HAPPENED?
WE ASKED THOSE TEACHERS TO USE
THEIR IPADS, THEIR CELL PHONES
TO RECORD WEEKLY UPDATES.
THE GOOD, THE BAD WHAT STOOD
OUT?
AFTE4@R WEEK ONE WEEK TWO RIGHT
UP UNTIL TODAY YOU CAN SEE HOW
THEY CELEBRATE4@D HALOWEEN TO HW
THEY DEALT WITH SHIFTING TO ALL
ONLINE