Orange County schools tout success, challenges faced during COVID-19 pandemic
Students, families, community members and district employees gathered Friday morning as Orange County Public Schools presented its 2021 State of the Schools address, marking the first time since 2019 the address had in-person guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Central Florida school districts still struggling with bus driver shortage
With school starting for most Central Florida students on Tuesday, there are still bus driver positions unfilled. So much so in Orange County, district officials are asking parents to forego the busing system if they can provide their own transportation.
Florida parents can now send opinion on state testing to department of education
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools announced Florida parents can now send their opinion on state testing to the department of education. Earlier this month, OCPS Superintendent Barbara Jenkins said all public schools in the state are moving forward with administering state testing in-person in the spring. The Orange County school district sent a letter to the state asking penalties from the testing to be waived this year. Bonus teacher pay and the grade of schools are tied to the state testing. Earlier this month, News 6 contacted several school districts on how they are preparing for state testing, you can find their responses here.
‘He is not going to take the test:’ Parents plan to opt-out of in-person state testing
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Many upset Orange County parents say they plan to opt-out of state testing after Superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced all schools will move forward with administering state assessments, including the FSA, and must do so in-person, according to an order from the Florida Department of Education. “My kids aren’t going to school for this,” said Orange County mom Angie Giurtino, who has a 6th grader at Legacy Middle School. “My husband and I are really going to be evaluating do we want to send him on campus to do that.”AdAccording to Orange County School Board Member Angie Gallo, she is anticipating parents opt-ing out. Ron DeSantis extends the spring state testing windows for Florida State Assessments by two weeks to allow for further flexibility for makeups, if needed. AdBy statute, students must pass the Grade 10 ELA state assessment and Algebra 1 EOC state assessment before graduating.
Orange County Public Schools announces graduation dates for class of 2021
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools officials have announced graduation dates for the class of 2021. Timber Creek High School, May 26 at 2 p.m.University High School, May 26 at 7:30 p.m.Evans High School, May 27 at 8:30 a.m.Jones High School, May 27 at 2 p.m.Ocoee High School, May 27 at 7:30 p.m.Orange Technical College, June 2 at 8:30 a.m.District officials said the schedule is based on the availability of the arena during NBA playoffs or Solar Bears hockey games. In the event the Amway Center is unable to host any of the ceremonies on the above dates, alternative locations will be determined, the county said. Superintendent Barbara Jenkins spoke about these preliminary plans during her Community Update video, which was released Friday. All guidelines and protocols are being made in conjunction with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County and the Amway Center.
Orange County schools to hold in-person graduation ceremonies at Amway Center
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools are planning to hold in-person graduation ceremonies at the Amway Center. The announcement comes after OCPS Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins spoke with health officials. The school will also have a backup plan in place in the event that the Amway Center isn’t able to accommodate the dates needed. Ad“All of the graduations will happen in person with face masks at the Amway -- that’s where OCPS has the capacity and permission to have it there,” Jenkins added. School officials have not announced graduation dates yet, although school officials say the dates have already been booked.
Tune in to virtual conversation with Black leaders of Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. – Black History Month celebrations continue this year despite the pandemic and if anything are more accessible as events have moved online. On Monday, Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) will host a discussion online about some of the most urgent issues impacting the Black community including COVID-19, social justice, jobs and affordable housing. [TRENDING: Car flies off I-4 in Orlando | Meet bone cancer survivor who will be youngest American in space | United engine blows apart during flight]Joining Murphy during the Facebook live will be several Central Florida community leaders and officials. The virtual panel includes Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins, chief medical officer of True Health Dr. Karenna Senors, Rev. The discussion is open to all and starts at 7 p.m. on Facebook.
Educators ask Florida governor to add school employees to vaccine priority groups
Ron DeSantis to allocate coronavirus vaccines for school employees. Jenkins asked the governor to consider educators and other school employees as part of his list of priority groups to get inoculated. A California school district union also asked the panel to consider teachers and school employees. The Florida Association of District School Superintendents, led by President Michael Greco, has sent a joint letter to DeSantis asking him to consider educators and school employees under the state’s next priority group. “FADSS requests your consideration for all school district employees to be classified as essential workers with regard to COVID-19 vaccine distribution,” the letter reads, in part.
Florida reports 13,000 new COVID-19 infections as officials plead for safe holiday behavior
Editor’s note: Along with the resources previously utilized by News 6 (state and county-by-county data), as of Dec. 7, WKMG has added state data pulled from the Florida Department of Health’s Florida COVID19 State Testing Totals. This new dataset includes the number of people tested the day prior, which is the number public health officials use to calculate the state’s daily positivity rate. This means at least 20,690 people have died in relation to coronavirus across the state, including 289 non-residents who died in Florida. That number includes the 311 people who have been recently hospitalized due to the virus, according to the health department’s report. This statistic is the number of people who tested positive for the first time based on test results reported to the state Thursday.
‘We are deeply concerned:’ Orange County schools see increase in COVID-19 cases ahead of winter break
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – While many students may be excited for the upcoming winter break, Orange County Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins says she’s worried risky behavior during the holidays could have a negative impact on classrooms next semester. She said during the county’s COVID-19 update on Thursday there have been more than 2,000 coronavirus cases among students, faculty, and staff since in-person classes resumed in August. “We are deeply concerned that those numbers are growing,” Jenkins said. Citing an increase in COVID-19 cases believed to be tied to the Thanksgiving holiday, Jenkins said she hopes families will use caution when making plans for the two-week break. Along with the upcoming holiday, another concern of Pino’s is the increase in the median age of COVID-19 patients.
Orange County school district discusses COVID-19 safety plans for spring semester
ORANGE COUTY, Fla. – With the second semester beginning on Jan. 5, Orange County Public School officials are planning ahead as they expect more students to return to the classrooms for face to face learning despite the rise in cases. The district is encouraging students struggling with online learning to possibly return to school next month. “We suspect after the semester break that we will get more students. The medical advisory committee also discussed on they plan to improve the district’s data dashboard which shows confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools and active quarantines by day. The Medical Advisory Committee members are expected to meet December 17th before the Holiday break.
OCPS medical committee asks education commissioner to allow virtual learning in spring
“Without a virtual platform, students' ability to access their curriculum and make effective progress would be significantly impacted,” Dr. Vincent Hsu, the medical advisory committee chair, writes. Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Jenkins commended the medical advisory committee’s continued efforts to safeguard OCPS students and staff. Two doctors on the medical committee Thursday explained why virtual learning is key through the pandemic. School districts had to submit their re-opening plans to the state for approval. A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the department has received similar questions and suggestions from other school districts around the state.
Orange County Schools reports record high for COVID-19 cases in single day
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County schools hit an all-time high in a single day for COVID-19 cases, according to Superintendent Barbara Jenkins. There have 563 positive cases of COVID-19 since school started, according to Jenkins. Students from Eccleston Elementary will participate in LaunchEd from Oct. 28 through Nov. 3 after school officials reported four positive COVID-19 cases. School officials said the majority of students will be able to return to in-person learning. The campus will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, according to school officials.
Birthday parties, social events continue to fuel virus community spread in Orange County
Through Florida Department of Health contact tracing, health officials have repeatedly tied student and staff cases to community activity. Jenkins asked parents to help their children make “good decisions" before attending birthday parties and other social gatherings. “That is where we are seeing the cases,” Jenkins said of social events outside of school. This time because of a sweet 16 birthday party in Avalon Park on Oct. 10. “We especially need to exercise caution, because we suspect there will be additional cases,” Jenkins said.
TBD if Orange County Schools will continue virtual learning in January
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Jenkins said it is still up in the air if the district will continue with LaunchED learning next semester due to the coronavirus pandemic. Jenkins said the Florida Department of Education has indicated further instruction will likely be issued in mid-November to notify school districts. The superintendent wanted to make sure parents knew this decision will not be made by local officials. OCPS said as of Oct. 15, 42% of students participate in face-to-face learning. Athletes participating in high-contact sports, including basketball, soccer and wrestling, will take part in regular COVID-19 testing.
West Orange High School reopens after positive cases of COVID-19
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Students and staff members at West Orange High School are returning to class on Thursday after the campus shut down due to about a dozen positive cases connected to campus. West Orange High School is the second school to shutdown after Olympia High School reported several positive cases last month. Live at 6:30 a.m. @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/J19mJRI1B1 — Ezzy Castro (@EzzyCastro) October 1, 2020Meantime, several football players at Edgewater High School recently tested positive for the virus, according to Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins. Jenkins said a football game scheduled for Oct. 2 between Edgewater High School and Wekiva High School has been canceled as a precaution. “Edgewater High School team had a couple of cases, one of them was in the rapid testing the other was symptomatic,” she said.
More than 4,500 Seminole County students choose to return to school in October
SANFORD, Fla. – More than 4,500 students have opted to return to Seminole County campuses next month after spending the first nine weeks taking classes online, according to school district officials. Seminole County Public Schools spokesman Michael Lawrence said Thursday that 4,546 students chose face-to-face learning for the next nine weeks of school. Nearly 6,000 of the 26,529 students learning remotely through the Seminole Connect program will not change their method of learning. The news comes days after Orange County announced that 15,792 of their students are changing from learning virtually to face-to-face. CHANGING OPTIONS: Thousands of more OCPS students are switching to face-to-face learning for the second nine weeks.
16,000 Orange County students switch to in-person learning. Here’s what that means for teachers, schools
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins on Tuesday night announced the number of students who are switching their learning options for the second nine weeks of school. Jenkins said 15,792 students are changing from learning virtually to face-to-face and 983 are going from classrooms and switching to LaunchED. The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association posted on its Facebook page Tuesday night, asking several teachers to take action. CHANGING OPTIONS: Thousands of more OCPS students are switching to face-to-face learning for the second nine weeks. “If we have 15,000 students coming back -- usually about a third of our students ride our buses -- so that means we may have an additional 5,000 students riding buses,” Jenkins added.
Florida reports more than 200 coronavirus deaths with rate of new cases above 5%
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health reported more than 200 new coronavirus-related deaths Wednesday along with 2,590 new cases. Florida has now seen a total of 690,499 COVID-19 cases. Florida has been tracking cases of the virus since it was detected in the state on March 1. Nearly 16,000 Orange County students switch to in-person learning: Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins said Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins said 15,792 students are changing from learning virtually to face-to-face and 983 are going from classrooms and switching to LaunchED . Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Dr. Raul Pino with the FDOH in Orange County also voiced hesitancy in participating in traditional Halloween activities.
70 nurses needed in Orange County Public Schools
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – As part of a new initiative, Orange County is in the process of hiring a Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse for every public school in the county. If schools have particular programs like the ESE program, they might have to have an RN or LPN,” Jenkins said. The role of a school LPN includes providing medical care and services to students like administering prescriptions, treatments and addressing medical emergencies. “All of our schools either have a school health assistant or they have temp staff or they have nurses in place in all of our schools. A look at other Central Florida school districts shows there are school nurse openings throughout the region, including:
‘What’s going on is wrong:’ Orange County dad creates petition against rapid testing football players
Hatch created a petition against the district’s move to rapid test all of its football players, telling News 6 he feels it is an overreach of his son’s rights. The petition, available here, is addressed to Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins, district leaders and its school board members. Hatch also didn’t understand why the district was only implementing rapid testing for the season for football teams only. The issue with our football players is that they are the most exposed, it’s a high-contact sport, they don’t wear facemasks,” Jenkins said. As of Tuesday afternoon, the district was unable to report if any football players tested positive as a result of the rapid testing.
Orange County Public Schools launches online dashboard showing COVID-19 cases
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools on Monday launched a digital dashboard that parents, students and staff can use to see how many COVID-19 cases have been reported across the district’s school campuses. The dashboard, available here, shows there have been 114 confirmed coronavirus cases since face-to-face learning began on Aug. 21. [Database: Tracking coronavirus in Central Florida schools]To see the case total by school, click the box next to the campus on the right side. The dashboard lists nine total cases at Olympia High School. At Magnolia School, students in the Bridges program transitioned to virtual learning out “an abundance of caution.” The campus remains open for all other teachers and students.
Rapid testing on the way in Orange County, health officer says
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Dr. Raul Pino with the Florida Department of Health gave the Orange County Medical Advisory committee an encouraging report and took questions on Wednesday. We have received confirmation that rapid testing has been sent to us so we should have it soon, Dr. Pino said. Rapid testing is on the way, this comes after Olympia High School was forced to close. Grand total of cases so far is about 92, that was earlier this afternoon at 63 different schools, Superintendent Jenkins said. It is not clear how soon rapid testing will be available or who it will be available to.
COVID-19 testing available for Olympia High School students, staff
ORLANDO, Fla. – Starting Tuesday, COVID-19 testing will be available for students and staff members at Olympia High School. The district closed the campus for two weeks after six individuals tested positive though one additional case is still pending. Olympia High School principal Christy Gorberg called families on Monday to let them know about testing on campus. “This is exclusively for Olympia High School students and staff members who have been on campus and need to be tested. “Please know, everyone’s health and safety is our top priority,” Gorberg said.
Orange County School District learned of first COVID-19 case at Olympia HS 6 days before closure
The Orange County School District learned of the first positive case of COVID-19 at Olympia High School on Monday, Aug. 31, according to OCPS spokesperson Lorena Arias. When a school has a documented positive COVID-19 case, a schoolwide notification is sent to staff and families, Arias said. There have been several notifications sent to Olympia High School families regarding positive cases at the school. Each COVID-19 case in a school is looked at on a case-by-case basis by the district and Florida Department of Health. We continue discussing and refining our thresholds of closure; they vary from school to school, department to department.
Thousands of unregistered Orange County students will not result in layoffs this semester, superintendent says
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida school districts, including Orange County, are working to locate students who did not register for online or in-person options this year. Orange County Public School enrollment is down 18,000 students below the 209,000 students projected in July, Superintendent Barbara Jenkins said Friday in a video update to OCPS families. I want to encourage parents, guardians, family members who are aware of a change in location of one of our students to reach out to their school,” Jenkins said. School districts receive funding based on the number of students enrolled. The superintendent assured school staff the OCPS is not laying off employees due to the enrollment shortfall this semester.
Health officials urge caution ahead of Labor Day with Florida coronavirus cases stabilizing
The Florida Department of Health on Friday reported 3,198 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the states total to 640,211 since the pandemic arrived here in March. Dr. Raul Pino, of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, said recently that coronavirus data has been improving and case numbers are dropping week over week. Several Central Florida school districts plan to release COVID-19 related case information on Friday or once a week. Florida school districts, including Orange County, are working to locate students who did not register for online or in-person options this year. Below is a breakdown of COVID-19 cases in the Central Florida region:
Orange County schools ready for kickoff of fall sports
ORANGE COUNTY Fall sports such as golf, volleyball, diving, swimming, bowling, cross country and football will finally be able to start practice around Orange County on Monday. Orange County Public Schools says there is a plan in place to make sure everyone is safe. One dad said hes on board and described why fall sports in many ways for kids are important. Hes my baby.Waseem said hes happy his son, a sophomore, can play football again Monday. He said his son wants to play in college and hes already being looked at by big schools.
OCPS Medical Advisory Committee meets to discuss spread of COVID-19
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. The Medical Advisory Committee for Orange County Public Schools met on Friday to discuss the current health concerns in the classroom and guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. So far, eleven schools have had at least one positive case, but Superintendent Barbara Jenkins said there will likely be more. The topic of fall sports was also addressed with talks about the possibility of high school football seeing fans in the coming weeks. District leaders are expecting to receive a report next week about any changes that should be made to air filtration systems in schools. The medical advisory committees next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
13 Orange County students, 8 employees test positive for COVID-19
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. As of Friday, Orange County Public Schools has documented COVID-19 cases in 13 students and eight employees. Preliminary data indicates that as of Friday, Aug. 21 Orange County Public Schools has had 21 lab confirmed cases. Out of the 21 confirmed cases, only 13 students had been on campus at 11 schools, a spokesperson wrote in an email. About 69,000 Orange County students decided to return to campus for the semester rather than continue online learning. Between June 1 and Aug. 19, 192 employees tested positive.
State files notice to seek appeal in legal battle over reopening Florida schools
The filing of the notice means an automatic stay will be granted on the judges order, according to the notice. Attorneys for the Florida Education Association presented arguments last week saying that its unsafe for campuses to be open amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A Florida Department of Education emergency order requiring that brick-and-mortar schools open in August was at the center of the weekslong legal battle. In Central Florida, school districts leaders said that as of Monday night, they didnt intend to make changes to their school reopening plans. Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins said the ruling could be discussed at the school boards Tuesday night meeting.
Here’s what the teachers union lawsuit decision means for Central Florida schools
News 6 reached out to local school districts to see if they plan on changing their strategy. Several school districts said they are reviewing the judges order and it’s too early to say. Marion CountyA spokesperson with the Marion County school district pointed to their delayed start date, saying they’ve started the school year two weeks after originally planned. Osceola County“The Osceola School District will continue to offer three options: face-to-face learning, digital learning, and Osceola Virtual School,” a spokesperson said. This story will be updated as more school districts respond.
2 Orange County school bus drivers test positive for COVID-19
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. In the past two months, 12 Orange County Public Schools employees, two of them bus drivers, have tested positive for COVID-19. Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins said its important to note that those 207 are not all necessarily OCPS students. And we have not needed to send home for quarantine any of the classrooms in Orange County Public Schools, Pino said. As of Monday, 34,781 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Orange County since the virus was first detected locally in March, according to the Florida Department of Health. Pino said that as schools reopen across the region, Orange County is experiencing some of its lowest COVID-19 numbers to date.
Orange County Public Schools holds final workshop before students return to campus
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Before Orange County students head back to school for face-to-face instruction on Friday, district leaders took questions from school board members Thursday evening. Thursday’s workshop session was aimed at clarifying any lingering questions about the district’s plan to safely welcome students back to campus. “I’m a little bit sad because it is a first day of school like no other first day of school. During Orange County’s COVID-19 briefing, Dr. Alvina Chu said it is unknown whether a return to school will worsen the pandemic. We hope parents teachers and our community will get behind us to keep our children safe,” Jenkins said.
Orange County shows what classrooms will look like when students return
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Orange County Public Schools invited us inside a classroom Wednesday at Lake Como School, a teacher was teaching via the LaunchEd platform. School officials hosted the event prior to students expected return to face-to-face learning on Friday. It gives them the ability to move around the classroom and still be on camera with their students that are at home, Dr. Jenkins said. The classroom also showed desks socially distanced, Dr. Jenkins said they aimed for three to six feet apart, depending on the classroom and class size. But one thing Dr. Jenkins said you wont find is desk dividers.
Orange County Schools medical committee suggests more changes to prevent COVID-19
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. On Monday the Orange County School Board will have an emergency meeting to discuss recommendations made by the districts new Medical Advisory Committee regarding the reopening of schools. There is no doubt if you were listening, that some of us dont feel like that is necessarily the best thing to do, Dr. Ajayi said. "For children below 5-6 age, they do not transmit the virus as easily, for a number of reasons," Dr. Ajayi said. "I was very strong and insistent that we can't compromise on our opinions for any reason, " Dr. Ajayi said. The emergency school board meeting is scheduled for Monday.
Orange County students miss their friends as virtual learning begins
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Orange County Public School officials are thanking parents and students for their patience Monday afternoon after what was a rough start for many to the new school year which took place virtually Monday morning. At a news conference Monday afternoon, Orange County School Superintendent Barbara Jenkins said as of 3 p.m. Monday, there were more than 756,000 launches of the Canvas app. "Khan logged in just fine his school set up is very good. 2nd grader Dylan KnightThere were actually no problems for 2nd grade Westbook Elementary Student Dylan Kight on Monday morning. Unlike Selah George, Dylans school set up the livestream on Microsoft teams and not Big Blue Button.
By the numbers: Heres how the first day of virtual school went in Orange County
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Thousands of Orange County Public Schools students logged on to the LaunchEd platform Monday morning to begin the semester as concerns about the coronavirus continue. [READ: 4 things Orange County Public Schools wants parents to know before Monday | Everything you need to know about Orange Countys back-to-school plan]Quite frankly, for our first day, we thought it went phenomenally well. [RELATED: Orange County families have trouble connecting to LaunchED for first day of school | Heres what to expect on the first day of LaunchEd for Orange County students]That sheer volume, she said, was the root cause of many of the technical issues parents reported on Monday. At that point, students will resume the semester using whichever learning option they selected: in person, LaunchEd or Orange County Virtual School. Jenkins thanked students, parents and teachers for their patience as they navigate a semester unlike any before.
Orange County schools want students to test computer or iPad before virtual learning starts
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Orange County Schools wants students to test their computer or iPad before virtual learning starts on Monday. The first nine days of school will be virtual learning for students who are participating in the LaunchED@Home and students who are enrolled in face-to-face instruction. There is no penalty if a student cant participate during the first nine days. The district wants students to test their device they will be using before school on Monday. Students who are using an iPad from school will need to make sure they have downloaded all the correct apps.
Heres what some local school districts will do if someone test positive for COVID-19
Kornegay said they will be providing rapid tests to school staff and students, both before the school year starts, and if someone tests positive. She said it allows them to act quickly if someone tests positive for COVID-19 during the school year. Lake County school officials said people who test positive for COVID-19 would be required to quarantine for three days and would then be tested again. At Monday nights town hall, other school districts weighed in on how they plan to respond if someone tests positive at one of their schools. Osceola County School Board Chairman Kelvin Soto offered a similar answer.
Meet the panelists for the Reopening Schools: Your Questions Answered town hall
Seminole County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Walt GriffinSeminole County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Walt Griffin (Courtesy)Dr. Walt Griffin began his career in academics as an algebra teacher and from there, worked his way up through serving as assistant principal, principal, and executive director before being appointed to his superintendent position in 2012. Orange County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Barbara JenkinsOrange County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins (Courtesy)Dr. Barbara Jenkins has been in the education realm for 30 years, including the eight years she’s spent as Orange County Public Schools superintendent. She worked at Community Health Centers of Central Florida prior to opening her own practice. Osceola County School Board chairman Kelvin SotoOsceola County School Board chairman Kelvin Soto (Courtesy)Kelvin Soto was elected to the Osceola County School Board to represent District 2 in 2012 and currently serves as the chairman. He studied law at the University of California, Berkeley then came to Central Florida with the goal of helping those who need it the most.
Superintendent explains why Orange County changed fall plan
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Orange County Public Schools said virtual learning will be provided to all students starting Aug. 10. This includes students who are registered for face-to-face learning and LaunchEd@Home. Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins tells News 6, a question was posed by a school board member, that prompted the district to inquire about starting virtually. Dr. Jenkins said she and the school board members spoke briefly last week on this, and then she said she took it to the Department of Education, who responded Monday morning. From the end of last week to yesterday morning, there was some discussion with the state, and the superintendent got the good word that they would allow us to, to make this approach, Vice-Chair of the Orange County School Board, Pam Gould said.
OCPS board prepares to finalize plans for state approval
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. The Orange County School Board is set to finalize which types of learning options they send to the state on Friday. Ive heard from many teachers and parents that do not want face to face instruction, Gallo said. Gallo said that even if the board approves a start date on Friday, that date can always be changed. The start date has yet to be determined, but the school board is floating the idea of moving the school start date to Aug. 21. The board will also discuss face covering rules on campus at Fridays board meeting.
Orange County School Board hears from concerned parents, teachers after state order to reopen schools
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. The Orange County Public Schools School Board held a work session meeting to discuss the reopening of schools, the day after the Florida Department of Education commissioner issued an executive order calling for all Florida schools to physically reopen this fall despite the ongoing pandemic. Ahead of the board meeting, a number of parents and teachers took part in a car parade that was organized by the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association. Smith-Mangan is a parent of children who attend school in the Orange County Public School District. Dr. Raul Pino from the Orange County -Florida Department of Health, answered almost three hours worth of questions from school board members Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Orange County Public Schools announced that they would not be holding in-person graduation ceremonies due to the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Orange County.
District leaders ask for patience as Orange County students transition to distance learning
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County students returned from spring break Monday and began their first day of distance learning, a measure put in place as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread through Central Florida. Chairwoman Theresa Jacobs thanked students, parents and teachers for their patience and continued efforts in transitioning to distance learning. “For our students, we understand that you never planned on spending your spring break social distancing or in isolation,” Jacobs said. Here’s what I want to stress: We need just a little bit of patience around logins and any kind of technology glitches.”Jenkins said students across the state are transitioning to distance learning in coming days, in addition to the 200,000 students in Orange County. Jenkins advised any students or parents with questions about distance learning to visit OCPS.net.