CLICK TO HEAR PART ONE OF JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH COBY FLETCHER
CLICK TO HEAR PART TWO OF JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH COBY FLETCHER
CLICK TO HEAR PART THREE OF JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH COBY FLETCHER
It’s uncertain times for everybody in the wake of the coronavirus, which has caused a virtual lockdown in the area.
That uncertainty is especially true for the Upper Peninsula’s schools, which the governor ordered closed as of Monday. It’s a closure that will last until April 6th, but schools are bracing for an even longer closure.
Escanaba School Superintendent Coby Fletcher says right now, they’re doing the best they can.
There is no blanket delivery of instruction to students, because not all students have computers or reliable Internet access to be able to receive instruction. Plus, Spring Break begins this weekend.
In an interview with the Radio Results Network, Fletcher said that teachers are working on “remediation”, that is, going over material that has already been covered. Any new instruction, he says, will also be reinforced when the classes are allowed to resume.
Fletcher says that if the order comes to keep schools closed beyond April 6th, or for the rest of the school year, then other plans will have to be made. He says they will literally go to every single student and she what they have available for being able to learn remotely.
Fletcher says that graduation ceremonies, scheduled for late May, are still on, but could change if the school calendar is changed or cancelled altogether. He says that athletics are also up in the air, as the Michigan High School Athletic Association has yet to make a final decision on the spring sports seasons.
Fletcher says that during this time, food is available for students to come and pick up. Some 850 food baskets were put together on Tuesday, and roughly 725 families came to pick up the baskets.
They include about a week’s worth of food, made up of items the district had on hand, along with donations from local businesses. Fletcher says several dozen staff members volunteered to put these baskets together on Tuesday, and students were able to drive up behind the high school and pick them up.
Fletcher says another food distribution will happen this Friday from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m., and these boxes of food will get the students through Spring Break. He says another food distribution is planned for March 30th to get students through the next week of closures.
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