Freedom Middle School dad Mike Pappas, wearing clear rubber gloves in accordance with sanitary practices recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rolled down his car window to happily collect three separate learning packets for his children this week.
Schools in Franklin Special School District distributed learning packets to almost 3,700 students by drive-thru service at each of its eight schools on Tuesday, kick-starting student learning amid school closures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The learning packets included assignments for each subject, a Chromebook for students in grades 4-8 and even students' musical instrument if they needed it.
"This helps because I need for them to be on a schedule," said Pappas, who works from home, along with his wife. "It's a fantastic opportunity to step up as a parent and engage as a family."
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But being out of school for another month has also placed a hefty educational responsibility on many parents and left school districts scrambling to figure out how to educate students at a distance.
The extent to which Middle Tennessee districts are able to educate students from afar seems to greatly depend on the availability of technology.
Some private schools have implemented virtual classes, while public school districts grapple with connecting students with computers and educational resources online.
In Metro Nashville Public Schools, where at least 44.3% of students are economically disadvantaged, many students are unable to access technology at home, which makes distance learning difficult.
Wealthier school districts like Williamson County Schools also struggle with equipping all students with technology.
"We don’t have a structure for distance learning," WCS Superintendent Jason Golden said. "With (the lack of) Chromebooks for every student and scheduling among teachers right now, it's an impossibility."
Even though WCS implemented a pilot program to provide one computer to each student at several schools this year, the district has not yet achieved one-to-one technology districtwide.
The sheer volume of students in WCS (41,000), MNPS (86,000) and Rutherford County Schools (47,000) also makes remote learning logistics a little more difficult than at smaller districts and private schools.
Most public school districts have provided links to educational resources on their websites, provided print material for pickup, made laptop computers available for checkout, and distributed food to families in need under federal guidelines.
During times of uncertainty, here are a few ways public and private districts are adapting.
Community rallies to help MNPS students
To support Metro Nashville Public Schools, several learning initiatives are being organized by community groups and nonprofits around the city.
Last weekend, a group gathered at McGruder Family Resource Center to create 75 STEM packages for students in North Nashville. Packets contained pencils, scissors and workbooks, focusing on topics such as underwater exploration.
“Unfortunately, our students do not have the access to internet/devices for our teachers in MNPS to start teaching virtually like many other districts, so we figured giving some easy STEM activities and creating a challenge on social media would get them involved,” said Destini Burns, a community engagement specialist at MNPS.
Meanwhile, nonprofit Book’em started a book collection and fundraising drive to create book bags that are being delivered at free student meal sites.
“Between the tornadoes and COVID-19, Nashville's low-income youth are quickly losing access to basic resources,” an email from the organization said. "We know many children don't have books at home to read. With your help, we can change that — starting now.”
The nonprofit organization is collecting books and encouraging people to “shop local online” and order books that they can put in the book bags.
In addition, PROPEL — a group of concerned Nashville parents and citizens — has been posting resources on its Facebook page for students. The group has compiled a home resource guide for parents that includes free learning links for reading, writing, math, art, history and more.
“I wish we could kind of come together from that so it can be a more impactful thing,” said Raymond Williams, one of PROPEL’s organizers.
Aside from providing learning opportunities, MNPS has also been working to meet the basic needs of children by connecting families with food distributions each day, feeding thousands of students.
Williams said in a situation like this, it’s important to remember the hierarchy of needs.
“A person can’t learn if they don’t have a roof over their head or food to eat,” he said.
Private schools start online classes
In Williamson County this week, Brentwood Academy and Battle Ground Academy private schools started virtual classes with a grading system.
Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, which has a student population of 820 and an annual tuition rate of $18,000 to $24,000, started e-learning classes on Tuesday.
Students are even expected to abide by a modified dress code, wearing a collared shirt or "school spirit" T-shirt during instruction time.
BGA headmaster Will Kesler called the switch to e-learning "a paradigm shift in one week."
Kesler said that fifth through 12th grade students already had one-to-one computer access and used e-books, and that the school had a robust learning management system from the start.
Being the first school in Tennessee to have a confirmed COVID-19 case in its parent community caused BGA to look at things differently, he said.
"We had to do some things more quickly than other districts since the first case was identified in our community," he said.
Kesler said class attendance has been higher than a normal school day so far.
"Kids and parents are ready for some structure," he said.
Meanwhile, Brentwood Academy students were expected to be in front of their computers at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday to begin the first day of virtual classes.
BA's virtual learning model will mirror a regular school day ending close to 2 p.m., while allowing families flexibility during the day, said Jeff Bryant, BA dean of academics and science department chair.
"We've tried to use technology well to support instruction, but we've never had to rely so much on it as we do now and be as creative in how we use it as we do now," Bryant said. "It's a new challenge."
Remote in other Middle Tennessee districts
Here is a snapshot of how distance learning is taking shape around Middle Tennessee.
Lebanon Special School District
Lebanon Special School District is providing learning resources at lebanonschools.org. The activities are optional and not required for a grade.
Metro Nashville Public Schools
MNPS has provided an extensive list of online resources for parents and students to access during time away from school. See mnps.org/digitaltools.
The district is also partnering with Nashville Public Television to bring eight hours of educational programming to children daily, starting March 30. A virtual town hall on the impact of COVID-19 will be held March 30 at 3 p.m. Find food distributions sites at news.mnps.org.
Rutherford County Schools
Rutherford County Schools is offering access to academic material for distance learning. See academic resources, here, and online textbooks, here. RCS is also offering food distributions sites throughout the county.
Murfreesboro City Schools
Murfreesboro City Schools is also providing online resources and a link with "Read Alouds," which includes recorded stories read by teachers and musical performances by staff.
Information will be updated by the school district regularly. Students are encouraged to access Lexia and iReady, which are resources students use regularly during the school year.
Williamson County Schools
The WCS "learning plan," launched Thursday evening, includes links to educational resources devised by over 1,000 teachers and almost 150 teams. The plan suggests a daily schedule for parents to follow that highlights cognitive, social and emotional and gross motor activities.
Parents can also access resources at wcs.edu/student-resources. For elementary grades, the district will provide printed learning packets available for drive-thru pickup that started Thursday. Chromebooks are available for checkout. Find food distributions at wcs.edu/food-distribution.
Wilson County Schools
Wilson County Schools is offering various resources at the district and school level. Families can access wcschools.com/Domain/80, which provides resources for all grade levels.
Jessica Bliss and Andy Humbles contributed to this story.
Kerri Bartlett covers education and issues affecting children and families in Williamson County. She can be reached at kbartlett@gannett.com, 615-308-8324 and @keb1414 on Twitter.
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