Daytona Beach, FL - Volusia County Schools' (VCS) superintendent takes to the airwaves in a new interview and discusses what parents, teachers, and students can expect over the next month or so.
Dr. Ronald "Scott" Fritz—who is now cancer free—joined Marc Bernier live on WNDB Monday (May 24) afternoon, a day before the Volusia County School Board is slated to meet.
Off the bat, Dr. Fritz discussed how VCS adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"One of the things we learned was what we could do virtually," said Dr. Fritz.
According to Dr. Fritz, virtual learning is something the school district had been toying around with for the past decade anyway. But, after Florida began pandemic-related lockdowns the district had no choice but to move everything online.
"We were forced into a situation where we had to move everything into a virtual platform," said Dr. Fritz. "And we became really good at it."
The biggest lesson that the district learned, per Dr. Fritz, was how adaptable students were with the change in curriculum, which can also be attributed to the county's teachers.
"There's nothing that replaces a great teacher," said Dr. Fritz. "We definitely have the proof that the teacher is the power in the classroom."
Dr. Fritz also touched on a current hot-button issue involving the decision to make masks optional on district property.
In talking about masks, Dr. Fritz compared the process of changing the policy to the checks and balances present in the federal government.
"Because you have parties that are passionate about both sides," said Dr. Fritz.
Dr. Fritz continued by talking about the current policy period the district is in with the optional mask amendment, and clarified that the process has to take this long so both sides have an opportunity to express their opinions and educate themselves further on the matter.
"It is a laborious process, but it really is designed so things aren't made willy nilly, they're made with some thought," said Dr. Fritz.
While the school board meets on Tuesday (May 25), a decision on the optional mask policy will not take place until an emergency board meeting that's currently slated for June 14.
In the next couple of weeks, the county will also begin graduations, with rehearsals starting on June 1. Then two days later, DeLand High School will host the district's first graduation at the Ocean Center since the pandemic began in 2020; which families will be able to attend in-person.
Initially, the district was only offering two tickets per graduating student, but that was soon increased to four following a decision made by the school board in March. From there, the ticket cap was increased again in April, this time to six per graduating student. However, that has also since increased to eight tickets per student, according to Dr. Fritz.
Among other topics discussed by Marc and Dr. Fritz, the superintendent also touched on a new academy that is now being offered at Pine Ridge High School that will teach students about HVAC (Heating, Ventiliation and Air Conditioning).
You can find Dr. Fritz's full interview with Marc Bernier on his website, MarcBernierShow.com. You can also click here to view the school board's agenda for their upcoming meeting.
Marc Bernier can be heard live on FM 93.5 and AM 1150 WNDB, Monday through Friday, 7-9 a.m. with Gordon Deal on Daytona's First News, and 3-6 p.m. on the Marc Bernier Show. You can also find archived interviews and audio on his website, MarcBernierShow.com
