DeLand, FL - Volusia County teachers that are teaching in two modalities will receive a $500 stipend for this school year's third and fourth quarters. The Volusia County School Board (VCSB) approved that during yesterday's (February 23) meeting.
The modalities are teaching face to face in the classroom and teaching students who come to the classroom through the Volusia Live platform. Volusia United Educators (VUE) President Elizabeth Albert teaching both is difficult and time-consuming because two separate lesson plans need to be created. "When you have kids coming in through the virtual mechanism you have to be technologically savvy and that takes a lot of time. They are experts at delivering academic content but they're not all proficient with coding and doing these kinds of tech things."
Albert said that the students using Volusia Live also need to be able to download lessons, upload assignments, have a good internet connection, and a reliable device to work on. "They have to have an environment that's conducive to learning, free of distractions. So again, there's a lot of variables that the teachers can't manage when we're working with those Volusia Live kids."
There's also an update on the number of students that have not been taking part in education since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Albert said the matter was discussed at yesterday's School Board meeting. She said that Rose Roland, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, reported that at the beginning of this school year there were about 1,500 students that they could not find. Since that time, the number has decreased to less than 100.
