VUE Agrees With VCSB On Delay To Open Schools

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DeLand, FL - Volusia United Educators President Elizabeth Albert says she agrees with the Volusia County School Board on delaying the opening day of school.  It's one of the few things that she has agreed on with them.

Albert said that the fact that we are talking with them (VCSB) about delaying the student start date is a very, very good thing. "That is the one area in which we seem to be in lockstep and I appreciate that. We're not going to always agree with the district, it's just the way life goes but in this very important conversation about keeping everybody as safe as possible, we are in agreement.  Now what we have to do is figure out the date and then work to determine how we adjust the minutes and hours for student learning."

Something else on Albert's mind is that after offering the use of the schools as polling places for the August 18 Florida primary, nothing more has really been set about it. She says it wasn't even on this week's agenda. It didn't even come up until closing comments and no motion was made on it. Albert has a question for School Board Attorney Ted Doran, "How can you have it both ways? Particularly with an item that is so critically important as the reopening of schools?"

Albert says at this coming Tuesday, July 21 meeting, VCSB members will be voting on Volusia Live, a program that would have teachers teaching students in a brick and mortar classroom and distance learning students at the same time. She says that conceptually, it's a good idea but putting it into practice is another story. 

The most important thing in all of this is to have the community's help to slow the virus. "We need our communities to start wearing their masks, social distancing, practicing good hygiene following those CDC guidelines if they want us to open brick and mortar schools. Until the COVID-19 numbers go down I don't know how we safely reconvene large groups.  So we need the community to help us. If they want us to open, they've got to help us."

VUE, VCSB, Volusia County Schools