Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As Buffalo Public Schools prepare to bring more students back into classrooms, it will still mean that roughly 40% of students are fully remote.
"Unlike suburban districts, we still have a high percentage of parents that are choosing to keep their children fully remote," said Buffalo School Board member Larry Scott. He tells WBEN when the district shifts to five day in-person learning, it's going to affect the balance and equity of how they provide full remote instruction.
"As we move through the Summer, and enter next year, when I hope that we are back to five day a week in-person learning, we're going to have to have a discussion on how we proceed with a full remote option next school year, and whether that will be an option," he said.
Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash mentioned at Wednesday night's school board work session that he's considering a long term virtual learning academy for students that plan to remain in a remote situation, or are using it in addition to the in-person instruction to go above and beyond and plan to graduate high school early.
Scott said he feels strongly, that there have been benefits with remote instruction.
"Based on what I've seen with my own boys, and what I've seen with students at the suburban district I work in, that there have been opportunities for good, direct instruction, albeit remotely."
He said students are having success if they have been logging on, and attending remotely on a daily basis. "Some of them are doing quite well.
They're thriving and going above and beyond."
The main concern Scott has is with socialization, especially for younger students. He indicated that Superintendent Cash is going to look at bringing back Pre-K through 2nd grade five days a week, this school year, if Covid case numbers start to improve.
The school board member believes the district is going to hit a crossroads soon. "It's going to become a logistical issue. If we still have a large percentage of parents who want to keep their kids full remote, it's not going to be feasible to continue having our teachers teaching concurrently; both in-person and virtually." For that reason, Scott thinks the district will need to bring on more staff for remote instruction.
But he believes virtual learning, in some form, is here to stay. "We have seen that it has advantages. I've experienced it myself as an educator and I've seen it with my own children. The ability to learn more independently. I also think that in some ways, we've become more culturally and socially emotionally responsive to our students, even in this remote situation. I do think in some ways it is here to stay, but in a positive way, not in a way that is detrimental to students.
