Lexington, Kentucky – Bourbon County (Kentucky) Schools is considering bringing back distance learning so it can attract more teachers to the district.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools in the nation held classes remotely for all five days of the school week. However, if remote learning is implemented again by Bourbon County Schools, it will only be for one day of the week. Bourbon County High School Principal Morgan Adkins is proposing distance learning every Wednesday, reports WKYT.
District officials say its schools can’t compete with nearby Fayette County’s new teacher salaries, which are above $50,000.
The one-day-per-week distance learning proposal is a new twist on the four-day school week approach that’s being increasingly adopted in states like Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas. Proponents of the four-day school week say the policy helps districts recruit and retain teachers, which is a significant consideration with the nation’s current teacher shortage.
A survey released earlier this year by the National Education Association (NEA) found that 55% of educators want to leave teaching earlier than they originally planned.
Adkins said that if Bourbon County Schools adopts his proposed policy, the campuses would still be open on the day designated for remote learning if students want to work there or need one-on-one instruction. Breakfast and lunch would also be served to students on that day.
He also pleaded with state government officials for help with teacher salaries: “We need the Kentucky Department of Education, and we need lawmakers to really analyze the state of education. And try to figure out solutions instead of leaving it up to districts like us to do something radical, knowing that if we don’t do something, where are we going to be in five years?” Adkins told WKYT.
