Unit 40 Curriculum Committee Discusses Possibility of Remote Learning, Semester Exams at High School

Members of the Effingham Unit 40 Curriculum Committee Wednesday discussed how to prepare should the district have to go to all-remote learning for the second semester of the school year.

Effingham High School Principal Kurt Roberts said his teachers have been trying to prepare students in case a switch to remote learning occurs, and said there has been planning in case the switch occurs.

Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan said the Effingham County Health Department would be a chief guide in determining whether to go all-remote.

There was also discussion whether to conduct semester exams at the high school. Roberts said he supports not giving the tests. He noted that many students have been out of class and not obtaining instruction when quarantined due to COVID, and that students are at different stages of readiness for such a test. Semester exams are currently scheduled for January 13-14. Roberts said questions remain as to how to administer such a test with some students in attendance, some learning remotely and said a group of students could be absent due to COVID isolation or quarantine on exam day.

There was also discussion of the process for choosing a new Math series. Roberts said a different subject gets new texts each year, and it's Math's turn this year. He said teachers are currently comparing two Math series.