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2021-22 Learning Environment Options for Students
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Forsyth County Schools will again offer students and their families a choice of learning environments for the 2021-22 school year. We ask that you thoughtfully consider the learning environment in which your child will be most successful. The choice you make will determine staffing for thousands of school employees and 51,400+ student schedules, so it is critical that families are confident and certain in their decision. There will only be one chance, at the semester break in December/January, to make a change in your child’s learning environment for 2021-22.
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On Monday, April 12 we will send you a survey to select the learning environment for your child for the next school year. If you have more than one child, you will need to complete a survey for each child. If you do not submit a response to the survey by Friday, April 30, your child’s placement will default to learning in-person at school for 2021-22.
Elementary (K-5) – Two Choices
- In-person learning at school, or
- Virtual learning at home
Notes:
- Virtual learning will be very similar to what students experienced this year, with at least 3-4 live, synchronous sessions each day where students will be required to log in and participate throughout each of those class periods.
- Students will have a dedicated virtual teacher, but the teacher may not be from your districted school. Additionally, if you elect to change to in-person learning at school at the end of 1st semester, there is a very high chance that your child’s teacher will change in January.
- Virtual learning is not an option for Dual Language Immersion classes.
Middle and High School (6-12) – Three Choices
- In-person learning at school, or
- Virtual learning at home in a live, synchronous environment, or
- Virtual learning at home in a self-paced, asynchronous environment
Notes:
- If students choose the synchronous (or live) option, they will be required to log in to every class scheduled each day. During each class period, teachers will host a 20-30 minute live, interactive lesson with the remaining class time available for independent work or teacher assistance. Active participation and timely work completion are essential to remain in this option. This is not an option to select if your student cannot be online and actively participating throughout the school day.
- If students prefer to work in a self-paced environment, you may select the asynchronous program called Forsyth Virtual Academy - or FVA. The FVA program has been in existence for several years and serves as a good option for students who can plan and organize their time and work independently to meet deadlines. With this option, assignments are posted at the beginning of the week, and students must complete and submit all work by the end of the week. There are no required live sessions in this model. Communication between the teacher and student occurs through itslearning, our learning management system. This may not be the right option for you if your child has many questions that need to be answered quickly or if they like frequent, direct interaction with teachers and students.
- For both middle school and high school, it is important to note that we are not able to offer all courses in the virtual format, which you may have experienced this year. Many of our Career Tech, Fine Arts, and AP Lab courses require that students be in a face-to-face environment to successfully master the curriculum and standards. Additionally, some courses, especially those that normally have a small number of students enrolled, may not have enough virtual students to form a class. If you select a virtual option, and one of your child’s classes is not offered in that format, your school will reach out to you to discuss options.
If your child is currently receiving special education services through an Individualized Education Program (or an IEP), the Georgia Department of Education has asked that we schedule an IEP meeting with you to discuss your child’s placement, including the location and quality of services that the student needs in accordance with IDEA. Because of this, if you select a virtual option for your child, your child’s case manager will reach out to you to schedule an IEP meeting to discuss the appropriateness of instruction through the digital platform.
This is a big decision, and we will hold you to your commitment due to the amount of time and effort it takes to coordinate the master schedule and teaching assignments. Normally, our schools begin planning for the next year in February, and it takes several months to ensure every child has the correct schedule and class placement, especially in our high schools where they have over 2,000 students. In addition, our teachers need to know this Spring if they are teaching in-person or virtual classes next year, so they have time to adequately prepare.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to continuing to serve your child in 2021-22.