COVID forced BCSD to reimagine education in public schools

In March, schools across South Carolina and the nation shuttered their physical locations to slow the spread of COVID-19. The unexpected shift to remote learning on 47 public school campuses in Berkeley County created hardships for many parents and students. Additionally, for Berkeley County School District (BCSD) employees 5,000 people, or so — the impact of the virus was far-reaching.

 

On Nov. 17, the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce addressed those issues and shared insight during an hour-long webinar about the BCSD’s goals and vision for the future. 

 

Panelists included Dr. Eddie Ingram, superintendent of the school district; Deon Jackson, chief administrative officer of pupil services and athletic director; Katie Orvin Tanner, public information officer; and Dr. Kelly Wulf, chief academic and innovation officer.  

 

Wulf explained that before the coronavirus emerged in the state, the county had already practiced pilot programs for e-learning. However, they had not prepared to implement it as a semi-permanent solution. 

 

“We had to reimagine e-learning as a long-term solution. COVID pushed us into reimagining education,” she said. Wulf sees this experience as an opportunity to have a universal movement toward customized instruction. 

 

BCSD offered families three options to start school this year: full time face-to-face in the school building, blended learning – a combination of face to face and online teaching, or full time virtual. Fifty percent of students enrolled in face-to-face learning at the beginning of the year. Jackson noted that with half of the number of students physically in the building, students could be distanced, desk shields installed, and disinfectant made available. 

 

“We did temperature checks on students who participated in sports and extracurricular activities,” Jackson said. “The number of incidents were minor, and we did not need to shut down any activity during the fall season.”

 

Ingram discussed the board’s vision and mission. Their vision is to “create a future we dare to imagine and make a positive difference,” he said. The mission? To support and “facilitate student driven learning experiences by unleashing the power and potential of education.” 

 

Encouraging the development of work and life skills will be the focus for Berkeley County schools, according to Ingram. He said the skills that matter most to employers are adaptability, critical thinking, initiative, communication, advocacy, resilience, and collaboration. Learning to live and go to school during a global pandemic tested students in all of these areas. 

 

“These skills are more important than raw knowledge,” Ingram stated. “We have to have students who can learn to think on their feet.”

 

Wulf explained that BCSD is aiming its programs toward more personalized learning opportunities, empowering students, building community, and customized instruction, and using technology to collaborate with anyone around the world. 

 

“Rather than chase an archaic number with a test score, teachers will have the freedom to teach kids in a personalized way, build on their strengths, and allow for flexibility. We don’t want a cookie-cutter education,” Ingram remarked. “The silver lining of this pandemic is that it has allowed us to do things we’ve talked about for years. Zoom meetings save time and money. Technology improves our efficiencies. I can see education fundamentally shifting.”