Survey: 94.7% PSS students are OK with remote learning

With the Public School System’s second semester starting today, Nov.16, a survey of its students shows that 94.7% are satisfied with remote learning for various reasons, according to Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred B. Ada.

The survey also shows, Ada said, that PSS students are happy with remote learning for the most part because, one, they are in a safe place, and two, the convenience of when they can turn in their work.

Additionally, Ada stated in an interview that all the schools are open to the idea of face-to-face classes with 10 students or fewer, and that PSS has the ability to increase the number from 10 students to 15 students in a classroom, while still implementing the social distancing rule.

As for full-day of face-to-face instruction, Ada stated that “blended learning”—a mixture of full-day face-to-face instruction with remote learning—is in the works and will be happening in January. “We worked really hard to make it happen, so we’re going to make it work and that is the direction we’re going.” said Ada. Right now, he said they are looking at all possible glitches that night happen but they understand that such glitches could happen as with anything new.

Before adding five extra students in a classroom though, Ada said that they will be meeting with their principals and gathering data on student attendance that will help make that final decision.

Also, Ada said that teachers have been reaching out to students who don’t go to in-person instruction and there are very few cases where students do not want to go to class at all. In the meantime, while they are deciding how many students will be in a classroom setting, Ada said that PSS will be continuing with online learning.

“The beauty about this [online learning] is that they [students] are being responsible. And if they’re not, that’s where teachers reach out to parents and principals, and we try to work on a case-by-case basis,” said Ada, adding that he believes students enjoy online learning so much that they’re embracing it and making it work.

When asked if PSS has cases where parents don’t want their children to go back to face-to-face instruction, Ada stated that there are a mixed number of parents who still want their children to go to the “old traditional way of a full-day schedule.”