Fairfax County Public Schools' superintendent says the online-only learning experience this fall will be the "pride of the country" — a stark contrast to the numerous technical problems that played out in the spring.
"Those issues are gone and resolved," Superintendent Scott Brabrand told News4 through a video call Wednesday.
Brabrand said there were two problems: A security issue that was resolved, and one of the online learning tools couldn't carry the load of so many students. He said classes won't use that tool in the fall.
"We are keeping our students on Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, which is in the cloud and can expand as demand expands, and not in Blackboard 24/7 Learn, which is on a server," he said.
Technology aside, there's a serious concern about how special education students and English language learners will navigate school online.
FCPS said it is creating tip sheets and training videos in eight languages to help students navigate online learning.
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Brabrand acknowledged the plan isn't perfect and said when it's safe to bring people back to school, FCPS will likely start with special education, English learners, and early education. He said he is not sure when that will happen.
"The consensus on reopening society for business is much more clear than the consensus on how to reopen our schools," Brabrand said.
FCPS plans to stick with online learning through the first quarter and then assess the possibility of starting to bring some students back.
