BREAKING: CMS to dismiss students starting Thursday
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Board votes to make March 19-20 teacher work days and move spring break to March 23-27
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will send students home starting Thursday of next week — a move that could affect the work schedules of thousands of Charlotte parents.
In an emergency session tonight, the school board voted 7-1 to shift the school calendar so that there will be teacher workdays Thursday and Friday of next week, according to media reports. Spring break, scheduled originally for mid-April, will instead start March 23.
There will be classes Monday through Wednesday.
It’s unclear what happens after the new spring break, but it sounds as though the district would like the time to get ready for the possibility of virtual instruction, as uncertainty about the coronavirus continues.
“The board feels strongly that we need to put the district in the best position to move quickly if necessary,” Board chair Elyse Dashew said. “We must be mindful of the disruption of closing schools would cause our families, but we must prepare for the worst to protect the health and safety of our students and staff.” …
The change to the school calendar will allow the district to prepare for possible virtual instruction, Superintendent Earnest Winston said, while maximizing protections for employees.
“Amending the school academic calendar will allow us to plan, should we need, for online instruction,” Winston said. “The calendar also allows us the flexibility to compensate teachers by moving spring break up. That’s important. We want to make sure we can take care of our employees.”
According to WFAE, board member Margaret Marshall said parents should “use their best judgment on whether to send their children to school Monday through Wednesday.” (Hint, hint)
What it means: This move by CMS is going to ramp up pressure on companies to allow employees to work from home, if they are able to. Of course, it also messes up spring break plans for those who intended to travel April 13-17 — but those were already highly in doubt anyway.
On the bright side, it should also mean less traffic next week. CMS has about 150,000 students in Mecklenburg County.
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