Ivey Urges Return to In-Person Learning for Alabama Schools

Ivey Urges Return to In-Person Learning for Alabama Schools

By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com (Photo by alreporter.com)

ALABAMA — On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey (R-Ala.) released a statement urging Alabama schools to return to in-person learning "as soon as possible."

Schools statewide closed at the ending of the 2020 spring semester and many systems began the current school year with the option to participate in virtual learning. As a third wave of coronavirus cases has begun surging across the state, some schools have opted to return to virtual-only instructions.

"As we begin the holiday season and contemplate a return to a normalcy in 2021, I strongly urge our education leadership on both the state and local levels to return to in-person instruction as soon as possible," said Ivey. "Virtual and remote instruction are stop-gap measures to prevent our students from regressing academically...[but] these practices cannot — and should not — become a permanent part of instructional delivery system in 2021." 

According to projections from the Alabama Department of Education, almost 10,000 fewer students enrolled at Alabama public schools this year. The state's enrollment numbers mirror the decline in new enrollment across the country.

"My Administration will work with Dr. Mackey, all of our local superintendents and the Legislature to ensure that our kids are back in the classroom in 2021," Ivey concluded. "Our employers, our families, our communities, Alabama's taxpayers, and most importantly, our students, deserve nothing less." 

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