OKCPS Superintendent, School Board Discuss 100 Percent Virtual Learning

OKCPS Superintendent Sean McDaniel and the OKCPS school board said no matter the decision they made, whether to go back to school or to keep kids at home, there was bound to be pushback.

The school board said safety is first and fundamental. They said in-person learning is too risky right now.

McDaniel and the school board agree that there is still a lot to be done in the next five weeks before school begins virtually on August 31.

They are working to make sure all kids have a device to get online, secure hotspots and strong connectivity to ensure effective virtual learning.

McDaniel said they were able to use money from the CARES Act to pay for those tools.

They are also focusing on the best ways to teach and learn virtually from both a student and teacher’s perspective.

The board is also strategizing a plan right now to help kids both emotionally and socially without some students falling through the cracks.

“But make no mistake, the best education is when we have students and teachers face-to-face,” McDaniel said. “We want to get there as quickly as we can, but we want to be safe and thoughtful about it.”

McDaniel said the district plans future meetings and surveys to make a clear decision on the future of fall sports.