ATLANTA — Thousands of Atlanta Public Schools students will return to classrooms for in-person instruction from teachers for the first time in months today, as the system begins a phased-in approach that will see middle and high school students complete the returns next month.
Beginning today, PreK-2nd Grade and special needs students whose parents have opted for in-person learning will begin their return to classrooms.
According to state data, there are more than 13,000 such students system-wide. But data released by APS indicates fewer than half of them will return today, with the percentage of students opting for in-person learning at APS elementary schools for the most part hovering in the 20s and 30s.
Dr. Lisa Herring, the APS superintendent, announced last week the system would slow down its return plan slightly, with 3rd-5th Grade students now scheduled to return on Feb. 8, and the remaining 6th-12th Grade students on Feb. 16.
Herring said last week the slow-down was an "important and necessary step needed at this point in our Return+Learn plan."
The plan has been met with resistance by many teachers, who have held rallies and protests against it this month.
"We are responsible for the physical, academic, social, and emotional wellbeing of our students and, during this time of COVID, we have to put the physical first," Lisa Morgan with the Georgia Association of Educators said.
And the Atlanta Association of Educators said in a release: “The general sentiment was 'make it make sense' as it related to the rationale provided to everyone about returning to in-person learning."
Dr. Herring has said "the decision to return to in-person learning, at all, is not an easy one" but that "factors like the vaccine roll-out played a role in the decision."
In a statement last week, the district said: "The health of our students, teachers, and staff is paramount and we take our decision to offer the option for in-person learning very seriously. We value and respect the critical role our teachers play in the education of our students and we continue to listen carefully and intently to their input and recommendations. Over the past several months, we have engaged with teachers, principals, school leaders, parents, public health officials, and others in implementing the recommended mitigation strategies and protocols in every school and building in the District. We will remain engaged with our teachers and other stakeholders throughout this process and work collaboratively through this unprecedented time in the best interest of our APS community."
Many teachers returned to the classrooms last week ahead of students.
On Monday, the district plans to announce "plans to provide COVID-19 surveillance testing in schools."
"This weekly testing will allow the District to be proactive and identify the presence of the COVID-19 virus, even in individuals who may be asymptomatic," APS said in a release.