Henderson County board holds first reading of virtual school application amid teacher concerns

The Henderson County Board of Education held a first reading of an application to establish a separate virtual school, Speaker 2 told the board, a step required before submission to the Tennessee Department of Education. The district would register the program as its own school number and, Speaker 2 said, ‘‘there are slightly less than 400 students in Henderson County that we’re aware of that could be public school students that aren’t.’’

The presentation framed the virtual school as a way to retain per-pupil funding tied to students currently enrolled in homeschooling, church schools or private schools and to reduce chronic absenteeism. Speaker 2 said the virtual school would use a state-approved curriculum, must provide access to a library and that the district would need to supply electronics and Internet connectivity for participating students. He said the state’s COVID-era guidance in May 2021 allows districts to register virtual programs as distinct schools so test scores and accountability measures are attached to the virtual school rather than an individual campus.

Under the plan described in the meeting, the virtual school could operate from an existing alternative-school building on the high school campus, with satellite sites if needed. Speaker 2 estimated the program would start small — ‘‘I wouldn’t expect over 20 to 30 the first year’’ — and said the board would set admission guidelines and a committee to determine who qualifies. He told the board the district could staff the virtual program with current employees and use a certified teacher as the teacher of record while other staff provide lab access or virtual support. He also said officials expect little upfront capital cost because existing staff and programs could be repurposed, though the board discussion included some unclear or garbled financial figures that were not resolved in the record.

Teacher Tracy Chambers, who identified herself as a recent Henderson County employee, pressed the board during public comment, saying past virtual instruction created ‘‘a total clock mess on the teacher’s end’’ and that converting the approach to a regular virtual school could worsen teachers’ workloads. ‘‘They are stressed to the max,’’ Chambers said, and described very limited planning time for elementary teachers and concerns that student work completed at home may not be authentic but would nonetheless be counted in teachers’ accountability measures. Chambers said virtual instruction had exposed teachers to privacy and logistics problems, including handling materials from students’ homes.

Speaker 2 responded to those concerns in the meeting, saying he ‘‘agree[d] with every single word you just said’’ and describing a preference for a self-contained model where dedicated virtual teachers would, if possible, carry the work so existing classroom teachers would not be required to do virtual teaching involuntarily. He also said the district would provide supports such as counselors and interventionists for virtual students.

The item was presented as a first reading and no final approval vote on the application appears in the provided transcript. Board staff noted that more detailed policy language, enrollment guidelines and clarifications of funding and program logistics remain to be defined before any formal action.

Miss Bethany Roach, announced in the meeting as the incoming board secretary, will join the board office full time on March 25. Additional routine district business discussed included Westover Elementary’s scheduled roof work during spring break and ongoing pre-K and kindergarten registration at district elementary schools.

Next steps: the board held the item as a first reading and signaled further discussion and drafting of guidelines are expected before the district submits the application to the Tennessee Department of Education.