Norwin moves to remote learning next week

Norwin schools will be closed next week and its 5,300 students will receive remote instruction in response to new state guidelines for counties such as Westmorelandwith a substantial level of community transmission of covid-19.

The school board Wednesday unanimously agreed with Superintendent Jeff Taylor’s recommendation to close the buildings from Dec. 1 to 4 and replace in-person instruction with remote learning. Taylor held out the possibility of re-instituting its hybrid instruction model — two days of instruction and three days of remote learning — on Dec. 7.

The superintendent said he would notify the state on Dec. 4 of Norwin’s intention to return to the hybrid instruction model, with synchronous learning — teachers instructing students — “as long as the numbers don’t go out of the ordinary.” He said there are a number of variables that would be considered in making that decision.

The board chose an option under the state Health Department’s Nov. 18 directive that will reduce the time that schools must be closed because of covid-19 cases in its buildings. If it chose to keep schools open when the county had two consecutive weeks of a substantial level of community transmission of coronavirus, it would have had to close the high school for 14 days; shutter the middle school for four to six days; and close Sheraden Terrace and Stewartsville elementary schools for three days because of the number of cases, Taylor said.

Attorney Russel Lucas, district solicitor, said Norwin would have to close the schools, go to remote learning and cease all extracurricular activities if it did not notify the district of its intentions by 5 p.m. Nov. 30. The district was scheduled to be closed that day.

Taylor wanted to open schools five days a week on Nov. 4, but the climbing number of covid-19 cases forced a postponement.

Norwin will join Penn-Trafford, Hempfield Area, Franklin Regional, Ligonier Valley, Jeannette and Southmoreland in closing next week, Taylor said.

Community weighs in

Several parents criticized Taylor’s recommendation to close the schools, including Amy Johnson of North Huntingdon, who said the asynchronous learning system in place “is failing children.”

Taylor said he anticipates real-time synchronous learning to begin Dec. 7.

Megan Yunn of Irwin complained that students are getting only eight days of in-school instruction in a month under the hybrid model.

Tracy Watt of North Huntingdon alleged that the Norwin Education Association, which represents teachers, was behind the district’s hybrid learning mode. She said the system puts stress on families with parents working at home. Some parents raised concerns about the mental health strains on children and families because they are not in school full time.

Closing schools next week in favor of remote learning “is a slippery slope” to dropping the hybrid model entirely and keeping schools closed, said Alex Detschelt of North Huntingdon, one of the leaders of a protest in August against the hybrid model.

Senior Nick Markovina of North Huntingdon said he agreed with one week of remote learning because students shouldn’t be forced to risk their health.

The teachers are not pushing for closing schools, said Heath Shrum of North Huntingdon, a teacher in the Gateway School District in Monroeville. Instructing students through remote learning is much more difficult than teaching in-person, Shrum said. He said he and family members have had coronavirus “and it is no joke.”

The school district can’t risk people’s safety, said Steve Reese of North Huntingdon, also a Gateway teacher, just because some people want the schools open five days a week.

But, the hybrid instruction mode is failing students and “is awful,” said Daniel Hersick of North Huntingdon.

He said board members who voted to close the schools should resign and let others take their place.