FCPS’s new Covid related feature hit schools on Monday, September 27. StreamIN/CheckIN will allow students to watch and listen to their class if they are out with Covid related ailments for more than three days. There will not be an option to contribute to the class by speaking. When out of school, students will have to check in every other day with teachers. In addition they will need to have a weekly check-in with a designated staff member in relation to their academics and social-emotional health. None of this support will be offered for students out of school for non-Covid related reasons.

Providing the livestream will benefit younger elementary school students but it feels unnecessary for high school students who are independent enough to access and get their assignments done on Schoology. A better option provided for high school teachers is recording the lesson, so they don’t have to worry about it as much during the class. Teachers shouldn’t have to be putting in this much extra work that will inevitably go underappreciated by students and administrators alike. 

The lack of desire for student input feels degrading. “The biggest issue I’ve seen is the work students have to make up when they return,” Grace Meade, South Lakes senior, says in reference to witnessing friends coming back from being paused, “I can’t imagine how out of control someone must feel having empty marks piled on to them as if it was their choice to miss school.” 

She goes on to say, “I hope the issue will be solved with the introduction of recorded class sessions, but I don’t believe that system will be perfect either.” Finally sharing, “Hopefully ‘pausing’ will improve soon and the addition of recorded classes relieves some of the pressure I know all of us are feeling after returning to in person schooling.”

StreamIN/CheckIn feels like a bandaid over a bullet wound in some ways but hopefully it will assist our Covid captured students. Adding some humanity to the bureaucratic mess that is the school system by asking students and most importantly teachers will help provide more agreeable solutions in the future.