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SC lawmakers share recommendations for improving public education amid COVID-19

A closer look at broadband access and student attendance are among more than a dozen recommendations to be considered.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — After six meetings with education leaders, health professionals and state representatives, the state’s COVID-19 Public Education Committee has approved more than a dozen recommendations for how to improve learning amid the pandemic.

RELATED: SC leaders offer ideas for improving COVID-19 testing availability, return time

The recommendations listed include further examination of broadband access and student attendance to ensure learners have adequate resources and are being counted appropriately.

Credit: State House Feed
COVID-19 Public Education Committee

“When a strictly virtual education model is in place, a face-to-face meeting with each student, his or her parent or guardian, and a member of the school staff needs to be completed at least once each semester,” Rep. Raye Felder, the committee's chairwoman, said.

They also hope to reallocate funding to assist with instructional gaps.

“The General Assembly should consider funding strategic, intense and focused instructional support in (English Language Arts) and math for students who are most in need of remediation or intervention,” Rep. Felder said.

For schools without a full-time nurse, they recommend the General Assembly see if other licensed professionals can fill the role to help meet the need.

Credit: State House Feed
Rep. Terry Alexander

As for teachers, Rep. Terry Alexander added that he hopes to see additional time-off made available amid the pandemic.

“They may have got infected from someone else, but they’re going to have to spend their own time, their own leave time because someone else affected them and I don’t think it’s fair to them,” Rep. Alexander said.

This and other considerations will be submitted to House Speaker Jay Lucas for further review ahead of House Legislator’s return on September 15.

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