With many Upper Cumberland school systems closed for a sixth straight day, Overton County Director Of Schools Kim Dillon said there is concern about instructional time to begin the semester.
Dillon said the system was trying to make efforts to have as much instructional time as possible before the winter storm hit the region. Dillon said the closures could have a big impact on student learning.
“I mean, it’s always a challenge when you are out,” Dillon said. “When you miss instructional days, there is always concerns. You are afraid that you are behind, it’s a loss of learning time, it’s a disruption to their routine on a daily basis.”
Dillon said giving the students some grace and being intentional with instruction time is how Overton plans to reacclimate students to the learning environment. She added that she believes the students and teachers will bounce back quickly.
“I do think that they will bounce back quickly,” Dillon said. “The schools are resilient. Our teachers, they are very intentional, and I think that they know where their students are.”
Some parents may be worried about the academic impact of a week-long school closure. Dillon said she wants to reassure families that every student’s needs will be addressed.
“We have great teachers who are very, very good at what they do and are concerned about the students,” Dillon said. “I think they (teachers) are even concerned about students not being in school because, you know, they worry. Do they have power? Do they have food? You know, we know when they are with us that they are good. And you know you just worry about situations.”
Most of the counties in the northern part of the Upper Cumberland were closed the entire week.
