BY SARAH STEPHENS
OWNER/EDITOR EAN
Main Photo: Elmore County Supt. of Education Richard Dennis
Area Education Leaders are living in a new world, according to Elmore County Supt. Of Education Richard Dennis.
With the announcement today that all schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year, virtual learning and online classrooms are the big push for continued education in the midst of the COVID-19 shutdown.
“We are going to look for other avenues to serve our students and close that gap,” Elmore County School Superintendent Richard Dennis told the EAN. “We are set and will move to the virtual program. We have been working with the Elmore County Commission and ECEDA has been working to develop broadband for the county over the past two years. We will be meeting with all private school headmasters and principals Monday. We will be working with them in that capacity to support their programs. We in Elmore County will work and do whatever we can to close that gap. “
Dennis said the State Superintendent will meet with educational leaders tomorrow, March 27, and issue other instructions.
“If this doesn’t finish in eight weeks, we will work and see what we can do. We may have to extend the school year. I have four children in college myself,” Dennis said.
“We are in a new world and will have to adapt to it and technology will be a part of that. The Commission and ECEDA have been working very hard on Broadband and we really have to push forward and address this. We are inviting private schools to participate with us in the effort on Monday. We will just take what we are dealt, move forward and make the best of it. As soon as the meeting is over tomorrow I will be making a call out to parents, faculty and staff. I will initiate a principals’ conference Tuesday, but tomorrow I will make notification of what we will do for the net week and subsequent months ahead.”
