Caddo School Closures Meant Pivot to Virtual Learning

Recent water and power outages across parts of the Red River Radio listening area forced a number of schools to remain closed until the problem was resolved. Low water pressure forced the closure of four schools in the Caddo Parish School District which affected the 2,000 students at Northwood, Donnie Bickham, Blanchard, and Herndon schools. And a power outage forced the closure of Walnut Hill Elementary and Middle school. Caddo Schools Chief Academic Officer Keith Burton explains those developments led to the brief comeback of virtual learning. “One of the great lessons learned from COVID was we have to be prepared in order to pivot to online learning within just a day. And so, we have modified our instructional resources, will use an online management system called Canvas Learning Management System, that all of our class have access to.
Burton says this system allows parents to communicate with teachers, students to upload an assignment and most of their teachers to use this in a traditional manner. “Kids, instead of turning in homework with a paper, handing it to a teacher, as we’ve done in the past, now we’re uploading that assignment and sending it to the teacher online. So, it’s very easy because we have these mechanisms in place to be able to shift at a moment’s notice to the virtual education.”