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CMSD will go fully remote the week of Jan. 3 due to spike in COVID-19 cases

Ideastream Public Media - WCPN News | By Jenny Hamel

Published December 29, 2021 at 2:41 PM EST

The district has not yet decided whether students will return to classrooms the week of Jan. 10, CMSD CEO Eric Gordon said, but the decision will be based on COVID-19 data and guidance from health officials.

Students with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District will learn remotely during their first week of school back from winter break. CMSD CEO Eric Gordon notified families Wednesday that the decision was made to safeguard students and staff from the threat of COVID-19.

In a video message posted online, Gordon said CMSD was following health data and working in close collaboration with the Cuyahoga County Department of Health, the Cleveland Department of Health, the interim state superintendent and was receiving guidance from the Ohio Department of Health about “how best to resume classes.”

Remote learning will begin the week of Jan. 3, including ”for the Staff Professional Day on Monday and all student classes on Tuesday through Friday,” Gordon said.

“Students should follow their normal school day schedule and log on to their classes remotely as directed by their teachers throughout the week. It is critically important that students fully participate in this remote learning week as part of their attendance and classroom instruction,” Gordon said in the video message.

The district has not yet decided whether students will return to classrooms the week of Jan. 10, Gordon said, but the decision will be based on COVID-19 data and guidance from health officials. The CEO also urged anyone who is eligible for a coronavirus vaccine or booster to get their shots.

Shortly before Christmas, Gordon braced students and families about the possibility of remote learning in another video message. He cited a “dramatic 49% increase” in the number of COVID-19 cases in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County a week earlier.

“For now, I'm requesting that every parent and family have a plan in place in the event that your child's classroom or school, or even the entire district would need to implement our remote learning plan. This includes ensuring your child has a safe, supervised place to stay during school hours that his or her tablet or laptop is available and fully charged, and that your child has a quiet place to log on and work with his or her teacher and classmate,” Gordon said in the Dec. 22 video message.

Families were asked to report positive cases of COVID-19 to CMSD by calling the COVID hotline at (216) 838-9355 or by emailing COVID@ClevelandMetroSchools.org.