Philly Students Could Be Learning Virtually Through Mid-November

PHILADELPHIA — Students in the School District of Philadelphia could be learning totally digitally for the first marking period of the 2020-2021 school year.

The district Tuesday said it is proposing to start the school year with all students learning remotely for the first marking period, which ends Nov. 17.

This plan includes five days per week of digital learning for all students who will receive instruction from teachers in their enrolled school.

Chromebooks will be available to any student who may still be in need of a device for digital learning and the district is continuing to work with local legislators and business leaders to determine how families can secure reliable internet access for the entire school year.

In the proposal, students would transition to the hybrid learning model — a mix of in-person and digital learning — in the next marking period, as long as guidance from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and other indicators support it is still safe to do so.

The proposed changes will be presented to the Board of Education during its Action Meeting on Thursday. The meeting, which will start at 4 p.m., can be viewed via live stream from the district’s website.