Birmingham City Schools Go Remote Amid Absences, Teacher Concerns
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Birmingham City Schools will shift to virtual learning for the next two days amid a staff shortage and concerns from faculty amid the spread of COVID-19.
Teachers will work from home and provide assignments to students on remote platforms.
"We consistently monitor our staffing, and this weekend, we realized a trend that required immediate adjustments," superintendent Mark Sullivan said in a statement Monday. "We want to be certain that each school facility has the staffing required to provide a safe and productive learning environment."
A growing number of teachers and staff have been absent due to the virus, and those who have not tested positive for COVID-19 expressed concern over the rapid spread of the virus among fellow faculty members and students, prompting the change to virtual learning.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health dashboard, 304 students and 103 staff members have tested positive for COVID district-wide since January 14th.
This article originally appeared on the Birmingham Patch
