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Learning Hubs Will Open To Help Struggling GCS Students

Guilford County Schools administrators Whitney Oakley (right) and Angie Henry (left) talk about COVID-19 safety measures the district implemented to prepare for the return of younger students. File photo: KERI BROWN/WFDD

Guilford County Schools will soon open learning hubs to offer face-to-face opportunities for ninth through twelfth graders who are at risk of not graduating. This comes after the district announced that it is delaying the reentry of high school students.

The learning centers were open during weekends in the fall. Now they will be available through the week at 15 high schools. Students will receive individualized support services with flexible scheduling. This includes tutoring, meals, and transportation to the sites.

Whitney Oakley, the district's chief academic officer, says principals will be in contact with families about the program.

“What we know is that students have a lot of unfinished learning that has happened during online instruction and the goal here really is to provide targeted supports to students to make sure that they are on track for graduation,” she says.

Oakley says the district has more students failing classes than it did before the pandemic. At the end of the first quarter, 40 percent failed at least one course — compared to 29 percent at the same time a year ago.

"We have to be innovative, we have to think differently than we did before about how to keep students engaged," she says. 

The district says it's also partnering with local universities to provide graduate assistantships for graduate students who are willing to serve as tutors for kids who may not be able to access the sites.

The learning hubs are scheduled to open on February 8.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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