Schedule Changes coming For Volusia County High School Students

DeLand, FL – A number of changes are coming fast for high school students in Volusia County. The Volusia County School District is working to make changes to the system that has teachers teaching traditional students and Volusia Live students at the same time.  The issue has been a point of contention between Volusia United Educators and the school district since the beginning of negotiations in July that ended in an impasse in August. Teachers Union Declares Impasse After Weeks Of Negotiations. VUE President Elizabeth Albert said the changes come after the district was given a directive by Volusia County School Board Chair Ida Wright and the rest of the school board to end the simultaneous teaching of students face-to-face and Volusia Live.  The changes being made are not unusual for this time of year but the number of changes is. Albert said teachers are being shifted around at schools and combining classes with low enrollment. "The process with changing or breaking apart the simultaneous classrooms will result in schedule changes for students in secondary. This happens anyway at this time to a small number of kids. It’s a lot more because of the Volusia Live component." Albert says that the district is working quickly to make the separation of classes happen because of what it costs if they don’t. School Board Instructs Superintendent To ‘Fix This’. Albert said that the decision to give teachers who are doing traditional and Volusia Live teaching at the same time to receive $500 for each grading period is the catalyst for getting it done quickly. "Our position was they should have been doing it because it’s not good for kids nor is it good for teachers but, when you hit somebody in the pocketbook that seems to create a sense of urgency instead of what is good for teaching and learning." The scheduling changes will likely affect thousands of students.