Fairfax County schools went digital – with a few glitches

Teachers at Braddock Elementary School in Annandale were ready for online learning.

Updated, April 15: FCPS announced “due to ongoing technical issues with the Blackboard 24/7 system, teacher-led instruction is canceled for the remainder of today, April 15. FCPS is working closely with the Blackboard technical team to address these issues.

The first day of distance learning for Fairfax County Public Schools didn’t go as smoothly as expected yesterday. Technical glitches with the Blackboard online learning system prevented some students and parents from logging on.

FCPS is enhancing security in Blackboard, Superintendent Scott Brabrand announced late Tuesday night. As a result, teacher-led instruction on Wednesday morning is delayed for two hours, and high school office hours will start no earlier than 10 a.m.

“We want distance learning to be an enjoyable experience for all,” Brabrand said. “We apologize for any disruptive behavior your students may have witnessed today.”

These behaviors, from people who might or might not have been students, “involved expressions of foul and inappropriate language that was upsetting for the staff and students,” FCPS spokesperson Lucy Caldwell told WTOP.

School board member Karl Frisch (Providence) had predicted distance learning would be challenging to implement. “Things will not go smoothly for every teacher, student, or family,” he tweeted on April 12. “If we honestly assess and treat others with kindness, we can do a bit better for everyone each day.”

Related story: Fairfax County school system to start distance learning for all students April 14

There were lots of tweets from teachers and school leaders, however, reporting a good experience with distance learning, and Brabrand said, “the vast majority of classroom experiences were favorable and positive.”

Justice High School English teacher Julie Reiter tweeted Tuesday morning: “Day 1 of FCPS distance learning started with Period 1. All 28 of my kids showed up. Whaaaat?! It made me cry happy tears.”

And school board member Ricardy Anderson (Mason) tweeted: “Thank you Mason Crest teachers for a terrific first day of distance learning experience for my children! Your preparation and patience as students navigated their new normal is appreciated. Well done!”

Since school buildings closed on March 13, FCPS has distributed some 14,000 laptops to middle and elementary school students who don’t have a computer at home.