By Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times
Birmingham City Schools will offer free programs for its students this summer to recover learning loss and provide enrichment opportunities for all students.
During a virtual press conference on Monday, BCS Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan announced the enrichment programs as well as free transportation, breakfast and lunch for students who enroll.
“In Birmingham City Schools, our educators work diligently every day to meet the needs of every student . . . during the summer we will do even more,” he said. “In addition to courses led by our seasoned educators [and] opportunities through several community partners we can build on the progress that we’ve made this year.”
BCS Summer Programs will be offered Monday through Friday from June 10 to July 8 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Students will also have an aftercare option that will end at 6 p.m.
Students will meet in a traditional classroom setting during the summer, Sullivan said.
“The major goal is getting our kindergartners ready for learning . . . ,” said Sullivan. “Our kindergarten enrollment this year was down compared to the previous year. Some of our parents told us they had reservations around virtual learning while others said that there were challenges due to the pandemic.”
With the number of positive cases going down and the number of teachers going up, “we feel that it is safe to bring back students for face-to-face instruction,” Sullivan said.
The superintendent also talked about grade recovery courses for students who do not receive a passing grade during the school year. Those classes are mandatory.
“The number of our students needing to make up courses is higher this year due to learning loss as a result of the pandemic,” he said. “ . . . some of our scholars faced challenges even before the pandemic so we have our work cut out for us. We will teach, guide and direct students who need to recover learning loss experienced during this pandemic and at the same time provide experiences that engage and challenge our high performing students.”
Registration for BCS summer programs is now open. Visit www.bhamcityschools.org to register or for more information.
