FCS opens virtual homework help desk on Monday

October 25, 2020–11:57 p.m.

NEWS RELEASE

Beginning Monday, October 26, 2020, Floyd County Schools (FCS) will open a virtual homework help desk called “Focused Core Support” for all FCS traditional and virtual students with the assistance of real FCS teachers.

FCS math specialist, Jennifer White brought the concept to FCS director of federal programs, Dr. Laura Timberlake, to secure funding for the program via funds allocated to support students in this area, then presented the idea to the department of academics to put it in motion.

“We want to make sure that Floyd County Schools is effectively using every resource available to us to support our students and families in these very challenging times,” said White.

FCS is using funds from federal grant Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) in order to pay a stipend to the teachers working with students through the virtual homework help desk. The SSAE grant funds are intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of schools to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, improve school conditions for student learning, and improve the use of technology in order to improve academic achievement and digital literacy of all students.

This virtual homework help desk will offer focused support on math and ELA content aligned to a particular area of struggle. The vision is to give students one-on-one support in short sessions aligned to their immediate area of concern. For example, a high school algebra I student may be struggling with factoring quadratic equations. The student can hop on a google meet with the teacher to clear up a specific problem.

Math support for grades K-12 will be offered Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ELA support for grades 3-12 will be offered Tuesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. There are 12 sessions available in 20-minute time intervals for each grade band and subjects, allowing up to 192 students to utilize the virtual homework help desk weekly.

Students must use their student email address to schedule their appointment and will utilize Google Meet to virtually meet with the teacher assisting them. Instructions on how to get started can be found under the Parents and Students tab of the district website, www.floydboe.net.