Gov. Bill Lee announced new school closure extensions and extensions for state workers to work from home Tuesday afternoon.
All school will remain closed until April 24, Lee said during his daily COVID-19 briefing Tuesday. Lee said state workers will continue to work from home until April 24.
During the media briefing, Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said the department has partnered with local PBS stations across Tennessee to produce and broadcast lessons and instructions for students and those broadcasts will begin April 6. These lessons will also be broadcast online and through radio.
“The Department of Education team will continue to work closely with our districts as they serve students and families during this time,” Schwinn said in a media release Tuesday.”We are committed to doing whatever we can to support our district leaders as they make the necessary decisions to ensure students can continue to access critical meal and other services, as well as receive high-quality academic instruction while they are out of school.”
Schwinn added, “Even in the midst of these challenges, we have seen an incredible outpouring from districts, schools, and teachers going above and beyond to ensure students continue to have access to food and have the supports they need to continue learning. This is a huge testament to our resilience as a state and the dedication of our educators and leaders.”
The Department of Education said it will continually update guidance to school districts posted on its website: https://www.tn.gov/education/health-and-safety/update-on-coronavirus.html
Schwinn said the department is also working on instruction and lessons for special needs students and for students who speak languages other than English.
During the briefing, Lee announced he has mobilized the use of the National Guard to help with 35 remote assessment sites in rural communities. Lee said 250 National Guard will work at the site, with 150 of those being personnel who are medically trained.