Task force to study reopening of S.C. schools this fall

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A task force charged with discovering how S.C. schools can best restart this fall held its first meeting Thursday.

S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced the formation of AccelerateEd on Wednesday. The 12-member task force will be chaired by Kathy Coleman, director of Clemson University's Sandhill Research and Education Center and chair of the Saluda County School Board.

AccelerateEd will study barriers to school operations and student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide recommendations for reopening in the fall, according to a news release from the S.C. Department of Education.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to the operation of South Carolina's public school system,” Spearman said in the release. “We know that virus has the potential to cause disruptions over the summer and into the next school year and want to be prepared to meet those challenges with common-sense solutions that allow for continued learning while protecting the well-being of students and educators.”

AccelerateEd will also receive input from a larger advisory group in addition to the education community and the general public.

An agenda and list of task force members is available online.