Fairfax County Public Schools postpones distance learning due to app glitches

The Fairfax County Public Schools system (FCPS) postponed its distance learning this week just two days after its launch, citing technical issues with the remote learning app Blackboard.

“We sincerely appreciate your patience and share your frustration related to our distance learning challenges this week,” schools Superintendent Scott Braband wrote Wednesday on the system’s website.

“FCPS had worked closely with Blackboard’s technical team for several weeks prior to the launch of distance learning and there was no indication that the system would be unable to handle the volume of participating users or would be susceptible to the security issues that many of our schools encountered,” said Mr. Braband, whose school district is one of the region’s — and the nation’s — largest and richest.

When the school district’s 189,000 and their teachers tried to use Blackboard on Tuesday, many could not log in due to increased online traffic.

“The system could not handle it,” said FCPS spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell. “Our staff had received reassurances that it would work — but it didn’t.”

Mr. Braband cancelled distance learning on Thursday and Friday, and remote instruction will resume on Monday.

Meanwhile, some FCPS students apparently interrupted virtual classrooms with curse words, screaming, sex jokes and other inapproriate language.

Tarik Darwiesh, senior class president at Annandale High School, said a group of students got the access code for his English class, joined it without cameras using sexually suggestive screen names. When the teacher kicked them out of the video call, they simply rejoined, he said.

“At one point, he asked a serious question as soon as the teacher started talking. He said, ’I swear to God, I am not doing any of the work,’” Mr. Darwiesh said of one disrupter.

In a statement on the FCPS website Wednesday, Blackboard officials said the new update will require students to authenticate their identity before joining a virtual classroom.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam closed all schools beginning March 16 to stop the spread of the coronavirus. On March 23, he extended that two-week closure to the rest of the academic year.

In Loudoun County, schools Superintendent Eric Williams acknowledged that distance learning isn’t going perfectly, noting difficult situations with staff, parents and students. But as the school system starts its new phase of distance learning, he said he is thrilled with the progress and enthusiasm.

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) have been distance learning since March 30, focusing on previous content. Starting Wednesday, teachers started introducing new content.

“We know that distance learning is not going to be a substitute for face-to-face learning, but how do we maximize student growth and learning while understanding these unique times and the capacity is different,” Mr. Williams said.

All 84,739 LCPS students and staff members have Google accounts, which allows teachers to monitor more closely who signs onto the Google virtual classroom; trolling hasn’t been a problem, officials said.

The county already had put a focus on closing the technology gap and distributed 55,000 Chromebooks over the last two years. LCPS recently purchased an additional 14,000 Chromebooks and 1,500 virtual “hotspots,” almost all of which have been distributed.

In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan has closed all schools through April 24.

Brenna Pagley, a senior at Quince Orchard High School in Montgomery County, said her school has experienced anonymous people entering virtual classes because teachers didn’t know how to “lock” their sessions.

“I know that they are doing their best but I still feel like it’s not even close to the same learning we did when we were in school,” Miss Pagley said, adding that she misses the hands-on activities of regular school.

Miss Pagley said she is most worried about how technology issues will interfere with her Advanced Placement calculus test; she did a practice test Thursday and had trouble uploading her handwritten work online, she said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Darwiesh at Annandale High School said it is hard to be motivated to do online learning, especially since he is a second semester senior. However, he said he believes the unique way his high school set up its online learning is better than that of the rest of the county.

Annandale High teachers post 30-minute, pre-recorded lessons daily, and every teacher has office hours twice a week for students to ask questions.