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Discussion about fall school reopening is hot-and-heavy these days.
Here’s my latest thinking – for what’s worth:
Lots of districts have already made a definitive decision to reopen in various ways – five days per week for everybody, hybrid models, etc.
I wonder if districts like ours who have not made determination yet should plan on opening with full-time well-planned remote learning for the first two months or so for most students, but make exceptions for students who can benefit most by five-days-per-week classes that are socially distanced:
- English Language Learners
- Kindergarten-through third-or-fourth graders
- Students with special needs
- Students of parents who are deemed “essential workers” (though I don’t know who make that determination)
- Perhaps other vulnerable populations
Then, after the first six weeks, see what has been happening with the schools that have opened-up – what’s going well, which models – if any – have “gone south.” Combine that data with the status of local community spread, and then make a decision of what should happen the rest of the year.
I’m sure there are lots of holes in this idea. Let me know what you think…..
My dad is part of a state consulting project working to come up with multiple ‘plans’. All of them have had to recognize, like your plan as well, once someone comes to school infected then distance learning (homeschooling) becomes necessary again. Even if schools open until this is contained (if it is) distance learning in some form will become a permanent fixture. K12 homeschooling option which I used with my own child for two academic years has a very robust system that works. I’m surprised more people haven’t been talking about their system.
Even among my adult ESOL classes we will keep distance learning as an option for students in the future.