Estados Unidos – Back to school: families, teachers prepare for reopening of public education after shutdown due to COVID-19

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Back to school: families, teachers prepare for reopening of public education after shutdown due to COVID-19

Michael Axt said he would do anything it takes to get back in his classroom at McClusky High School, even if it meant wearing a hazmat suit.

An agriculture education teacher, Axt said distance learning was not ideal, since a large part of his class consists of in-person lab work, such as welding. Without this aspect of the class, students could fall behind in the skills they’re working on.

«It’s got to be safe for the kids and it’s got to be agreeable by their parents,” Axt said. “Ultimately, we need to have our kids back in the classroom. They need to have that socializing with their friends and their classmates. … That’s as important as a lot of things that we teach them.”

Gov. Doug Burgum, along with the state’s Department of Public Instruction and Department of Health, released their “K-12 Smart Restart” recommendations for reopening public schools. In a letter addressing educators, families and students, the governor explained the guidance will likely evolve over time, stating teachers “have the opportunity to combine the strengths of multiple delivery models … while maintaining the foundation of education which is the student-teacher relationship.”

The recommendations include a color-coded phased approach to reopening schools that can be utilized based on conditions in each district. The most restrictive level is red, and each level following becomes less restrictive depending on health conditions in the community.

Fargo school officials released results of a survey last week showing that nearly half (49%) of the 7,600 parents questioned want full-time in-person classes for their children, The Forum reported. About a third said they prefer a hybrid approach, while 18% wanted all instruction to be done remotely.

The district survey found that 45% of 1,900 staff surveyed favor a mix of in-person and remote instruction to reduce numbers of students in classrooms. A little more than a quarter of staff favor a full return to in-person classes, while 26.6% prefer all remote instruction.

Most Bismarck parents who responded to a survey indicated they’re comfortable sending their children back to school in the fall, though many would like to see precautions in place.

The district collected survey responses from 1,613 staff members, 12,035 parents and 108 other community members.

Parents were asked if they would be comfortable sending their children back to school, with 47% responding yes, 42% saying yes with precautions in place, and 11% saying no.

When asked about their plans for fall, 87% of parents said they plan to send their children to school to participate in face-to-face instruction, and 13% said they plan to participate in BPS’s provided distance learning.

Most staff members who took part say they’re untroubled with returning, though most also want safeguards implemented.

For rural North Dakotans, a less restrictive approach to reopening is possible with fewer coronavirus cases present within their communities. Dickinson Public Schools Superintendent Shon Hocker said the district adopted a similar color-coded phase-in to reopen, including a red, yellow and green phase approach.
Hocker said the district will be taking feedback from community members on the initial plan. He said keeping schools open full time, rather than taking on a hybrid model or going to entirely distant learning, will take a community effort.

“We need our community to take things seriously, to recognize if their student is exhibiting any signs or symptoms of this virus,” Hocker said. “Through this plan, we think we’ve come up with a good combined community effort that will keep schools open.”

LaMoure Elementary Principal Laura Shockman said she believes schools need to reopen to give parents and students the education they deserve. She said her students’ mental health is going to be one of her biggest focuses with her teachers.

Shockman said she thinks reopening schools is the best option, but wants families to make the best decisions for their own situation, whether that means sending children back to school or choosing to homeschool for the upcoming year.

“I’ll tell my parents that, you know, the well-being and the safety of your child is number one, and whatever that looks like, whatever that means, that’s what we’re going to do,” Shockman said.

Meghan Ressler, of Cooperstown, said she is choosing to homeschool her four children on top of being a full-time rancher. She and her husband made this decision because although she has “complete faith” in her children’s teachers, she felt there was not adequate guidance for school districts from the government.

Ressler’s four children, in seventh, sixth, fourth and first grades, shared a single computer at home for distance learning in the spring. She said because of this, they weren’t able to complete coursework in some of their classes. She said she feels through homeschooling, she can keep their education from being interrupted by school closures and switches to online only learning, as well as allow her to help them with stress they might experience due to the pandemic.

“I want to make sure my kids have a steady emotional support system. I want to make sure I’m monitoring them,” Ressler said. “I know my kids better than anybody.”

Other parents, like Brooke Fredrickson of Cooperstown, felt their children’s emotional wellness would improve through the socializing they receive at school. Fredrickson said her eighth-grade son, the only child living in her household, had a hard time with online learning and being away from his classmates.

Fredrickson said she believes the structure and socialization of in-person schooling is the most beneficial option for her son, and said she felt good with her decision to send him back to school as coronavirus cases in her county are relatively low.

While some parents and teachers note that students also access vital resources through schools, such as nutrition programs, Hocker said the most important factor in reopening schools must be safety. That should be the focus now, not the controversy and politics around the decisions schools must make.

“The focus is to provide a safe learning environment, and that safe environment is for all,” he said. “It’s for students and it’s for staff and everybody.”

Fuente de la Información: https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/education/back-to-school-families-teachers-prepare-for-reopening-of-public-education-after-shutdown-due-to/article_4dff40c3-5c1c-599d-9527-c29d5a155dbb.html

 

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