What does school look like when everyone is at home?
Students around the state are likely not going to return to school buildings this school year, as the shelter-in-place orders continue on to try to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has claimed thousands of lives nationwide. As districts pivot to “distance learning,” following series of missives from the state, students, teachers and families are faced with a very new landscape for education.
“Campuses are closed, but school is not closed, school is still in session,” said State Superintendent of School Tony Thurmond in a press conference announcing the recommendation that students not return to campuses for the foreseeable future. “(We’ve) had to shift to distance learning to provide education. We know it’s a challenge, but what’s happening with COVID-19 is a pandemic which is a worldwide health crisis and we have to take every precaution. This is the best thing to keep our kids safe.”
Thurmond’s office released a statement and series of guidelines recommending school district focus distance learning for the rest of the year. He stopped short, however, of forcing districts to shut their doors.
“To be clear, the decision as the whether or not schools will reopen, that is locally-controlled decision,” Thurmond said. “It will be up to the boards of those districts. Having said that, the governor says we are not likely to be in a position where students can safely return to school. We have not provided a directive, but instead provided information on what is likely to occur and issued a letter letting them know they should focus on distance learning for the rest of the school year.”
Local Response
On April 1, the Sonoma County Office of Education responded by stating it was recommending all of its members plan to remain closed.
“Sonoma County schools are responding to this guidance by working hard to ensure quality learning opportunities for students via distance learning through the end of the 2019-20 school year,” they said in a statement.
SCOE stated that each district will follow their academic calendars for the end of the school year under distance learning conditions, however, should the governor’s order end earlier than anticipated, school districts will be flexible and consider resuming classes under the direction of the county health officer.
“We want to reassure families that school is not over,” emphasized County Superintendent Steve Herrington. “School districts are deemed an essential community service and will continue to provide distance learning, free meals for students, and many other services.”
“Since mid-March, school districts have been engaged in the monumental task of building new systems to serve all students remotely, including English learners and those with disabilities,” added Herrington. “Teachers, support staff and administrators are working long hours to provide students access to their academic education as well as social and emotional support that is vital during these challenging times.”
Local districts responded with various levels of preparation.
On April 1, the Windsor Unified School District acknowledged the guidance and in a statement Superintendent Brandon Krueger said WUSD was “responding to this call to action by working extremely hard to ensure quality learning opportunities for students via distance learning through the end of the 2019-20 school year.”
Each school site has set up their own set of distance learning plans. Little learners from Mattie Washburn are being offered learning packets, and they are suggested to read 30 minutes a day, utilize Lexia, do math practice facts and play board games. The principal at Brooks is doing readings of her favorite books, and those student have also been offered packets and other resources, and boxes of learning materials. The middle school and the high school are also utilizing social media to keep in contact with students and families, and share their learning plans.
Given the long-term closure, WUSD also announced that starting April 7, their meal program would switch from daily to weekly, with five breakfasts and five lunches included for each child each week.
Cloverdale is offering similar food service to children.
“As classes remain suspended we are offering “grab ‘n go” meal service to any child age 18 and under at Washington School Monday through Friday between the hours of 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Your child does not need to be present. Parents or guardians may pick up meals and take them home to your child,” said an announcement on their website.
Meals given out include a lunch, and a breakfast for the following day.
Cloverdale is also utilizing different strategies at each of its schools. The high school is primarily working remotely through Google classroom, while Washington Middle School will utilize student emails, Google Classroom, ALEKS Math and Remind.
“Besides these platforms we have also had teachers provide video lessons, virtual office hours, and Zoom lessons. Our teachers have really hit the ground running and are working hard to provide our students with the best possible instruction during these challenging times. For Special Education students your case worker will still be doing regular check-ins to provide any kind of assistance your child may need,” said a statement from Principal Mark Lucchetti.
Jefferson Elementary students will receive grade level-specific assignment, materials and instructions.
The West Sonoma County High School District has an extensive remote plan for their students and families available at docs.google.com/document/d/195idnDyLPmqFA6G1IrDDBrbkwnNs0ZVbr3xQiDfCCPE/edit.
The plan features grade and site specific outlines and information as well as support systems for students and families. Their plan also emphasizes the importance of social emotional-health, and activities like going for walks and taking breaks throughout the day.
The Healdsburg Unified School District Distance Learning Plan (DLP) is available on their web site. It lists both short and long term objectives, from figuring out equity and access issues and providing training to teachers to delivering learning and building the infrastructure, capacity and resources for our staff to utilize multiple options of delivery strategies and for students and parents to receive and access these strategies and learning.
The plan also includes specific information on providing equity and access, special education learning and services and those for English Learners.
Full information on every aspect of distance learning at Healdsburg Schools can be found at husd.com/pf4/cms2/view_page?d=x&group_id=1531973298154&vdid=i2ckt3e2fxn3645.
In some localities, Comcast and Sonic are also offering free internet access to students. Details of all these programs, plus links to educational resources and current updates from the WUSD are available at wusd.org/covid-19-resource-and-updates. Other districts offer similar options on their websites.
Many of the schools are offering hotspots and Chromebooks to those students who do not have their own access and devices.
How will students get credit or finish their year?
In a statement on March 27, Thurmond announced that California received preliminary federal approval to waive assessment and accountability requirements for the 2019–20 school year.
“During the current COVID-19 public health crisis we are all facing right now, we don’t want our districts worrying about testing requirements or students worrying about testing,” he said. “We are currently experiencing very difficult times and are thankful that the U.S. Department of Education responded quickly to our request for testing and accountability waivers. California will continue to address the current needs of students, parents and school communities, and we are anticipating and preparing to solve further issues that will arise, including applying for further waivers as needed.”
California will hold a public comment period for all stakeholders and local educational agencies with the submission of the waiver application through April 15. A copy of the notice and copies of all comments received by the state will be sent to the ED once the comment period has concluded.
Schools and high school seniors also received reassuring news April 1 when the University of California announced that it will greatly ease some admission requirements for fall 2020, including suspending the letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students and suspending the standardized test requirement for students applying for fall 2021 freshman admission.
According to the state, in-person graduation events and activities are suspended until the social distancing order is lifted. Local districts will make their own decisions as it relates to graduation events for 2020.
On April 1, Thurmond also issued new guidance on graduation requirements and grading for seniors. The guidance is based on feedback from local education agencies, and was produced in collaboration and alignment with higher education institutions.
“We are thinking of our seniors and the impact that the current COVID-19 public health emergency and subsequent physical closure of schools has had on them, and we hope that this guidance will help relieve some stress and anxiety,” said Thurmond.
“All seniors who are on track for graduation should be able to graduate,” said State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond in a statement. “This new guidance further illustrates how students can and should be held harmless in grading, and how their work can be acknowledged.”
The guidance addresses A-G requirements and provides admissions updates for higher education for both current seniors and juniors.
For example, colleges have agreed to accept credit/no-credit or pass/fail grading where districts have decided to use it for A-G courses and other courses without impact on grade point averages. California is also extending flexibility on a wide range of issues, including testing requirements, timing of transcripts and considerations about financial aid.
The CDE continues working with the University of California, California State University, community college system and private and nonprofit universities on solutions to many ongoing college admissions challenges.
The exact guidelines can be found at cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/gradegraduationfaq.asp.
Funding questions
On April 2, Thurmond announced $100 million in funding will be distributed to local educational agencies (LEAs) throughout the state. The funding was included in Senate Bill 117, one of two COVID-19 emergency bills passed by the California Legislature on March 17.
This funding is meant to both support distance learning expenditures and help backfill average daily attendance (ADA) for districts.
To receive the funds, LEAs had to be operational as of March 4. Funding is allocated based on 2019-20 ADA funded by the California Department of Education in February 2020. Eligible LEAs will receive $17.37 per ADA, with a minimum funding allocation of $250.
According to the CDE, the State Controller’s Office will issue payments to each county treasurer’s office within three to four business days. The apportionment letter, allocation details and payment schedule for this funding are available at on the CDE’s SB 117 COVID-19 LEA’s Response Funds web page, cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/covid19learesponse.asp.
