The DeKalb County School District sought stakeholder input on their preferences and perspectives for learning models and hybrid options that the school district is considering for the reopening of schools. This feedback includes stakeholders’ level of comfort with social distancing and hygiene efforts, school bus transportation, employee travel, serving meals, taking students’ temperature, access to supplies, technology, and internet at home, and the use of masks at school and on the bus.
Traditional Learning is defined as a face-to-face instructional setting whereby students exhibit full-time attendance at the local school site, daily.
Distance/Remote Learning is defined as a non-site-based instructional process whereby instruction is delivered through the utilization of web-based and virtual instructional processes.
Distance/Remote Working is defined as a non-site-based process whereby employees allocate consistent and expected work products and deliverables through a virtual and digital process.
Hybrid Learning is defined as a blended instructional/school attendance model whereby students experience instructional seat-time through the combination of Traditional and Distance/Remote models in accordance with an identified rotational schedule/model.
Hybrid A/B DAY Model is described as identified student and staff populations equally dividing the days of on-site physical attendance and remote/distance attendance relative to school and work within a given week.
The graph indicates the current level of comfortability that stakeholders have returning to school (parents/students) and work (employees) within a Traditional model.
The predominance of:
• parents are not currently comfortable with sending their children to school through a traditional model
• students are currently comfortable with returning to school through a traditional model
• employees are not currently comfortable with returning to work through a traditional model
The graph indicates the current level of comfortability that stakeholders have returning to school (parents/students) and work (employees) within a Distance/Remote model.
The predominance of:
• parents are currently comfortable with their children participating in a Distance/Remote instructional model
• students are slightly less comfortable with returning to school through a Distance/Remote model
• employees are currently comfortable with returning to work through a Distance/Remote model
The graph indicates the current level of comfortability that stakeholders have returning to school (parents/students) and work (employees) within a Hybrid model.
The predominance of:
• parents are currently comfortable with their children participating in a Hybrid instructional model
• students are comfortable with returning to school through a Hybrid model
• employees are currently comfortable with returning to work through a Hybrid model
If the district offered a full time Remote/Distance Learning school choice option, how likely would you choose this option?
School Re-Opening Survey – Stakeholder Input – June 2020
School Re-Opening Survey_Executive Summary
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
@Enough
When one runs out of points of discussion to support his point of view starts attacking the opponent personally. You are trying to put everything on it’s head and say that I’m attacking some one. The same way I can say that your comments are attacking me with the way you think. If it bothers you then don’t read my comments.
Agreed with @concerned. What if there is no successful vaccine? The whole point of stay at home was to not overwhelm the healthcare system. We should attempt to thoughtfully get the kids back in school, not for “daycare” as some suggest, but to provide them an education and experiences for their health and well-being. I understand teachers have a very difficult job, especially with a sudden shift to VL, but their effort (1st grade) was pathetic. The majority of the reason I voted for traditional learning was because the teachers made no effort to engage with the students or hold them accountable. As for teacher health, masks, face covers and why not a plexiglass separator between students and teachers? There is a way to do this….keep at risk youth and adults at home and set up for success and low/no risk students and families back in school.
Stan
Will the board meeting on July 13 be virtual?
^ @Vanessa, Yes, it is virtual. In another thread, Stan said:
———————————————————————————
The fact that the board meeting is 100% virtual is the writing on the wall for me. Hopefully we can push the start date back to Aug 17 and give the teachers an extra week to prepare.
http://factchecker.stanjester.com/2020/07/11666/comment-page-3/#comment-37732
Fox 5 story “Georgia teacher faces long road back from coronavirus”:
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-teacher-faces-long-road-back-from-coronavirus
@concerned
I am sorry that you feel as though I am attacking you. I assure you that I am not, and I am pretty perplexed that that is what you gathered from my comment. I simply laid out a pattern of observed behavior. If you feel that you have been misrepresented, speak to that. When others state their opinions, you claim that they are trying to ‘push’ their views on others. When you state yours it’s open dialogue. You can’t have it both ways. The spin won’t work. Your actions indicate that you only believe that those that agree with you are entitled to an opinion.
@Enough: THANK YOU!!!! Well said.
Well, unlike other districts, we won’t have extra time to prepare. Just pushing the calendar back isn’t what Gwonnett and Cobb are doing. They are actually giving teachers days to prepare for whatever it is that we will be doing this year.
@Enough and everybody who supported that post.
“You have attacked teachers suggesting that they were selfish, with ill intentions”
I expressed my opinion that teachers and Dekalb administration need to take into consideration that half of the stakeholders don’t support the VL or Hybrid (like most teachers do) and that other side should be heard as well.
I see that you don’t like my point of view and trying to degrade my opinion by saying that I am attacking teachers.
“You have tried to erroneously use race to frame your argument and fan flames, as a false advocate for minority students”
I did express the opinion that there is a trend that the states with minority students deny the in-person option. Once every county announces the decisions how they are going to continue the education it’ll be easy to make a comparison chart and see if it was a right judgment.
I see that you don’t like my point of view and trying to degrade my opinion by saying that I fan the flames and being the false advocate for minority students”
“You have attacked a survey (only once you realized that you were in the minority) and shared that you wish more parents participated under the wild assumption that they would hypothetically agree with your stance”
I did criticize the way the survey was composed. And I stand on this point of view (reread my posts if interested in details).
I see that you don’t like my point of view and trying to degrade my opinion by saying that I’m attacking the survey.
“You have even encouraged funding to be taken away from schools, if you don’t get your way. Even though that will hurt the very children that you claim to fight for”
I do support the President’s suggestion to withhold federal funds from schools that don’t provide the in-person option.
I see that you don’t like my point of view and trying to degrade my opinion by saying that I’m trying to get my way.
“You have suggested that we ignore the guidance of experts, in favor for hoping that things will go well and ignoring the problem at hand”
I did point out that all school districts are following the same guidelines on opening schools and most are providing the in-person option and those guidelines are official documents and they don’t contradict with any experts on opening schools. If the districts with more cases are opening up that Dekalb must as well.
I see that you don’t like my point of view and trying to degrade my opinion by putting the words in my mouth that I’m suggesting to ignore the guidance.
“At one point you even threatened to go to the governor in the event that Dekalb decided to start virtually. The funny thing about that is that the state’s own guidance suggests that counties with substantial spread should not open their school buildings to students. So…you’re going to go tell the governor…on the governor? What do you expect to happen?”
I did express my future intention to bring my concerns to the Governor and in the previous discussions encouraged other parents in support of equal education opportunities for all to do the same thing. If you think it’s a funny thing to do I can’t help you to think this way.
I see that you don’t like my point of view and trying to degrade my opinion by saying how funny or silly it is “to go to the Governor”
“You have attacked everyone but the ones responsible for the proliferation of this virus. Why don’t you go speak to the governor about that instead?”
I see that you don’t like my points of view and the way I actively participate in the discussion, you ran out of contra arguments and supported the bullying of my opinions along with two other commentators @ParentABC@No Place for Hate.
That is a very immature and pity behavior. There was no limitation on how many posts you can post, there were other people actively engaged, but yet you were bothered with my posts since my point of views contradicted yours.
So, if this discussion makes you so upset that you even begin to bully by saying “shut up”, of course you worded in a “nice” way, you can save a trouble and just walk by.
I just hope, really hope that you and other people who supported this way of communication are not teachers, that would be REALLY concerning to me. I’m an adult and can take it, but if you act this way with students that is very disturbing to me.
I’m not sure if you are capable of getting this massage in the right way, but I had to write it since your way of acting is RUDE. If you don’t find it rude I’m telling you that it IS.
Thank you, Stan!
Love the Board will meet virtually to decide to send staff back in the buildings.
Remind me of one of Crawford Lewis’ assistants referring to teachers as “background noise.”
@Vanessa, I wouldn’t call it hypocrisy … I’d call it foreshadowing.
Stan…
Let’s hope so
I am aware that you said all of those things – I highlighted them in my post. Thank you for recapping and confirming these stances.
What you misunderstand is that it isn’t about me liking or disliking your opinion. You are entitled to it. It does not offend me in any way. I was simply highlighting a pattern of behavior. You act as though those that disagree with you are ‘pushing’ their opinions on others (your word, not mine). If that is the case, what are you doing? That is not how discourse works. You have to be willing to hear all perspectives. We are all simply sharing our opinions. I disagreed with your statement that you are trying to find common ground. You want your opinions validated and begin to make threats and make inflammatory statements, when they are not.
A point of clarification – you stated:
“I did point out that all school districts are following the same guidelines on opening schools and most are providing the in-person option and those guidelines are official documents and they don’t contradict with any experts on opening schools. If the districts with more cases are opening up that Dekalb must as well.“
Those districts are absolutely not strictly adhering to all of the guidelines, as you falsely stated. If they were, they wouldn’t be opening with the cases at the current level of spread within their communities. That tells me that you haven’t even read the guidelines. I will post them for you here. By pushing Dekalb schools to open for in person instruction, you are absolutely asking them TO IGNORE THE GUIDELINES.
Please read them this time (I saw that someone has shared them with you before).
https://www.georgiainsights.com/recovery.html
I absolutely stand by saying that it is silly to try to run to the governor and tell him that a school district is following HIS guidelines. It is. Honestly, is more than silly, but I respect this platform that Stan has provided for us too much to go farther than that. Please read the guidelines, it won’t take long. I promise.
In terms of bullying, stop it. I have been nothing less than respectful and kind. I have never told you to ‘shut up’ or discouraged you from using your voice on this forum. I encourage it. All I have done was highlighted your stances (which you have confirmed) and pointed out the hypocrisy within your statements.
* I am a teacher.
Stan, As a former teacher with 32 years experience in multiple school systems and all grade levels, I have given this a lot of thought. Our school system has no wiggle room in the budget; it is too tight for comfort. With lawsuit payouts and a reduced allotment from the State, and years of financial mismanagement, it is hard to “do the right thing” and be able to pay the additional costs that requires.
Let’s think about logistics, the cost financially and the cost to everyone’s health: running half full, bus drivers who get sick, parents who screen at home and send their kids to school with a temp anyway, schools having extra personnel to screen children when they arrive hundreds at one time, cleaning products and sanitizer for use many times a day by every person in the building, ordering and being able to get these products, PPE for all staff members, visitors, and students who don’t have theirs, parents willing to wash and clean everything that comes home and returns to school (including their kids) every day, personnel to deliver lunches to classes, personnel to monitor students in hallways who are being taken to wash hands every hour, substitutes to cover for teacher who get sick, substitutes to cover for teachers who have a doctor’s recommendation to stay home due to health risks (btw many substitutes will not be working this fall). Now add all the other things I didn’t list that you just thought of.
Virtual Education training for teachers and increased costs for technology will be required even if the system returns to in-person instruction, because the system is required to provide that for children who cannot return to school due to health impairments.
Why not spend the time (and money) left for the summer offering teachers the professional development on virtual teaching and making sure every student has the technology and internet hotspots they need. Allow teachers to return for 2-3 weeks to plan with their departments and grade levels. Teachers can rotate planning of units of instruction for the different subject areas or instructional
Units. One teacher delivers the virtual lesson (recorded), all teachers meet with their students virtually to answer questions during the delivery of the lesson. The teachers can receive PD on planning, delivering, and assessing specifically for virtual instruction and learning. Having a schedule daily for students may help parents who need to work at home, because the students have specific times their class will meet.
One local percate high school in our area required students to attend classes daily and as usual. The students were required to wear their uniforms and follow their normal
Bell schedule, meet with their class via Zoom (or another meeting platform), watch the teacher teach and participate in discussion. Not rocket science. They were not given individual work to complete on their own as the primary mode of instruction.
Don’t forget that school may be virtual whether we like it or not. DeKalb has not prepared the the teachers and parents for that possibility.
What about offering some options for students to stay in the same grade for two years without penalty. The instruction would be stretched out to allow for the planning and instruction. That would mean increasing the age for athletic eligibility, special ed eligibility, and general eligibility by one year. Give the students the opportunity to actually learn.
What was DeKalb’s plan for the case where in-person instruction was not possible or allowed?
@Cathy D, thank you for putting that forward and I agree that they haven’t put forth the necessary effort to get VL ready. As someone who is not a teacher, part of a dual parent working household, who has a 1st and 2nd grader, I’m ok with VL only as long as the teachers engage MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY with the kids in a very structured and educationally supportive way. The sending home of videos and submission of “print out and take picture” approach to work is not acceptable for teaching and learning. The school district needs to instill confidence in parents that they will be interactive, hold kids accountable and put them in a position for success.
@ Enough
“In terms of bullying, stop it. I have been nothing less than respectful and kind. I have never told you to ‘shut up’ or discouraged you from using your voice on this forum. I encourage it.”
Ending you message with the word enough doesn’t sound respectful and encouraging for the dialogue at all.
Picking the nickname enough is sending a wrong message either.
It’s not a surprise to me that you are a teacher, unfortunately had a feeling that you were.
I just hope that you’ll never teach my kids.
@concerned
‘Enough’ is disrespectful? Disagreeing and respectfully expressing that is bullying? I have heard it all now.
You have done nothing but project and deflect this whole conversation. Now, you are being blatantly rude. I won’t bite. Regardless, I wish the best for you and yours!
You can’t only want to hear from those that agree with you. Disagreeing is normal and discourse is important. The issue comes in when you begin making threats and become inflammatory because others don’t agree. Be a part of healthy conversation and debate. Listen and counter, don’t just pile on. It isn’t about getting your way – it’s about sharing your perspective. Again, I wish you the best.
It’s at least 85 infections at the YMCA camps. Updated in AJC.
A couple people commenting should take it offline and duke it out elsewhere so the rest of the community can discuss the issue and seek solutions.
Stan, has leadership discussed HAZARD/HERO PAY for our teachers? Remember when they used to only have to worry about chewing gum and cellphone use in class?
Teachers should be paid like heroes whether there is a pandemic or not. Unfortunately, I’m fighting to reduce furlough days as much as possible. The proposed calendar doesn’t reflect furlough days, so I need to get some answers about that.
@Stan
If in person school is allowed, then it seems counselors, esp. at the high school level, will need more time to plan out class schedules and balance classes. I know our Region 2 high school is still “balancing classes” 3 weeks into the school year which is very disruptive having kids get shuffled around to no fault of their own. Please advocate more planning time for the counselors as well so that they can hopefully get the schedules squared away before (and if) in-person instruction begins. I imagine scheduling at the middle and high school levels will be even more logistically challenging this year with some students and teachers choosing VL and possibly less class options. If we cut out the standardized testing that should save some time in the schedule too. Thanks!
Stan—do you know if they will still be doing MAP testing. Regardless of what happens with milestones we need some indicator that students are learning and MAP seems reasonable since it’s paid for already.
Re: Camps: According to the Macon Telegraph, the number of cases from the YMCA camps is closer to 85…and rising….
In-person school cannot happen any time in the near future.
https://www.macon.com/news/coronavirus/article244158667.html
@ Demographics
What do you mean by “other predominantly minority school systems”. Please clarify this if you will
Very informative
Reopening school presentation is just about over. What are your questions?
^ Three questions:
(1) How will virtual learning work in households that do not have internet access?
(2) Will there be a plan and budget for getting everyone caught back up to grade level once school reopens?
(3) Sports/Football — are they allowed to play?
(No need to ask them if they’ve already been answered.)
Are they proposing reassessing monthly? What kind of lead time will they need if the numbers go down and the Board votes to re-enter?
What training have staff actually received and what guidance/supervision will there be to ensure meaningful instruction
@DSW2Contributor,
1. The district is working on getting them internet access. The school has given out thousands of hot spots.
2. They will do everything they can to catch students up and keep them up … as usual
3. Sports – in accordance with GHSA guidance
@D, It will be a constant reassessment process. I don’t think it will be once monthly. I will be asking about training, support and better description of what virtual learning will look like.
How long will it take for the revamp once the decision is made to go back in?
Can we keep people on topic in the board meeting??
Did the DCSD board of Education make a decision about how and when they will re-open?
The results from the survey were not the true results from teachers in DeKalb County. The DeKalb County teacher survey was not completed by all teacher in the county because of the wording that was used in the survey. The survey was not anonymous and teacher had to include their name and employee number, which created more concerns for teachers completing the survey. The stipulations for not returning only gave employees options that would deduct 2/3 pay and take sick leave days. Teachers were not given the option on the survey to remain virtual, which skewed the data. Dekalb county is trying to please certain parents by trying to open up schools, but fail to realize that the majority of the county serves students from high poverty communities. Based on CDC results long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put many people from racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. According to CDC, database on the Covid-19 cases more minority children between the ages of 5- 17 have passed from this deadly virus, 40% Hispanic/Latino, 30% Black/Non-Hispanic. Also, based on currently available information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Many schools in the surrounding areas have recently opened and have had to close due to reported Covid cases upon teacher and students return.