Tri-City students will have more learning options when they head back to school next week, but the slow roll out of new programs — and restrictions in some cases — is creating anxiety among parents.
But the district’s top administrator says plans are in place for a smooth return and a gradual transition program to make introducing students back into the classroom more comfortable.
“Recognizing the concerns parents have and the struggles parents are having, we have a gradual transition plan to keep students enrolled and keep the spot and yet engage the student,” Patricia Gartland told The Tri-City News in an interview this week.
Gartland confirmed that students will be able to start their new grade at home and return to their home school when they and their families are ready and they will still be connected with their class and teacher.
SD43 staff are in the process of gauging demand for the gradual transition program and will be making learning materials available by mid-September. Administrators will oversee the process with teaching staff to assist them in delivering the curriculum.
Gartland stressed that the gradual entry option won’t be the same as what happened in June when teachers taught remotely and face-to-face for each class, sometimes teaching the same class several times.
“That was just too much,” Gartland acknowledged, noting that classroom teachers will still do the assessment and evaluation, and will check in with students who will be working on their own grade-level materials, likely with parental support.
Families that choose this option shouldn’t expect their children to participate in an online class with their teacher and peers. More likely they will do work at home and increase attendance in their classroom as they feel more comfortable in participating.
PROVINCE PIVOTS
The addition of a third, flexible option comes as parents across Metro Vancouver, including SD43, have been looking for ways to keep their kids in their catchment school while learning remotely.
Offering a remote learning alternative wasn’t initially part of the province’s Phase 2 plan, which foresaw students heading back in class but that changed when parents started clamouring for options.
The Ministry of Education subsequently pivoted and told districts it could offer more options and an education spokesperson told The Tri-City News that districts were being asked to “stay flexible and nimble as students’ needs change.”
But the lag-time in providing a flexible option has been hard on parents, who are looking for something more like what was offered in June, with daily check-ins with classroom teachers, even French Immersion and other program of choice offerings.
Districts are trying to accommodate the need, offering school-based gradual return, distributed learning, with enhancements to accommodate younger students, and a homeschooling option, which completely separates a child from their home school and there is no teacher to supervise.
ONLINE OPTIONS SOUGHT
But the options aren’t ideal for everyone and many parents are struggling to make a choice, even at this late date. Parents that spoke to The Tri-City News said the process has been inconsistent. One mother noted that they couldn’t fill out a survey about what their plans are for their children because they didn’t have a clear understanding of what the options were.
For some parents, a fully developed remote learning option with a guaranteed return to school is important to allow them to assess the situation, especially if they have an immunocompromised family member.
Gartland said the district isn’t mandating a return to school date for those who choose the gradual transition option, leaving that up for the families to work out with their school, and said the best place for students is in the classroom.
“The whole idea is to keep them connected and to ensure they are confident that they can return to classroom instruction at some point,” Gartland said.
DISTRIBUTED LEARNING
SD43 is also expanding its distributed learning (DL) program to meet a spike in demand for online learning. Gartland said there was a waiting list for the Encompass K-9 program but that should be eliminated because the program is opening up with more teachers hired to deal with demand that has doubled because of COVID-19 concerns.
However, students who enroll in this program are no longer connected to their home school and can’t return mid-year, but Gartland said she expects they should be able to return in 2021/’22, depending on space.
“When a student enrolls in distributed learning, they are no longer included in their school’s organization, they go into a DL program and funded through DL learning. It’s not the same as gradual learning where children will return to their spot,” Garland said.
However, DL is only offered in English and not in programs of choice such as French Immersion, so students will have to maintain their language skills and may need a language assessment when they return to school in 2021/’22.
As. well the face-to-face component, usually part of DL, won't be offered because of the pandemic. Gartland told the Tri-City News distributed learning could be a "lonely" option for some students, as they work on their own, and works best for students who are self-starters.
SD43 also offers Grade 10, 11 and 12 courses through its distributed learning program, but secondary schools are already doing a blend of face-to-face and online classes starting in September.
Gartland said reducing the number of classes in a day to two, sending home half the students in the afternoon to do their course in a self-paced model, and with physical distancing protocols in place, will reduce the number of student interactions.
However, she stressed masks will be required in hallways and places where students from different learning groups will mix, and there will be efforts to avoid crowding by employing multiple exits and entrances where possible.
But while students may congregate and try to press boundaries, Gartland said administrators won’t be policing students.
“it’s everyone’s responsibility to respect these health and safety protocols,” she said.
