District pushes start with hybrid learning

Plans for a soon-to-come hybrid learning model for Lorain City Schools are finalized to cope with the novel coronavirus pandemic.

During a Lorain Academic Distress Commission and Lorain City Schools Board of Education virtual meeting Nov. 23, a recent survey showed over half of the district families opted for hybrid learning.

The administrators proposed splitting in-person students into two cohorts with half attending classes Mondays and Tuesdays and the other half attending Thursdays and Fridays; Wednesdays are going to be remote for students.

“We had to provide additional training and support coaching, and we had to look at data to see if we were doing things well,” said Michael Scott, assistant superintendent for school improvement for Lorain Schools. “That’s the process we’re diving into.

“I’m not going to lie; it’s exhausting, but it’s the right process we believe. It’s the right way of engagement, and it’s the right way of having sustainable practices and it’s responsive to some of the things we’ve heard early on in these first few months of being our little Lorain City School family.”

Mitigation efforts will be put in place within the district.

This includes COVID-19 testing, which is mandatory every week for athletes, and optional for other students and staff.

Scott said phase 2, which encompasses hybrid learning and those families continuing remote, the four guiding principles staff used in developing their plans were explained.

The district wanted to keep students with their current teachers as much as possible, provide flexibility to move between in person and remote learning, maintain middle and high school class schedules and keep families on similar schedules, he said.

Superintendent/CEO Jeff Graham said the stress on the development of hybrid learning comes from an achievement gap for students in Lorain Schools.

Work groups looked at specific challenges or needs, including focusing on instructional technology, communications and developing model schools.

“Right now, we know our children need our adults,” Graham said. “They need them all day, every day in terms of the schooling aspect.

“We know the achievement gap grows every day our kids aren’t full time in school with our adults, but we can’t do that. But we’re doing the best we can with what we have.”

SCREEN GRAB — LORAIN SCHOOLS TV 20 Lorain City Schools CEO/Superintendent Jeff Graham speaks July 30 during a meeting of the Lorain School Board and the Academic Distress Commission.