TECH CHECK
Situations vary widely from district to district
Resource lists for parents with kids stuck at home flooded the internet after Gov. Doug Ducey ordered Arizona schools closed until at least April 10.
But resource lists alone won’t keep children occupied, leaving parents — and teachers — to fill in major learning gaps.
More than a week into widespread closures, some of Arizona’s school are starting online programming, others have already implemented programs and some haven’t launched at all.
Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation this week that would require schools to offer “general educational opportunities” during the closures starting Monday. The provision does not outline what those opportunities must entail. It would be up to the State Board of Education and the Arizona State Department of Education to determine whether schools are complying with the provision.
The Arizona Republic reviewed communication to families this week explaining plans for online learning from the state’s 15 largest school districts, which serve more than 450,000 of the state’s 1.1 million public school students.
Many of the major districts have promised to launch programs for students starting Monday, but have not detailed the specifics.
Most have posted information for parents to pick up devices and get connected to the internet for free, through Cox. The organization is offering free internet access for at-home learning to children who are eligible for the National School Lunch Program.
Uneven treatment for kids
The state’s system of more than 200 districts and 500 charter schools is vast. Unlike in many other states, Arizona’s biggest city, Phoenix, has no unified district.
That means even in the same neighborhood some kids might be online learning while others aren’t.
Rich Taylor finds a packet of assignments from Phoenix Union High School District for one of his children on his doorstep when he lets the dog out in the morning, he said. But he is still waiting to hear from another child’s school in the Roosevelt School District.
“They go back in April,” Taylor said. “They’re gonna be pretty far behind if we don’t keep them on track.”
Many parents on Twitter and Facebook wrote that they’re in contact with teachers. But some are frustrated over a lack of communication, they said. And patience is running thin for parents who have worked from home alongside their children for two weeks.
At Peoria High School on Thursday, dozens of families lined up in person and in their cars for laptops.
Karein Robertson, a Peoria mother, said she was concerned that there were few safeguards to keep families properly distanced.
“There was no social distancing being done,” she said.
District Spokeswoman Danielle Airey wrote in an email that the district periodically sent staff members out to the line to urge social distancing, but had limited staff.
She said the district distributed 1,000 laptops in two hours.
What the largest districts are doing
It’s still unclear what online learning will look like for most districts.
Here’s what the state’s largest districts are doing:
❚ Mesa Public Schools: Mesa has posted online learning resources, but advises parents to reach out to their child’s teacher over email or phone for help, if needed. The activities posted online are optional. Starting Monday, teachers will be available during regular school hours and will start an online learning program through the platform Canvas. Parents told The Republic they’ve heard from their child’s school.
❚ Chandler Unified School District: Chandler has been training teachers for an online learning program, spokesman Terry Locke wrote in an email. Teachers will reach out to parents with more information. Until then, the district has launched a page with its distance learning plan.
❚ Tucson Unified School District: The district has posted resources by grade level online. Starting Monday, Tucson Unified will launch an alternate learning plan, according to spokeswoman Karla Escamilla.
❚ Peoria Unified School District: Teachers reached out to all 37,000 Peoria students on March 24, according to spokeswoman Danielle Airey. Airey wrote that teachers are now determining how they’ll deliver lessons they’ve planned for the rest of the year. The educators will provide individualized instruction depending on a family’s need, she wrote. The district has also posted a framework online for parents.
❚ Deer Valley Unified School District: Deer Valley will deliver online teaching to families beginning April 6, according to the latest letter families posted online. Starting Monday, the district will post supplementary resources for families on its website.
❚ Gilbert Public Schools: Teachers and Gilbert staff members were training to take learning online, according to Gilbert’s website. Starting Monday, the district will utilize Google Education to connect teachers and parents for remote learning. Teachers will reach out to students and parents about activities.
❚ Paradise Valley Unified School District: Parents should receive instructions from teachers for alternative learning that will start Monday.
❚ Phoenix Union High School District: Students with internet access should log into Microsoft Teams to connect with teachers and view posted assignments, according to the district’s website. For those without internet access, the district will arrange for students to get packets with assignments.
❚ Dysart Unified School District: The district will begin remote learning for students on Monday. Teachers will provide families with weekly lesson plans either in an electronic or hard copy format designed for students, according to the district’s website. Teachers will communicate with families through email or an online platform called Schoology. Teachers will provide feedback on student work after students submit the work.
❚ Washington Elementary School District: Teachers began reaching out to students on Monday and Tuesday. The district’s leadership team is developing long-term learning opportunities, according to Washington’s website. The district is also weighing whether to use printed packets.
❚ Scottsdale Unified School District: Scottsdale students are already online learning, according to the district’s website. The district uses Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom, and has loaner laptops ready for students who need them. Parents are advised to build a study schedule for students and create to-do lists for completing assignments.
❚ Kyrene Elementary School District: Starting
Monday, teachers will be holding office hours Mondays through Thursday, and will check in with students using Zoom. The schedule for the hours is posted on the district’s website.
❚ Sunnyside Unified School District: The Tucsonarea school district posted on its website that parents should look out for communication from teachers. According to its website, “development of remote options is currently underway.”
❚ Cartwright Elementary School District: The district will deliver packets to homes. They will include two weeks worth of work for students. If school stays closed past April 10, the district will begin an online learning phase.
❚ Glendale Union High School District: Families will get a call from their student’s third-hour teacher. Counselors will also start to touch base with seniors, according to Glendale Union’s website.
Arizona parents who haven’t yet heard from their child’s teacher should reach out to their charter school or district.
What’s happening in other states
It appears that schools in other states are taking several weeks to get online learning programs off the ground, too.
In Philadelphia, a city with a population comparable to Phoenix’s, schools are closed until at least April 6. So far, the city’s unified school district is offering optional work packets for families and working on a plan to distribute laptops to every student, according to the district’s website.
In New York City, the country’s largest school system has unveiled a massive digital learning program. According to Chalkbeat, teachers are uploading assignments with schedules for parents, and video-conferencing with classes.
Some districts, like Albuquerque Public Schools in New Mexico, have declined to offer online instruction. District officials in New Mexico are concerned that they wouldn’t be able to offer a fair and equitable education to all students, particularly low-income students who don’t have access to the internet.
Portland Public Schools in Oregon, similarly, will not hold online classes due to equity concerns, according to The Oregonian.