Schools plan ways to teach from afar
First it was two weeks. Then it was 3½.
With the coronavirus crisis showing no signs of slowing, it could be even longer.
The last day any students in Pennsylvania were in class was March 13. Since then, schools have been on a mandated shutdown. Gov. Tom Wolf announced this week that the closures will keep kids out of school until at least April 9.
Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said this week that there’s a chance the shutdown could last even longer, depending how things unfold across the state.
Schools in at least three states have been shuttered for the rest of the school year in response to the spread of COVID-19.
It’s an unprecedented time, and that’s creating new challenges for school leaders. Across the state, school districts are working on ways to make sure students are still learning, even if it has to be done from afar.
Officials from several Berks County districts said they have been providing educational opportunities for students during the shutdown. Many said those efforts are being ramped up in light of the extended closure and anticipation of schools being shut down even longer.
In the Boyertown Area School District, school officials are preparing to move from a voluntary virtual learning model to a continuity of education model, should the governor further extend the shutdown.
“Continuity of education is the overarching term for and educational practices that occur in the event of a prolonged school closure,” said Dana Bedden, superintendent. “Students must have the opportunity to develop and maintain skills while away from the customary school environment. Continuity of education can be achieved through planned instruction, enrichment and review, or a combination thereof.”
To help make sure students can participate in online education, Boyertown on Thursday distributed laptop computers to middle school students who need them.
“Oley Valley is planning for an extended closure,” Tracy Shank, Oley Valley School District superintendent, said.
Shank said her district is providing instruction mostly online, with younger students also being provided with some off-line materials. Throughout the shutdown, she said, the district is trying to keep the line of communication as open and possible, knowing that everyone is swimming in uncharted waters.
“We are trying to be cognizant of the fact that this is a huge paradigm shift for teachers and families,” she said. “There are so many unknowns yet to be discovered, and we will take it one day, one issue at a time, together as one Lynx Nation.”
Much of what is being done in local school districts is being aided and coordinated by the Berks County Intermediate Unit. The state Department of Education has designated the state’s 29 intermediate units as clearing houses for technical assistance and resources for school districts.
“Since the announcement of the state-mandated school closure, the Berks County Intermediate Unit, along with the 18 school districts and two career and technology centers, continue to collaborate and plan as we receive guidance from our state and federal leaders,” a statement from the BCIU reads. “As always, our primary goal is the health, safety and welfare of the 70,000 plus students and families we serve in Berks County.”
The BCIU has been holding daily check-in meetings with superintendents, focusing on developing ways to keep learning and student engagement going during the shutdown.
“Educators across the county are engaged in planning for this new learning environment with the development of district-specific continuity of education plans,” the BCIU statement reads. “As each of our school communities are unique, so will each individual district’s continuity of education plan during this mandated school closure.”
BCIU officials said they recognized the way education is being provided during the shutdown is a major shift, and are working to address some of the more complex issues that a shift creates. That includes access to technology; students’ instructional needs; how to continue providing services for special education students; support English language learners; and addressing the needs of gifted students.
“This is not a one-sizefits-all plan, which is why collaboration and communication across all 18 school districts, the two career and technology centers and the BCIU is vital,” the BCIU statement says. “As we move forward, educators across the county remain committed to engaging and supporting students and families during the mandated school closure, especially recognizing this is a change from the traditional education structure.
“We appreciate and are grateful for the support from the community at large as we navigate this time of uncertainty together.”