Improvements in the Remote Learning Experience
Our shift to remote learning last spring has provided us with much insight and we will have a robust remote learning experience for all our students this fall. As described in the Restart Plan, we have now had time, through the summer months, to prepare technology, customize curriculum, unify resources, and create professional development for staff to deliver academic content in ways that meet the needs of all of our students.
Starting this fall, the following expectations will be put into place across our schools whether we are serving students in-person or remotely:
Common Learning Management Systems (LMS) will be used across our school district.
Seesaw (PreK-2)
Google Classroom (3-12)
Schoology (6-12)
Students will experience synchronous learning each day at an established time on a schedule to accommodate the courses they will need to complete.
Each week, students will interact with their teachers in a face-to-face (Zoom or Google) environment.
District assessments will be delivered remotely.
Teachers will have student data to plan for remediation and extension.
School-based staff will serve as community outreach liaisons to engage students and families to ensure success in remote learning.
Teachers will develop and enhance tools for remote learning and in-person learning during the additional days for training (8/14 - 8/21) before the start of school.
Technology
Jeffco Public Schools is committed to working with our schools and various departments, community partners, businesses, and others to ensure students have devices and access to home internet for remote learning or hybrid learning. The following processes will support students and families to ensure access:
Assess the condition of your student’s device. If it was damaged over the summer, please call 303-982-3438 to arrange to drop it off to be repaired before the start of school. Call the same number if you are missing a part, like a charger. If you had multiple students sharing a device in the spring, let your school know.
Families of incoming 5th and 9th graders, look for communications regarding your devices. All 5th and 9th grade students will receive a new device at the beginning of the school year as part of the
TechForEd program. Their old devices will be collected, cleaned, and likely reused in lower grade levels unless the purchase agreements for those devices stated the family owned them at the end of their educational use.
Make plans for home internet access. If you do not currently have internet access at your home, check to see if you are eligible and apply for the
Comcast Internet Essentials program. Additional
low cost internet options are listed on the
district website as well. If you are unable to obtain internet service, please let your school know so we can work with you to find a solution for your student.
Reach out to get support when you need it. Bookmark our
device support page on the Jeffco website and remember to call 303-982-3438 during the school year if your student needs technical support for remote learning.
What about athletics and activities?
For Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) sanctioned athletics and activities, we will follow the guidance and directives being provided to the rest of the state. For non-CHSAA activities, those will move forward in the district using the same virus mitigation strategies and protocols described for in-school operations.
Next Steps: What do families need to do to prepare?
The best way to prepare for the week of August 24 is to stay informed - read emails from the District and your student’s school, and regularly stop by
RestartJeffco, our one-stop shop for information, news, and FAQs. We know you have many questions and will be looking for information. We will update you via our Community Update email newsletter, on our
main and
RestartJeffco websites, and on our social media channels -
Facebook,
Twitter, and
Instagram.
Families will hear from their student’s school by July 31 with additional start-of-school details specific to their school. We will be updating the preference survey to reflect these changes and will send additional information about making your choice between in-person or remote learning next week. Please check your inbox and check your school’s website.
In closing…
These changes in the Restart Plan reflect an honest effort to hear the concerns of our public and staff members, to adapt to changing conditions, and to adopt and use the latest and best scientifically informed public health guidance.
With that said, there are no perfect options before us. There are also no options that we expect everyone to agree with completely. What we have put forth here represents a balanced solution that puts the educational experiences of Jeffco’s children first, honors the wishes of families, and responds to the concerns of staff members.
For this to work, we need everyone in Jeffco to get on board with helping to execute this plan - you have a role to play. It is not in our students’ or families’ best interests to proceed indefinitely with a remote only option and no real plan to emerge from that. It is also not acceptable to implement any in-person experiences without taking every precaution to protect our students and staff members from the harm this virus may bring.
If I have learned anything in my time in Jeffco, it is that the work in this community is in finding the balance between very different (and often polarized) interests. This revision to the Restart Plan finds that balance.
It is also important to note that none of these changes are permanent. We need solutions to get us to some point in the future when a vaccine is available to protect all of us from COVID-19. We need a plan to bridge us to that (hopefully near) point in the future.
I wish our circumstances and options were different, but they are not. For the sake of Jeffco’s children, now is the time to work together to implement this effort with quality and fidelity.
Sincerely,
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D., Superintendent & Chief Learner
Members of the District Cabinet and the COVID-19 Incident Response Team