Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Students, parents, teachers and community members attend the Hurley School Board meeting on Monday, where they watched the board members discuss and approve a school start up plan for Sept. 1 that will include in-school classes along with a virtual learning option from home.
By TOM LAVENTURE
Hurley - Students of the Hurley Public School District will start the fall semester in the classroom, with virtual attendance available as an option, following a unanimous decision of the school board on Monday.
The school reopening committee plan is able to shift study from in-class to virtual as needed throughout the school year based on area COVID-19 cases and at the school in particular. The plan allows for in-classroom learning to start the fall semester, but with mixed results from parent and staff surveys, the virtual learning option is also available.
"We all think that in-classroom learning is the best thing for the students at Hurley," said Leslie Kolesar, school board president. "We believe at this time that we can do this safely by following health department guidelines. We have a reopening plan that addresses a lot of different contingencies in case something different happens with the virus."
The American Academy of Pediatricians said there is a risk of a "lost generation" of elementary school age children forming from the isolation and lack of socialization with other children, she said. The plan had considered opening just the elementary school but safety improvements over summer make it possible to open the entire school.
There were touchless water faucets installed in addition to food safety equipment. Air handling units have new filters and the system prevents air in one classroom from being vented into another.
The students will spend the first weeks being conditioned to the new safety protocols for distancing, masking in common areas and in other areas that minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19.
The in-school opening is the recommendation of a reopening committee of staff, parents and community members, who were in close consultation with the Iron County Health Department and the state Department of Public Instruction. The recommendation was a local one for lack of specific guidance or requirements at state level health or education departments, said Kevin Genisot, district administrator.
"It was a tough decision," Genisot said. "I feel that no matter what decision the board took there was going to be a lot of people who weren't pleased with the results because it was so divided."
The reopening survey was sent to 685 parents and 365 of them completed it, he said. The board decision is meant to help the most kids possible and the school district will work with families that do not like the options with creating a learning plan that works for them, he said.
"That's the best that we can do," Genisot said.
The specific details of how the school will operate under the reopening plan will be made available to parents and the public on Wednesday, he said. Now is the time for parents to help children understand this situation is going to be around for years and that plans like this are designed to protect them while allowing them to go forward with life.
"I think that is where a lot of people are," Genisot said. "We need to get back to some normalcy, if you will, and this is the first step."
There is optimism that school will continue without interruption but is prepared for any eventuality, he said. There are no guarantees with any decision and people will always second-guess, he said, but the action is based on the best information available in a constantly changing situation.
Students who attend school virtually will use a district-provided laptop, iPad or personal device to actively participate in the daily lesson and receive instructional materials. Virtual learning allows for immediate access to the teacher. Students may submit course work, receive assignment materials and instructor feedback using a digital platform.
There are any number of circumstances that would influence a parental decision to send a child to a school classroom or to keep them learning online from home, Kolesar said. There may be health or learning factors or they may just be uncomfortable with the situation at the school.
Both parents might be essential workers and need to support their families, she said. The parents may not have the wherewithal to monitor and assist their children with learning in the evening.
"If you are a single parent, that is a lot harder than if you have a spouse who is active in the child's care," Kolesar said. "The other part is that some kids are very good at staying at home and are very responsible. With other children it can be a challenge. So some of it has to do with the individuality of the kids too."
Amy Randall attended the school board meeting to express concern on behalf of parents with children who have learning disabilities. Many children with a disability carry one or more other learning disabilities, which creates concerns for both in-school and at home.
There is a lot of anxiety for children with disabilities who engage in virtual learning, she said. It requires even more support from parents who also have to work.
The in-school environment also presents concerns for children with learning disabilities or behavioral issues who require very specific routines, she said. There will be difficulty adjusting to face masks and exercising social distancing, she said.
"This is a problem that I perceive as a health risk," Randall said.
Children with disabilities sometimes require different accommodations and an individual education plan, Genisot said. The planning teams will work with parents to see what can be done to better support a student in making their education goals become a reality.
There were four teachers present who expressed their concerns that, despite constant communication from the school administration, there hasn't been a real opportunity for faculty input. Some felt that teaching both in class and online learning places an excessive burden on staff and suggested a third-party online learning platform or additional compensation to teachers.
"That is a fair question," Kolesar said.
If the teachers are overwhelmed, the school could consider hiring additional aides or to compensate teachers for additional work, she said.
The reopening leaves a lot of room for change as the year progresses, she said. The number of students attending virtually will determine changes to curriculum as much as the number of infected persons could determine the in-classroom option.
Those are "cart before the horse" questions that are difficult to answer yet, Genisot said. There are many solutions and, in some of the larger school districts, there are teachers assigned specifically to lead virtual learning for each grade.
In other business, the school board approved the professional staff handbook revisions and updates for 2020-2021, including a $3,000 salary increase adjustment for staff earning a master's degree or National Board certification. The board also 3-2 approved the school district's fall sports programming for middle school and high school.
