SMMUSD Asking Parents: If We Reopen Classrooms in December, Are You Going To Send Your Kids?
Written by 991KBU on September 11, 2020
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is again asking parents what they want for their kids possibly returning to school.
This would be after safety protocols are drawn up and installed … and then approved by LA County.
That would be in December at the earliest.
Superintendent Ben Drati tells parents he understands some parents will refuse to send their kids to school this fall … and will want to continue with an online learning approach.
Other parents want their kids back in school … with their friends … and with in-person instruction from teachers.
The district and parents are stuck …
The schools need a head count for a very clear estimate as to how many students will return to in-person learning.
But parents cannot possibly make such a decision … until they learn more about just what exactly will be happening in the classrooms.
Once again …. SMMUSD is surveying parents.
They are seeking parental preference between a hybrid model … combining in-person and off-campus learning.
Or .. continued distance learning.
That would be for elementary school kids.
Middle school and up … a virtual learning academy.
This would be unlike the current distance learning model.
The middle and high schools would do they best to match a live instructor with the needs of students…
synchronous learning … when possible.
But it would feature asynchronous learning, which is very independent in nature.
More explanations are in the emails sent to parents.
The survey is asking about expected preferences.
It is not a final placement, but will be used for district planning purposes.
And there is no planned date for kids back in school.
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The California Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to overturn Gov. Gavin Newsom’s directives limiting in-classroom instruction to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Two agencies … including the Orange County Board of Education … are citing political reasons for reopening schools.
The court rejected those pleas … without comment.
In Malibu … and all of Los Angeles County … no campus will be allowed to reopen to all K-12 students until at least November.
That includes public … church and private schools.
Schools may begin to offer small in-person classes for children with special needs … like learning English or special eduction.
But the student attendance count cannot be more than 10% of capacity at one time.
