An email went home to Unit 4 parents yesterday from Superintendent Susan Zola that outlined three possibilities for returning to instruction in the fall. All will depend on state and public health guidance. From the letter:
Our planning teams are now busy working to identify several possible scenarios for how school could reopen in Fall 2020. These scenarios will involve three plans or options that would accommodate a range of parent, student and staff needs.
Option 1 would include a full return to school and student activities. This option will involve several practical considerations based on guidance we will eventually receive from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Governor’s Office. Although we would return fully to school and activities, they would not look the same as in years past.
Option 2 would include a combination of returning students to school and re-starting student activities but also have a continued remote learning portion. This option also involves several practical considerations but would work to balance an opportunity for some in person instruction while we continue providing remote learning instruction outside the school building.
Option 3 would include beginning the year with all students working from a remote learning model. This option would continue the learning that was done during the Spring of this year but with additional learning platforms and increased outreach for parents and teachers to ensure learning standards were achieved.
In order to develop these options fully, the District created several task force groups which included administrators, teachers and staff. Given the limitation on public gatherings these groups have been meeting remotely. The task force groups include:
PreK-8th grade Instructional Teams
High School Instructional Teams
Health/Wellness and Safety Teams
Transportation and Food Service Teams
Financial Oversight and Funding Teams
Employee/Staff TeamsThese teams are meeting over the next few weeks and we will be presenting a unified plan in mid-July. As with everything these days, the plans are subject to further guidance from IDPH, ISBE, and the Governor’s Office. The Reopening Plan will focus on educational, social-emotional and safety of students and staff, with a special emphasis on our most vulnerable students and families.
Photo from Unit 4 website.