On June 25 the San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees met via Zoom for over four hours to discuss the Return to School Committee’s newest proposal, amongst other agenda items. Teachers and parents discussed the degree of which students and staff would be on campus during the fall during nearly 90 minutes of public comment. The board’s final direction ended in a general consensus, not a formal vote, to move forward with the proposed seven period instructional schedule, beginning the year in phase two. This plan will be implemented only if allowed for by health conditions. The board also agreed on direction for a robust orientation schedule for August, the establishment of locations on campuses where students can do schoolwork safely and the continued supply of breakfasts and lunches to eligible students.
“We didn’t actually take a formal vote, we just all kind of reached the same consensus and gave direction to the superintendent,” said Trustee Peter Hanley the morning after the board meeting. “Reaching a consensus of five board members on an extremely difficult issue, like this one, is actually a very good outcome, because this is a very tough issue, and there’s no obvious precedent for what we’re dealing with.”
The established learning plan operates on a phase system, allowing the district to accelerate or decelerate the reopening process according to county health orders and the safety of students. The five phases attempt to serve the most vulnerable students, giving them priority to in-person education. Phases can be accelerated by board decision every six weeks after an evaluation regarding the phase level, though Trustee Linda Lees Dwyer suggested evaluating phase progression every three weeks. The phases span from total distance learning in phase one to all students on campus in phase five, allowing for varying amounts of students on campus in phases two through four.
“A local educational agency shall offer in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible”
As detailed on the district FAQ page, a synchronous learning schedule means all students are learning the same material at the same time, though not necessarily in the same location, including: live lectures, scheduled assignments, group discussions and office hours. Asynchronous learning will have students learning the same material remotely, without an enforced schedule, as was implemented in the last months of the past school year. Asynchronous learning could look like independent reading and study, discussion boards through Canvas and pre-recorded video lectures, such as Screencastifies.
Without the time to plan for an effective learning system during school closures in the spring of 2020, the SMUHSD discouraged synchronous teaching because more than 30% of students faced obstacles in accessing curriculum due to the pandemic and shelter in place orders.
“In our emergency shift in the spring, we didn’t have all the tools, all the trainings, for teachers to do a high quality, synchronous online learning,” said SMUHSD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Julia Kempkey during the board meeting. “We’ve done a lot of work this last spring to identify additional tools as well as provide teachers with training and time with their [professional learning communities] to develop some ways that they can support student learning in whatever format it may be.”
As many community members brought up during public comment, California Assembly Bill 77, an active bill in floor process, disallows the proposed phase one, meaning that starting the year with a fully distanced learning model may not be feasible
“A local educational agency shall offer in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible,” the bill states. “Distance learning may be offered … on a local educational agency or schoolwide level as a result of an order or guidance from a state public health officer or a local public health officer [or] for pupils who are medically fragile or would be put at risk by in-person instruction, or who are self-quarantining because of exposure to COVID-19.”
“The teachers of this district have come to believe starting the year with a robust synchronous distance learning model is the most responsible choice for both safety and the quality of instruction.”
Throughout the meeting, many teachers voiced support for starting the year with 100% distance learning, reasoning that the summer would give teachers time to prepare they didn’t have when thrown into distance learning in the spring. If the district was pushed back into 100% distance learning by a county shelter in place order or by state regulations, this extra preparation would ease the burden of transitioning for teachers and students.
“We cannot say with any certainty where we will be in terms of community health conditions in August or November,” said SMUHSD Teachers Association President Craig Childress during the board meeting. “Through careful study of options, parameters, knowns [and] unknowns, the teachers of this district have come to believe starting the year with a robust synchronous distance learning model is the most responsible choice for both safety and the quality of instruction.”
However, others were more supportive of opening campuses to offer greater support to students who will have a lesser quality of learning online. For example, students in English Literary Development may have more difficulty comprehending language through Zoom, and visual and performing arts students may have a harder time engaging in class without the space and supplies being on campus provides.
“Both my husband and I are essential workers who are both in healthcare and first responders. We’ve been working throughout the pandemic, and we do know that it is safe to work with the proper protective gear,” said district parent Annette Doherty during the meeting. “We feel that the risk for COVID-19 for our students and our staff is low, and that is also based on the scientific research, Tony Fauci and San Mateo County. ”
“We need to get teachers interacting more with students, and we need to start marching down the trail towards getting students back into classrooms.”
As expressed last school year, many parents and students are wary of maintaining focus and commitment to academics during a fully remote model, along with concerns for student mental health.
“I think [100% distance learning] is insufficient. … The distance learning program at the start is going to be a strong component of the academic program, … but we need to start getting kids back on campuses,” Hanley said. “We need to get teachers interacting more with students, and we need to start marching down the trail towards getting students back into classrooms.”
With some portions of the proposal needing development, many are left wondering how the fall semester will operate. With only 49 days until district schools are set to start, questions regarding athletics, extracurriculars and elective courses have yet to be answered. A special board meeting will meet on July 14 to review a more developed proposal.
Additional reporting by Penelope King, Elizabeth van Blommestein, Isabella Krzesniak and Sophia Qin.
