Advertisement

With school set to start, MFL MarMac provides more Return to Learn details

Error message

  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 133 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to get property 'settings' of non-object in _simpleads_adgroup_settings() (line 343 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 157 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in include() (line 24 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/templates/simpleads_ajax_call.tpl.php).

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

The MFL MarMac School Board met Aug. 10, taking a final opportunity to answer questions about the district’s Return to Learn plan before school starts on Monday, Aug. 24.

MFL MarMac intends to begin the year with on-site learning for all students who are able to attend in-person, while also incorporating a hybrid component. That includes four days per week of on-site instruction on Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday, then continuous learning, where students learn from home, on Wednesdays. This will last through at least the month of September.

Superintendent Dale Crozier said he’s been fielding a lot of questions about what school will be like this year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I try to take it and push it out so we have different people fielding questions about online registration, some about how we’re going to start, what all the different options are,” he explained. “The Return to Learn group did a lot. That set a lot of foundation.”

Elementary principal Kathy Koether said she welcomes phone calls directly from parents. Staff have a lot of questions too, added McGregor Center principal Denise Mueller.

“Teachers keep coming in and I’m the first to say, if I don’t have an answer, I’ll get them an answer or try to figure it out. A lot of times, we problem solve together,” she said.

“It’s really important to hear the teachers’ voices,” stated high school principal Larry Meyer. “It’s going to take people coming together, with their ideas, to make this go well.”

Crozier estimated 25 to 50 students will opt to learn solely from home.

“When you spread them throughout the whole K-12 system, it’s not going to be too bad,” he said.

Those students will receive instruction and collaborate with teachers through one of the district’s learning management systems, a virtual hub containing classroom content and materials, calendar info and educational resources. The district will utilize SEESAW for grades PK-3 and CANVAS for grades 4-12.

The kids learning from home will be harder to manage, Crozier admitted. Teachers will be able to track if they’re logged in to the learning management system, and they’ll see the students during periods of synchronous learning, when they’re interacting together at the same time.

“But there’s got to be some self-motivation for those kids at home,” he said. “We have to do the greatest good for the greatest amount of people.” 

Board member Collin Stubbs wondered if it would be possible to free up teachers by having a separate staff member solely dedicated to online learning.

“The teachers still have to have the contact,” Crozier responded, “but we’re going to try to have support. We think we have too many paraprofessionals hired, and that’s intentional. We’ve also beefed up our technology.”

Lindsey Fisk, one of several teachers who attended the meeting, asked if staff were expected to record lessons and put them online for kids at home. 

“The concern would be safety, not only for ourselves but others. Who knows what they could do with that,” she worried. 

“There’s also the concern that you’re opening yourself up to criticism,” added teacher Jessica Peterson.

For students who attend school in-person, Crozier said one of the biggest topics has been the use of face coverings. While students will be encouraged to wear them throughout the day, face coverings are currently only required on buses, where it’s harder to physically distance. 

“There are going to be some who forget. If you have a kid with bad asthma who can’t wear one, then we also need to think about that,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a learning process, to teach our kids. We know we’re not going to get 100 percent compliance, but we’re going to work toward it.”

Kids or parents who don’t like the requirement can find alternative transportation to school, Crozier noted.

Staff are encouraged, but not required, to wear face coverings, and the school will provide PPE to those who want it.

The district is also working to protect staff and students with increased and more efficient cleaning.

Staff are figuring out what larger—or outside—areas might be available in each building in case classrooms are crowded. Others are rearranging classrooms to better physically distance. 

“At the elementary level, we had a lot of teachers who had tables, and they’re trading them in for desks. That gives more leeway for moving desks around the room,” said Koether. “We’re looking at classrooms that have 22/23 kids, so we’re also looking at some dividers.”

One-way hallways will be implemented in some areas, lunch groups will be smaller and more spread out and bus drop off and pick up is being adapted.

While elementary students will still travel to other rooms for specials like music and art, at the middle school, those teachers will come to individual classrooms.

Developing day-to-day routines is difficult when school hasn’t started yet, Crozier said.

“It’s hard to shovel the walk before it snows,” he quipped. “We’ll do as well as we can to predict as much as we can.”

One of the biggest questions, though, is what happens if a student or teacher tests positive or has been exposed to COVID-19.

“If someone tests positive, then there will be contact tracing. The county department of health does that with us. They’ll tell us who has to go. We don’t have that decision-making authority,” Crozier stated. “Someone could just be quarantined. They might not have COVID-19, but they’re gone for 14 days.”

“If a kid shows symptoms, then they go home,” he added. “There’s a chart. You have to have two mild symptoms or one major symptom.”

If a staff member is quarantined at home, they will each receive 10 days that won’t count against their normal sick time. 

“There are different criteria if you’re home because of your exposure or because of a family member,” said business manager Karla Hanson.

MFL MarMac is not ruling out having quarantined staff  teach virtually from home if they are able.

“Teachers are essential workers, but if you’re quarantined, I think you need to be quarantined the same as everyone else. Teaching from home when you’re mandated to be home is different than teaching from home if you’re wanting to do that,” Crozier said. 

Substitute availability will play a large role in this, he noted. At the meeting, the board approved increasing substitute pay from $100 per day to $120, in order to make MFL MarMac more competitive.

There’s no telling, though, what that pool will be yet. If six teachers are out at one time, for example, Crozier said the district would not be able to find that many subs.

“So hopefully we could have people step up and teach from home during that time period,” he said. “If you had the choice, if you were well, you may want to teach from home. It depends on the person’s technology and how capable they are. We’ll just have to play it by ear.”

Crystal Thurn admitted she and her fellow teachers have “a lot of concerns, a lot of nervousness and a lot of wondering about what’s going to happen when all the kids come back into the classrooms.”

One of the hardest things might be the emotional aspect of teaching during a pandemic.

“Elementary staff, we love to hug our kids and sit on the carpet and read stories,” she remarked, “and now we’re not allowed to do that. It’s going to be tough.”

Crozier said the teachers should give themselves and their students more credit.

“Those kids, even if you can’t hug them, I think you’re still going to be able to have a connection,” he stressed.

Rate this article: 
No votes yet