Reply to Achievement gap will worsen with refusal to provide distance learning

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[quote=Anonymous]We need to be patient, HCPS and even Fairfax County in VA is still figuring out the best approach. I checked out the VA forum, it sees suburban school districts are taking a lot of careful thought into the matter and not just throwing something together. Fairfax County sent the following message to their community.

March 19, 2020

Dear Families and Staff,

I hope you and your students are doing well and staying healthy. This is an extraordinary time for our community, state and nation. While we have no way to predict how the days ahead will unfold, we strongly encourage you to follow the guidance we are receiving each day from the health professionals to contain the spread of the virus. We all want to be responsible global citizens – FCPS employees and families alike – and do our part to stop the spread.

We understand the anxiety and challenges that COVID-19 is placing on families. We also know our families are concerned about instruction and learning for our students. Please know our teachers care and want to support their students.

Behind the scenes, we’ve been working hard to plan for the days and weeks ahead as we prepare for the possibility of distance learning. I will be providing you additional details early next week about our distance learning plan and other instructional updates.

If FCPS schools cannot reopen as scheduled on April 14, our plan is to begin distance learning either online, or by learning packets at that time. Over the next two weeks, we will begin distance learning training for teachers and give teachers the opportunity to plan and prepare for distance instruction and reconnect with their students.

We will also be working with individual schools to distribute laptops and MiFi devices by appointment beginning next week to students who do not have access at home. We will also provide for an essential/critical items pickup at individual schools. More details will follow.

We know there are questions about third quarter grading. We are working with our principals to develop a plan for grading and will communicate that information to you as soon as we can.

Virginia schools are closed by order of the Governor's office. The guidance provided by the Virginia Department of Education is that since school divisions cannot ensure equity in access, student instructional assignments should not be required or graded during the closure.

Please continue to take advantage of the continuity of learning resources:

When anyone logs on to FCPS 24-7 they will see a Continuity of Learning module that has links to resources for elementary students as well as resources for middle and high school students. 
Continuity of learning resources are also available at this link along with information about accessing our instructional videos. 
We are continuing our food distribution for our families which is a critical function we can provide at this time. Today, we began bus delivery of meals in some areas. Please continue to check our website daily for food distribution locations.

Listening to your concerns is important to me and so I invite you to join me tomorrow, March 20, for a Facebook Live Chat beginning at 3 p.m. to answer questions regarding FCPS operations during the COVID emergency. https://www.facebook.com/fcpsva

Stay connected to the latest C-19 information through the FCPS website and the Fairfax County website.

Please stay safe and look for my next message early next week.

Sincerely,

Scott Brabrand, Superintendent 
Fairfax County Public Schools

The following update was sent to the HCPSS community by Superintendent Michael Martirano on March 18, 2020:

I’ve had the opportunity to check in at a few of our meal distribution sites, where I have been proud to observe our Food Services staff members hard at work ensuring children continue to have access to nutritious meals while schools are closed. Today on our second day of distribution, 5,304 meals were served at our nine sites. I am grateful that HCPSS is able to provide this service and I’m even more pleased that we have been able to expand our typical meal offerings to include three meals each day. I encourage all families to take advantage of this service.

I’d like to take a moment to underscore the importance of observing public health experts’ guidance about social distancing. This is the most powerful counteragent we have to widespread infection, and its success depends heavily on cooperation among all of us. Please stay vigilant by ensuring you and your children avoid large groups and mass gatherings, and maintaining distance from others whenever possible. I urge you to adhere to social distancing guidelines from the county and state.

As a reminder, all HCPSS athletic practices and games are canceled until schools reopen. While the business of the school system continues remotely, all schools and office buildings are closed, including playgrounds, fields, basketball courts and other outdoor spaces.

As a father and grandfather, as well as an educator, I know firsthand how difficult keeping children occupied for long periods can be, and that challenge is magnified when parents simultaneously need to do their own work while involving children in learning activities. I appreciate your patience and continued support. Our solidarity is our strongest mainstay and will fortify us as we navigate together through these uncertain circumstances.

The following daily update provides additional details for families and staff. Please continue to use www.hcpss.org for up to date information.
HCPSS.me Online Resources

While HCPSS staff work on a comprehensive distance learning plan should schools be closed for an extended period of time beyond the current closure, families are reminded that through https://hcpss.me/, students may access the following approved online tools:

Canvas: HCPSS’ learning management system
MackinVIA: Provides students access to ebooks and databases
HC Library: Provides students access to online resources and content through the Howard County Library System
Clever: Provides students with access to approved online apps, browsable by content area
G Suite: Allows students to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
WeVideo: Allows students to engage in video production
Office 365: Allows students to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as email for secondary students

For those of you in MCPS, all you need to do is have your child log into the MCPS Canvas Portal where their assignments have been posted. The following link are other resources from which you can access from the MCPS parent web page. We all need to remember these are perilous times. We will be fine, be grateful that we do not have randomly thrown together resources a la DCPS (the grass isn’t greener over there, based on me talking with former colleagues).

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/homework.aspx

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) purchases online database subscriptions for student use at all three levels, to be used to support instruction. Additionally, individual schools supplement the centrally purchased databases with resources specific to the needs of the individual schools. To access the school list of resources, go to the school website and click on the “media center” tab. Directions for access will be posted. For the centrally purchased resource list, including login and password information, go to this URL:  https://bit.ly/mcpsresources. You must access the link using a MCPS Google account ( mcpsmd.net).

Here are directions for logging into an MCPS Google Account from home: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14IAjthpNQwf-GwkK5eoWifJqn5coTH7sv9Pb35cnMrc/edit?usp=sharing

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