One way or another, classes will start for the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows School District on August 24. This is according to new superintendent Joe Nelson and all three school principals. They readily acknowledge though that due to the evolving COVID-19 situation in the county and state, they are not sure exactly what school and classes will look like on that date.
The last several weeks, the date July 1 loomed large for schools in Iowa. By this date, all schools are required to submit a “Return-to-Learn” plan to the Iowa Department of Education. In part, these plans are meant to: “Ensure that remote learning options are available for all students; Plan to help students catch-up for the learning they may have missed during school closures; Integrate public health strategies into Iowa’s schools; Enable schools to move between on-site and remote learning as needed.”
However, the district’s administrators emphasize that by July 1, they do not expect to have an absolute plan that will be followed to the letter a month and a half down the road. They won’t yet be able to say if masks are required or how many desks will be in a classroom. Middle School Principal Steve Haberman notes, “Things are just too fluid right now. We know that any plans will need to be revised as situations develop.” And like every other Iowa school district, they are also waiting on additional guidance from the Dept. of Ed. about how to proceed based on the needs in the district.
When school does reconvene, the Dept. of Ed. has stated that there are three education models that schools may utilize. These include 1) Required Continuous Learning, which a department document states, “can be used in an emergency, such as the resurgence of COVID-19, or under another circumstance in which it is not possible for students to be in the building receiving instruction.” 2) A Hybrid Model: “This means services are offered both remotely and at physical school locations.” And 3) On-site Delivery, which can be used “as long as it is deemed safe by public health officials and the school has actively planned for appropriate health and safety measures.”
To understand what the district needs to do in order to proceed affectively with any of these models, the administrators have formed a COVID Response Team. This team is made up of 24 staff members including teachers, nurses, office staff and other district employees that are working through the components of the Return-to-Learn Plan.
The principals explained that the team is focusing especially on a few key areas. These include: academic gaps that may exist from the previous school year, social and emotional health, health and safety, and equity to ensure all students are served.
To determine where their students stand in these areas, the team has sought the feedback from parents. Earlier this week, they sent out a survey, which they noted seeks “to check in with families and gauge their comfort level in returning to school in the fall.” Questions include inquiries such as “When your child returns to school, what concerns do you have?” and “What is the single most important action we can take to make you feel safe about your child(ren) being at school?”
Above all, the district wants parents to feel safe and comfortable about sending their kids to school. High School Principal Paul Hansch said, “We really want to know what’s it going to take for students and parents to feel comfortable to come back.” The Response Team added they will use the survey data to help guide the continued planning up to and after July 1.
At the end of the day, all CGD staff hope they can return to their buildings this fall and back to a normal routine. Haberman stated, “As much as parents want to get back to normal, teachers want it even more.” Elementary Principal Tricia Rosendahl added, “We know that students learn best when they are in a classroom with a teacher, but we need to be prepared for all possibilities.”
Superintendent Nelson agrees with that notion. “Whatever happens, school IS going to look different in August.” He goes on, “Because of that, we owe it to parents and guardians to present a plan by the first week of August what things will probably look like.”
The administrators reiterate that to help them prepare that plan, they hope parents will complete the survey that has been sent out. Rosendahl, “We want your voices to be heard, so please help us with this.”
Look for continued updates about C-G-D’s education plans in the Monitor throughout the upcoming weeks.
