Remote learning option explored by Mt. Pleasant school board

MT. PLEASANT - As the Mt. Pleasant Community School District continues to refine its return-to-learn plan, the district will look to determine how many households and families may choose a remote-learning option.

In a work session Monday evening, Superintendent John Henriksen reviewed the proclamation Gov. Kim Reynold's released last Friday, noting in-person instruction is the presumed method and 'anything less that that … districts would need to get a waiver.”

Kathleen Gavin, the district's director of instruction and curriculum, said the Department of Education clarified that an alternating or hybrid routine still would be considered in-person if students are in classrooms at least 50 percent of the time.

Continuing through the proclamation, Henriksen said the district could provide instruction primarily through a remote method if a 'parent or guardian voluntarily selects [it] from among multiple options” and in the instance an outbreak occurs and a school building must be shut down.

Henriksen said there are stipulations to those who can choose remote learning as an option.

Gavin noted the district already is planning to provide remote instruction to students who have been identified as fragile health instances based on doctor recommendations.

'That also includes those who live in households with other fragile caregivers or parents, guardians within that setting. It does have to be documented medically,” Gavin said. Currently the district has identified 10 households and less than 20 students total who would be best served through a remote-learning method.

In light of the district providing remote instruction to those specific students, Henriksen said a district does not have to provide remote learning 'for anyone who wants it.”

'We will be ready to address the need [of students with fragile health], but if we're talking about wholesale online remote learning, that's at a larger scale and it's going to take a bigger ramp up than we had intended, if we're going to do it with high quality,” he said.

Henriksen said only four districts in the state are fully accredited to provide instruction online.

Currently, the Mt. Pleasant has identified one teacher for grades K-5 who will manage online curriculum for younger students on top of in-classroom duties. Older students who have multiple teachers and already have some familiarity with online systems will be assigned a tech adviser who will focus more on keeping the student connected and following up with school work.

Teachers who are handling both their classroom and the online component will be compensated with a stipend

'If we were going to do that at a large scale, it's going to take more teaching resources,” Henriksen said.

Gavin said following up with kids individually online take a lot more time than in a group setting. If the number of students doing remote learning goes up, more teachers will need to assist with the online component.

The district intends to use its registration process to identify students who may be facing fragile health circumstances outside of those already identified.

Henriksen asked if the board decides to entertain the idea of providing the option whether it would want to consider a cap to ensure teaching resources are not stretched too thin.

Board member Willy Amos said asking teachers to manage both a classroom and online students is a big task and was unsure teachers would be able to handle it.

Board President Jenniffer Crull said she felt the district may be surprised by how many parents may choose the remote learning option when asked. Crull added knowing the number ahead of time may give the district more time to prepare adequately in the case that the number is higher than anticipated. Board member Martha Wiley added she felt uncomfortable setting a cap without knowing how many families may be interested in choosing the option.

Henriksen added home schooling numbers through the Home School Assistance Program have gone up. The two instructors, each of whom can serve 40 students without a waiver, are at capacity.

Board member Josh Maher asked whether some of the home-school students would be willing to switch to being full-time remote and are choosing the option to avoid having to be in school buildings.

'Traditionally, I would say no, that's not the reason. Under these circumstances, if we were able to offer a remote program to everybody, that might be a ‘yes.' Traditionally I would say no, it's for other reasons,” Henriksen said.

The superintendent said the district would be contacting families to gauge interest in the remote-learning option.