The Examiner U-46 News Feed

U-46 in-person learning to replace hybrid model

By Seth Hancock
  School District U-46 students in the hybrid model will see full-day, in-person learning starting on Wednesday, April 7.
  The plan was discussed at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 15, and Superintendent Tony Sanders released a message the following day.
  The plan eliminates A and B groupings for both in-person and distance-learning students.
  “Our goal will be to provide the same instructional time whether a student is fully in Distance Learning or in person as part of this post-spring break schedule,” Sanders wrote.
  State guidelines have lowered the social-distancing standards from six to three feet, but the six-foot guidelines remain for eating and quarantining rules remain.
  Elementary students will attend full-day on Tuesday through Friday (8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) but will be half-day (8 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) on Mondays with teacher planning in the afternoon.
  Secondary students will attend full-day Monday through Friday (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. middle school, 7:40 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. high school).
  There will be a couple of calendar changes including Monday, March 22 moving to a non-student attendance day and Friday, April 23 becoming a student attendance day.
  Sanders stated around 53 percent of families chose the distance learning model. Distance learning cannot change to in-person, but in-person students can switch to distance.
  Students will continue being required to be masked and contact tracing will continue. COVID-19 testing will be implemented on a voluntary basis.
  Board member Melissa Owens said she has concerns with equity between in-person and remote students. Suzanne Johnson, deputy superintendent of instruction, said “we’ll identify that we don’t have a perfect model this year” but supply pickups and drop-offs will remain for remote students.
  Sanders said, regarding the vaccine, “anyone who wanted it got it” for staff when asked by board member Veronica Noland. Sanders supported the experimental shot imploring people to “get your vaccine.”
  There has been legitimate skepticism across the country about the vaccine from its rapid development to no animal safety testing being done. The vaccines are also the first mRNA vaccines, which genetically manipulates those who are vaccinated, ever approved by the federal government.  
  Lunches will be served outside or in various rooms. Board member Kate Thommes said she has “a lot of concerns on lunch” and it’s “really risky in Chicagoland in April” to eat outside.
  Board member Eva Porter asked data be compiled for the “ethnic makeup” of remote and in-person students.
  Sue Kerr, the board’s president, commended the plan: “I think we would really cheat our students if we didn’t go ahead and offer this to them.”