Berkeley Public Schools: Facilities Closure And Distance Learning Update

Press release from Berkeley Public Schools:

April 2, 2020

Dear Berkeley Unified Community,

I hope you have been able to enjoy some sunshine during this spring break week, and are tolerating this week’s news about the extension of the Shelter-in-Place order. Please continue to look for new ways to take care of your physical, mental and emotional health as we adapt to our shelter-in-place circumstances.

This week, we all learned of a number of new developments. These include:

• The Shelter-in-Place has been extended to May 3rd, and our State and County leaders are stating that school facility closures are very likely to extend further, for the remainder of the school year.

• Yesterday, Governor Newsom said, “It seems self-evident that we should not prepare to bring our children back into the school setting.” Governor Newsom and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond’s statements about the length of facilities closures was further reinforced by Alameda County Office of Education Superintendent Karen Monroe, who stated, “it is now clear that California’s schools will be engaged in distance learning for the remainder of the school year.”

• Just last night, the state issued guidance on grading and graduation which we are currently studying. Next week, we will communicate further with you about grading and high school graduation, as well as other details related to BUSD’s Distance Learning Plan.

• Especially relevant for families with high school juniors and seniors, the University of California, California State University systems, California Community Colleges, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities have issued a joint statement that they will accept “Pass/No Pass” grades in lieu of letter grades for A-G high school courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020. I will be issuing a directive that grades for the remainder of the year will be issued as Pass/No Pass. UC has also shared that SAT testing requirements will be temporarily waived.

BUSD Decision-Making

We will continue to work closely with city and county health officers, as well as the Alameda County Office of Education, to assess whether BUSD will extend the school facilities closure period until the end of the school year. A number of California districts and counties have now announced that they will extend school facility closure for the remainder of the school year. BUSD has not yet made a formal decision to extend the school facilities closure period; I plan to bring a formal recommendation as to whether to close our school facilities for the remainder of the year to the Board of Education at the regularly scheduled meeting on April 15th.

I remain hopeful that our efforts to “flatten the curve” may yield the possibility of bringing students back to the classroom before the end of the year. However, in the meantime, we should all heed the Governor’s words and plan as though we may not return to the use of our school buildings this year. We will begin making plans for the probability that many of our beloved end of year traditions, including graduation ceremonies, will have to be altered substantially. We are also studying options for summer learning, in the event that the district’s usual selection of summer offerings cannot be provided on our campuses.

Distance Learning

As you know, BUSD begins our Distance Learning program to support students learning from home beginning on April 6. Our teachers and teacher leaders are working hard while redesigning curriculum and adjusting to an entirely new way to run a classroom, all while confronting their own personal challenges with the coronavirus pandemic. We expect there will be some unevenness as distance learning rolls out over the coming weeks. Your patience and understanding as we work through any bumps along the way is appreciated.

We will be checking in with students, families and staff along the way to learn and improve our distance learning practices as we go. On Thursday, April 9 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, we will hold an online Town Hall via Zoom to provide further updates on school district operations, including distance learning and support for families, and we will have district leadership available to answer questions. Please join us at: https://zoom.us/j/440709412

Meanwhile, I thought it might be helpful to provide this additional information about what you can expect next week.

• Chromebook distribution will continue, with distribution open to elementary school students who are most in need on Monday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 7, as well as to additional high school students on April 6.
• You can still take advantage of offers for free or reduced price Internet connections
• Meal distribution will resume with breakfast and lunch packaged to-go from 11:00 am-1:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

First Week Expectations

Our educators may approach the first week of Distance Learning as they do the first week of the school year. Before any instruction occurs, many will want to set expectations about behavior, explain how class tools and technology will work, establish a schedule for learning, and provide a safe space for students to talk about what they are thinking and feeling relative to the events of the last few weeks.

Preliminary Distance Learning Lessons Might Cover:

• Caring for a Chromebook
• Introduction to online learning tools
• Passwords, logging out, student privacy, and sharing information
• Digital citizenship and preventing online bullying
• Using only appropriate sites and conducting appropriate searches
• Keeping screen time balanced with family time and other activities
• Etiquette, norms and safety for online classroom discussions.

I want to thank the educators, Technology Department and Educational Services Department for their collaboration on developing BUSD’s Distance Learning Plan, as well as all BUSD staff who will in some way embark on this journey to support our students and families in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Brent Stephens, Ed. D.
Superintendent

This press release was produced by Berkeley Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.