Coronavirus: WA Teachers Preparing To Teach Students Remotely

SEATTLE, WA — Teachers in Washington have been instructed to find ways to teach their students remotely as schools in the state are closed until April 24 to help slow down the spread of the new coronavirus.

"Although schools are closed and are not providing traditional in-person instruction, education must continue," writes State Superintendent Chris Reykdal.

On Monday, Reykdal and the state Education Department sent out an letter instructing all schools to prepare a plan to teach students remotely, even as campuses remain closed by the coronavirus outbreak. Under the instructions, each school should begin teaching regularly by the start of the next school week. However, how each school will begin reaching out to students and building a remote learning plan is left up to each individual school.

Instead, schools are instructed to follow a set of loose guidelines: to keep the focus on student learning, design equitable lesson plans accessible for all students regardless of disability or economic status, and to monitor how effective the programs are and adjust as necessary.

Reykdal says most Washington school districts have already begun teaching students from home, but he expects every school to begin teaching again by Monday, March 30th. Schools have been closed statewide since Gov. Inslee ordered a full K-12 closure on March 13th. As the Tacoma News Tribune reports, the education department is hopeful schools can reopen sometime in April, but preparing for the possibility that this closure will last the remainder of the school year.

More instruction on how to proceed is expected in the coming week. The superintendent says he and other education leaders will be meeting the next few days and working to develop a better set of standards for teachers during the school closures.