What Stanislaus educators are doing to prepare as prolonged school closures near
As schools across Stanislaus County prepare for a coronavirus-driven closure later this week that for some districts is set to last through the first three weeks of April, educators are learning right alongside children.
The superintendents of the public school districts had on Monday morning what County Office of Education spokeswoman Cynthia Fenech said was in large part an information-gathering session.
Understanding that parents are anxious to have information on whether the school year will have to be extended, if and how students will be able to take Advanced Placement exams and what forms “distance learning” will take, she said all that is being worked on and districts are aiming to give clarification as quickly as possible.
On its web page answering frequently asked questions about the coronavirus COVID-19, Turlock Unified School District says of the school year’s end, “There currently is no plan to change the last day of school, which is May 29.”
The county is waiting for direction from the state Department of Education regarding school-year extension, she added, and from the College Board regarding AP exams.
As for learning at home, she said “different districts are talking about different scenarios,” and the county office is seeking legal guidance to make sure what’s provided to children is “equal across the board.”
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Modesto City Schools spokeswoman Becky Fortuna told The Bee in an email Monday afternoon that her district is working on plans to address distance learning. “Our 7-12 students have devices and some content can be delivered that way, but our TK-6 students may not have access to a device and we are looking into providing printed materials.”
The district also is working to provide meals for students during the closures, including spring break, she said, and to provide mental health services, possibly a counseling hot line.
Turlock Unified spokeswoman Marie Russell also said in an email, “Our focus continues to be on meeting the needs of all students so they are safe, fed, and engaged in optional learning opportunities. Additionally, we are working to align to the guidelines set forth by our state’s public health officials and Gov. Newsom.”
Though schools are open through Wednesday, districts have told families that if keeping children home immediately is what works best for them, absences will be excused. Fortuna said attendance Monday in her district is about 50 percent. Russell said Turlock Unified’s student attendance was “down significantly” Monday, as anticipated.
Plans at Shackelford
At Shackelford Elementary off Crows Landing Road, Principal Sue McHann greeted arriving families before school Monday, letting a lot of them know of the closure, which was announced Sunday and starts Thursday.
She and her staff are working to inform parents about everything from instructional support to where prepackaged breakfasts and lunches will be available for pickup.
“Today’s going to be about planning,” she said. Staff at school sites are eager to work with Modesto City Schools district officials to learn, for one example, what instructional coaches are working on to help teachers, McHann said.
As students begin remote studies, the principal said she anticipates that a great amount of the work will be review. Ideally, new material should be taught in the classroom before kids are expected to work on it at home.
“I’m trying to be positive,” she said. “How great would it be to do something like (teaching via) Facebook Live, but then again, that’s for families that have Internet.
“I have the kind of teachers that would give lessons from kindergarten all the way through sixth grade, even ECE, early childhood education. They would give a lesson online, but it would only be deployed out to the people who have those services. And that really saddens me, but it is what it is.”
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No matter what shapes remote learning takes, the biggest thing educators want, McHann said, is for families to be “dialed in” on their children’s schedules. Make sure they get up just as they would a regular school day. “Get them dressed, get them breakfast here or wherever it’s going to be.” And keep a regular home-school schedule: “This is when they read, this is when they write, this is when they do math, this is when they do social studies, science,” she said.
Parents interviewed at Shackelford and at Marshall Elementary, off Paradise Road, have met the impending school closures and home study with various levels of concern.
After dropping off his Marshall kindergartner and first-grader, Jaime Vargas said he and his wife expected the closure to be coming sooner or later. They’re fortunate that she’s a stay-at-home mom caring for their 6-month-old son, so they won’t incur any child-care costs, he said. And he works graveyard shift, so can help with the kids, too.
He agreed with what McHann said about the importance of setting a schedule for the schoolkids. “They’ll be more distracted with all their toys at home,” he said. “Even when I do my community college courses online, I have to separate from the kids to stay focused.”
Vargas said he’s anxious to see what types of Internet instruction the school district will offer. He and his wife have explored online learning tools like ABCmouse, he said, but those aren’t free.
At Shackelford, the mother of a third-grader and fifth-grader said it’s going to be “really, really hard” to have them out of school. Caring for a daughter with Down syndrome is the equivalent of a full-time job, said the mother, who did not want to give her name.
Some think closure unnecessary
Having the other children at home will mean taking them with her on errands or finding a baby-sitter, she said, because she has few family members in the area and can’t depend on them for child care. She also said she doesn’t think the school closure is necessary. “I think some people blowing it way out of proportion.”
Another Shackelford mom, who has children in kindergarten and the Head Start preschool program, also said she believes the closure isn’t warranted. She’s at home anyway, so caring for the kids and working with them on their studies is not a problem, Moneek Gilpatrick said, but she’s not confident the remote learning will be nearly as effective as classroom time. She anticipates children will fall behind, resulting in a “big ol’ mess.”
On the reaction to COVID-19 in general, Gilpatrick said, “People are overpanicking and it’s causing so much bull crap that it’s affecting other people,” she said. “They’re not able to provide for their families because everybody already is freaking out and taking everything (from stores). You’re not panicking because of the virus but because of those who have cleared the shelves.”
A Marshall parent, who asked to have only her first name, Maria, used, said the districts are “just following the rules” in closing schools. But the mom, who works for a hospital, said many people are overreacting to the pandemic. She reminds her second-grader of the importance of regularly washing his hands, using sanitizer when there’s no soap and water available, and not touching his face.
Maria said she works from home so has no child-care concerns and isn’t worried about her son staying on top of his schoolwork. “I’m sure he’s going to miss coming to school,” she added, “but it is what it is.”
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
