Glenbrook Dist. 225 will start school year with e-learning

The Glenbrook District 225 school board this week unanimously approved a plan for the 2020-21 school year: It's a four-step progression that has students starting Aug. 19 with e-learning and, eventually, making a full return to classrooms.

The plan was developed using information from parent focus groups and district surveys, as well as feedback from students, teachers and staff members, and by researching what other suburban high schools are doing. But, above all, the major consideration was safety.

"This has been a massive effort by our community to get our kids back to school and keep them safe and healthy," school board President Bruce Doughty said. "But we have a lot of work ahead."

Glenbrook students pivoted to e-learning when the coronavirus pandemic first hit in March. Many of the parents who called and left messages to be played during the public comment portion of the meeting were concerned about starting this school year with e-learning because they were unhappy with how things went in the spring, when state mandates somewhat limited what the district could offer in terms of e-learning, according to the district's presentation.

So the e-learning curriculum is something the district has been working hard on this summer, said Dr. Rosanne Williamson, assistant superintendent for education services.

"This is not the e-learning experience that took place last spring," she said.

Students will follow a structured schedule and be required to participate along with other students - and have their cameras on - as part of every class as new content is introduced by teachers. Further help will be available for students who need it. Teachers will take attendance and enforce due dates; grades will count. There also will be a social-emotional learning unit that will be part of PE and health classes to address topics such as resilience, coping with anxiety and stress, how to find support and more.

Athletics and other extracurricular activities will be available on-campus and through virtual participation with guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, Cook County Department of Public Health and the Illinois High School Association, when applicable.

Moving through the district's plan to steps 2 through 4, or even backtracking, if necessary, will be determined by an advisory committee comprising administrators, board members, teachers and support staff members, parents, and a medical professional. Superintendent Dr. Charles Johns will make announcements about the district's progress at regular intervals, and any changes will begin a week after the announcement.

According to the district, the remaining steps are:

Step 2: E- learning with a gradual return to classrooms

Step 3: AM/PM hybrid; 50% e-learning, 50% on-campus classes. Groups will be arranged alphabetically.

Step 4: All students attend in-person classes daily

"All of this is contingent on us working together to keep each other safe," Johns said.

Messages played during the public comment portion of the meeting didn't just talk about e-learning; there were parents who really wanted to get their students back to school right away.

However, while administrators and school board members agreed that would be great, it would be difficult to accomplish safely for several reasons, such as how to ensure adequate distancing with such a large student population, Johns said, as well as making sure there is adequate time to clean, and enough personal protection equipment.

School board member Joel Taub agreed, adding there's also just the unknown.

"I'm very fearful of opening up the schools any faster than proposed," Taub said. "Nobody knows what the implications are of sending these kids back to school. There's too much uncertainty."

In addition to social distancing, the district also needs to make sure it will have enough teachers in case anyone is ill. Usually, the district would just call a substitute teacher. That's not necessarily an easy option now.

"There has been a shortage of subs for several years now in Illinois," Johns said, adding that some of the subs the district uses regularly are retired teachers and may be more at-risk for COVID-19.

Other concerns raised during the public comment messages and also by school board members included whether teachers would work from their homes or could work from their classrooms (they'll be encouraged to work from their classrooms as much as their health allows) and how cases would be reported to the district (families should tell the school nurses if someone tests positive; the district's nurses will be tracking cases and already have a great relationship with the Cook County Department of Public Health).

Certainly, this isn't a plan that will please everyone, Doughty said. "But we want to be sensitive to health concerns, too. There's a balance."

School board member Dr. Marcelo Sztainberg, an educator himself, said that, whether or not parents actually like the plan, the district has great teachers and everyone should give them a chance. Teachers go to school because they want to be in a classroom, teaching students, not working remotely, he added.

"I fully trust our teachers to do a better job this fall, and I ask our parents to give them the benefit of the doubt," Sztainberg said. "Give them a few weeks and see how this goes. They really have the students' best interests at heart."

For information about the district's back-to-school plan and answers to frequently asked questions, visit glenbrook225.org. To ask a question or share a comment, email learningplan@glenbrook225.org.