Transcription from Principal Quinn’s First Zoom Coffee on 4-6-2020
Welcome and thank you to everyone who was able to join!
Thank you to the community for giving us the space to stay connected and figure out how to provide instruction. These are unprecedented times!
Communication Reminder:
Konstella is a parent communication board, this is not the best way to communicate with Principal Quinn. If you need to reach out to her, please email her at rachel.quinn@ousd.org
Questions and Answers:
Will the meeting be recorded?
The meeting will be recorded; however, it will not be distributed until I understand the ramifications of sharing.
What are the principles of design of distance learning and what are the priorities Glenview will hold?
● Connection with our families and students. We are working on access for all families.
● We will follow the District guidelines with suggested times that kids should be doing
distance learning. See Memo of Understanding, the agreement between the district and the teachers union.
What you as parents can expect:
● Daily interaction/communication with teachers and some assignments that are intended to review or enhance skills already learned.
● If there is new learning, there will be instruction and resources for that learning
● There will not be grades but there will be feedback
● Teachers will seek opportunities to see how the kids are learning and how they are
doing
● Need to start with students who have higher needs – students with IEPs and other
needs. We need to make sure they are supported and have equal access to curriculum
What is happening with construction and the plans to move and start the next school year at the new building?
Construction is on track. We will move over the summer. We need to figure out how to pack our things, but we will be on La Cresta for next school year.
Construction did not stop, and there are no delays reported. We will post construction updates on Konstella.
How can we celebrate our 5th graders?
We are working with the 5th grade team on what we can do to hold on to the spirit of 5th grade and honor their transition. When the shelter in place is over, we will hold a promotion ceremony. It is possible that we will do this close to the start of the new school year. We might do a virtual one as well. Stay tuned, and send me an email if you have ideas.
What do I do if my child needs a chromebook?
Please email, text, or call your child’s teacher.
Is there a recognition that the curriculum next year will have to be adjusted?
We have a deep understanding that there will be unfinished learning as a result of this shelter in place. We will continue to meet students where they are at, and teachers understand this.
We recognize that when we get back to normal, there is going to be a lot of healing and learning will be adjusted. We will meet the students’ needs.
What are the expectations about communication from teachers?
You can expect daily contact and communication. In the Memo of Understanding, the agreement reached between the district and the teachers union, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week are planning days. Most of our teachers will still be reaching out.
Will there be state testing this year?
All state testing has been cancelled for this year.
Will the students be getting grades?
Technically all grades are pass/no pass. I am not clear at this time if the whole report card will be redesigned to reflect this; right now there is not a pass/no pass option for giving grades in the elementary report cards.
Should we plan for another social distancing break during next school year?
We are doing a lot of learning about this now, so if we end up with distance learning next year, we have learned a lot and can hit the ground running. It is hard to plan for unknowns.
What are the Zoom expectations from teachers?
Teachers are highly encouraged to use a video platform to interact with their students, but there is language in the Ed Code that cannot make this obligatory: “Teachers will not be required to conduct live video over their objection, pursuant to California Education Code Section 51512” Video lessons may be pre-recorded.
How will kids get feedback from teachers?
Teachers will take the recommended time for instruction and divide evenly between the whole group and differentiated approach. They can also break into small groups depending on needs. We are working on schedule for students in LLI and students with IEP’s.
Will there be teacher led instruction on a daily basis?
This depends on the teacher and their situation. The Memo of Understanding does not obligate any teachers to do any live teaching. At this point, all Glenview teachers are doing some live teaching/interaction with their classes.
How much autonomy do the teachers have?
They have a fair amount of autonomy. We want learning goals to be aligned, but teachers can approach the goals differently. For example, classes on a grade level may read a different book but have the same writing and analysis goals.
There is professional development dedicated to grade levels each week. And, there are special education collaboration times set on a weekly basis.
Kids more likely to do work with teacher check ins:
Yes. This is why teachers have suggested a schedule and accountability with work. When you are not seeing teachers, know they are working and connecting with families in different ways.
Can students access a Zoom class that is in their grade level but not their teacher?
We are trying to share some instruction on grade levels. I will check in with teachers about this. We know it is more fun when kids can interact with classmates and teachers.
Can there be some type of individual student testing so parents can monitor progress?
I love that level of support for your child! Please reach out to your teacher and ask for tools to help. They can explain to you what proficiency looks like and provide you with a rubric or checklist.
Recommended Guidelines from Memo of Understanding
