Menifee schools prepare 'distance learning' for the long run

Teachers at Harvest Hill STEAM Academy prepare to check out Chromebooks to students for use during the stay at home order. Photos courtesy of Kimberly Huesing

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Now that schools in Riverside County have been ordered to remain closed until June 19, administrators and teachers are increasing their efforts in a project still not clearly defined – distance learning.

Some have been participating in distance learning – online instruction and interaction between teachers and students – since the first days following the closure of schools by order of the County Health Department March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Parents of other students have complained there has been little or nothing in the way of specific lesson plans made available, however.

With the closure now extended through the end of the regular school year, officials in local school districts said Thursday they are refining plans to educate students on a more regular basis, using Google Classroom, checked-out Chromebooks and other devices.

“If the students access everything available to them, they will be as prepared as possible,” said Dr. Kimberly Huesing, assistant superintendent of educational services for the Menifee Union School District. “We should remember that it’s not just us; the entire country is adjusting to this.”

Administrators admit that a virtual learning method will be difficult to enforce, and that much of the burden to see that assignments are completed will fall to parents and caregivers. But while acknowledging that all this is uncharted territory, many say that the resources that will be available will create the best possible system for keeping students on track.

A message sent to parents of students in the MUSD Thursday said that “teachers are collaborating to deliver worthwhile distance learning opportunities for students when we return from spring break on April 14.” By that time, all teachers in the district are expected to be fully trained and on board with the Google Classroom technology that will be used district-wide.

By its own definition, Google Classroom is “a free web service, developed by Google for schools, that aims to simplify creating, distributing, and grading assignments in a paperless way. The primary purpose of Google Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students.”

Teachers at Ridgemoor Elementary School met families outside to check out Chromebooks.

Perhaps it is taking a while for some districts to be prepared to offer this across the board, but Huesing believes MUSD’s early anticipation of such a need put her district ahead of the curve.

“We had engagement activities and resources available online before students missed one minute of school,” Huesing said. “We saw what was coming and we prepared for it. By Week 2, we saw things were changing rapidly so we prepared resources for Weeks 2, 3 and 4. We haven’t had to use Week 4 yet, but we’re ready to roll it out.

“We worked with the teachers union about the working conditions for all this and the teachers are taking over the program through Google Classroom April 14. Most were already familiar with it. A few needed a brush-up or full training, and we’re completing that.”

The situation is somewhat different in elementary districts than it is for a high school district, where students earn class credits in preparation for college. At the elementary school level, Huesing said, it is a challenge to have all teachers on the same page and offering sufficient instruction to every type of student.

“The reason it’s not mandatory at this point is that it’s not clear what the equity is for all students,” Huesing said. “The equity is different for special education students, who are taught one on one and have different access needs.”

Huesing said another challenge is to ensure that all students have Internet access and computer equipment to participate in distance learning. She estimates that 3-4 percent of students in MUSD have no Internet access at home. She said Spectrum is offering free Internet to families in certain situations for educational purposes, but it’s up to those families to contact Spectrum on their own.

In addition, the district has checked out Chromebooks – one per family – to ensure that computers are available at home.

The district’s goal of keeping every student engaged in distance learning will only work if teachers can connect electronically with students. Huesing urged parents to register their student through the district online portal with a current email address if they haven’t already.

Romoland School District Superintendent Trevor Painton announced on the district’s website Thursday that it also has been working since the first week of school closures to build and maintain an effective distance learning program.

“We have provided grade level work packets, checked out Chromebooks, and provided Internet hotspots to those in need,” Painton said. "All of this was accomplished within the first three days of school closures, thanks to the exceptional efforts of our Educational Services and Instructional Technology Departments.

“Now that we know students will not return before the last official day of school on June 4, we will be working in the coming weeks to communicate details related to finishing out the 2019-20 school year and preparing for the start-up of the 2020-21 school year. In the meantime, we encourage you to take care of your families, stay engaged in the learning opportunities provided, and follow all guidance related to public health measures that are in place.”

The Perris Union High School District sent a letter to parents last week outlining what it refers to as Stage II of its distance learning program, to begin April 13. This will replicate classroom learning “to the extent it is possible,” and will expand on Stage I distance learning, which according to the letter offered “optional, non-graded learning and enrichment opportunities”.

“Some teachers have definitely been checking in with students,” said Candace Reines, deputy superintendent of PUHSD. “When this resumes on April 13, all teachers will participate.”

A statement on the PUHD website Thursday said, in part, the following:

“In the coming weeks, we will provide information regarding grades, transcripts, enrollment/transfers, and summer school as it relates to distance learning for the remainder of the year.

“We also know that many students, particularly our graduating seniors, were looking forward to celebrating with graduation ceremonies and other senior activities, including prom. We will be working to find other ways to offer memorable experiences for our seniors, perhaps in different formats and/or at a later date than previously scheduled.

“We understand that graduation is a culmination and celebration of over 12 years of hard work, and we certainly realize the importance of this rite of passage for our students and their families.”

Santa Rosa Academy sent a letter to parents Wednesday night that included the following:

“Since our students will not miss a day of education due to the timing of when we began our Distance Learning program, all students should continue to receive grades and credit for all courses taken, which will allow them to promote to the next grade level at the beginning of the 2020/21 school year.

“We will continue to update all members of our Ranger family, including our plans to honor the graduating class of 2020 once a plan has been established.”