Page 9 - The Wayne Dispatch

Return to Learn

By Carolyn Marnon
If there is one thing the COVID-19 Michigan’s Six
pandemic has taught us, it’s how im- Pandemic Phases
portant our teachers are. As parents
across the country wait for informa- 1. Uncontrolled Growth-in-
tion on what returning to school in creasing new cases which
the fall looks like, new Wayne West- could overwhelm the health
land Community Schools Superin- system
tendent John Dignan has addressed 2. Persistent Spread-still
concerns for local families with the seeing high case levels
Return to Learn program. 3. Flattening-epidemic no
Governor Gretchen Whitmer longer increasing and health Benjamin Franklin Middle School along with the rest of the Wayne Westland Com-
came out with MI Safe Schools: system capacity is sufficient munity Schools are working on opening this fall to the community.
Michigan’s 2020-21 Return to 4. Improving-epidemic de-
School Roadmap on June 30. The creasing; health system has “We’re going to have to build all three plans
report outlines protocols for safe testing and contact tracing
schooling throughout the six differ- 5. Containing-epidemic is because we just don’t know what we’re
ent phases of the pandemic (see side- low and outbreaks can be
bar). quickly contained; health sys- going to encounter during the school year.”
Dr. Dignan provided a power tem strong
point presentation showing that 6. Post-pandemic-spread is John Dignan
Wayne County Community Health not expect to return and econ-
Department, the Centers for Disease omy is fully reopened Wayne Westland Community Schools Superintendent
Control, and the State of Michigan
executive orders all regulate what the The district has put together re- dents and parents once a week. Com- same schedules. They are also trying
school district does. opening committees: transportation, munity meetings are scheduled for to keep in mind that some family
If Wayne County is in Phases 1-3, food service, technology, curricu- August 12 at 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. members have different last names.
WWCSD schools would need to be lum/instruction, special education, and 7:00 p.m. online. If Hybrid instruction is used and par-
held with Virtual Instruction. Build- operations, communications, child- For those who want to forego any ents have children that are assigned
ings would not be allowed to open. care, and social-emotional learning. uncertainty with the pandemic- different days to attend, especially in
Instruction would be done by Some of these committees will have based plans, they are welcome to the case of differing last names, the
WWCSD teachers in Google Meet subcommittees. Because buildings apply for the Online Learning pro- parent needs to notify the school dis-
classrooms. throughout the district are different, gram the district has already had un- trict so the matter can be resolved.
Wayne County is, at the time of the logistics of the various plans derway. This is a completely If learning has to take place at
this writing, in Phase 4. This phase could be different. The district is separate program and is delivered home, there are plans being put in
would allow school to be held via Hy- working on a baseline for everyone through a third-party vendor with place to get Chromebooks and inter-
brid Instruction. Students would be to work off of. The Return to Learn teachers serving as mentors. If a stu- net access for families who don’t
in school part of the week and un- program is not a one-size fits all sys- dent enrolls in the Online Learning have them. The school bond meas-
dergo remote instruction the other tem. program and then decides they want ure that was recently passed will
part. The plan calls for dividing stu- The Return to Learn program to switch back to the “regular” sys- allow schools to become hot spots at
dents up into two groups, for exam- was to be submitted to the WWCSD tem, perhaps because the pandemic the end of the year.
ple students with last names A-K and School Board by July 30. There will is over, would they be allowed to do Supt. Dignan acknowledges that
L-Z. One group would attend school be a School Board study session on so? Supt. Dignan wants to allow that there are no easy answers to educa-
Monday and Tuesday; the other August 3. The School Board will vote possibility, but it would probably be tion in our current times. It’s a com-
group would attend Thursday and on the plan August 10. Every school limited as to when that could hap- plicated process, he says, to put
Friday. The online instruction would board in Michigan must have their pen, such as at the end of a grading together a learning plan. Every issue
then be reversed to the other two district plan approved by August 15. period. that you think you are resolving
days. Wednesday is left open for The approved plan has to be turned There are several concerns about might have several tentacles stretch-
deep cleaning of the schools. in to the independent school district, dividing up the students for the Hy- ing out that in turn also have to be
“We’re going to have to build all in WWCSD’s case, Wayne RESA by brid model of instruction. Teachers resolved.
three plans because we just don’t August 17. It’s a fast-moving train try- do not want to have 20 kids in one According to WWCSD Communi-
know what we’re going to encounter ing to hit all the stations before com- set of students and then 7 kids in the cations Director Jenny Johnson,
during the school year,” said Supt. ing to a stop at the final destination other set. They want the numbers “School will start on September 1 no
Dignan. “I think the more we can on time. balanced between the two groups matter what plan or phase we are in.
frontload our plans, the better they’ll “We are all in this together,” says they will be teaching. Parents are Parents will receive more detailed in-
be.” Supt. Dignan. He wants to hear from concerned because they want all formation about the school year after
If Wayne County moves to Phase students, teachers and families. their children to attend school the August 17. “
5 or 6, the traditional school model There will be a dedicated page on the same days. It would be a hardship to With everything going on, the
would prevail. However, there would district’s website for Return to Learn have a kid go to school on Monday rules and regulations, the uncer-
still be certain safety measures, such information. Updated FAQ’s will try and Tuesday and the other go Thurs- tainty of it all, Supt. Dignan knows
as hygiene and physical distancing, to address concerns. There are day and Friday. The District is work- one thing, “We want to err on the
along with daily cleaning. plans underway to survey staff, stu- ing to keep family members on the side of safety.”

The Wayne Dispatch · August 2020 · 9