Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - 8:30 am
Deputy Superintendent Sherri Cyra gave the Board of Education a brief instructional update at their regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 24.
Board president Annette Ashley presided over the meeting at the District Services Center, while other Board members participated remotely. The School Board has been meeting virtually since mid-March. Cyra reminded the School Board that about 775 students are signed up for the Fully Virtual instructional model, which allows the District to run two sections at every grade level from kindergarten to sixth grade. As a result, the District will use its own curriculum because there will be multiple teachers at each grade level who can plan together. Cyra reminded the School Board that Seesaw will be the platform used at the elementary level. Students in grades 7-12 will use the Wisconsin eSchool Network curriculum. She said students who have been in the eSchool or high school students who in the past have taken up to two online classes annually used that curriculum so it is familiar to students, families and staff. The platform for middle and high school students will be BUZZ. "We really believe this offers the best of both worlds,'' she said. Fully Virtual students in grades K-4 will remain in the same section with any other students in their grade at the school they normally attend. In cases where a student is from the same school as a teacher working virtually at that grade level will be assigned to that staff member. Cyra noted there will be homerooms and community building in the Fully Virtual model. Sectioning is done for K-4 but still needs to be done for fifth and sixth grade, she said. Cyra also noted there will be synchronous and asynchronous learning in the Fully Virtual option, although there will be more asynchronous opportunities for families who need flexibility. Kim Gauen and Jill Gurtner will oversee the secondary virtual program, where close to 500 students in middle and high school are registered, while Rainey Briggs will oversee the elementary virtual program. A 4K teacher will pick up additional time to cover the students at that level participating in Fully Virtual.