Jefferson County Board Of Education Unanimously Approves ‘School Roadmap’
Starting next week, parents of students in Jefferson County schools will have to decide how their kids will start the 2020 school year. The recently approved district “school roadmap” includes traditional in-person classes, remote learning with Jefferson County teachers, or virtual learning with outsourced teachers, but at a press conference this afternoon, Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin said traditional in-person learning may not happen if coronavirus numbers continue to rise.
“You know we’re not health officials, and so there’s going to be a point where we have to rely upon the health officials to say ‘hey guys, look, these are the numbers this is what has to happen.’ And if that occurs we will be prepared to make that call,” Gonsoulin said.
Gonsoulin said over the last two weeks, the district has held virtual town halls to hear concerns from parents, faculty and school staff, including bus drivers and cafeteria workers. Their concerns ranged from the sanitation of buses to teaching remotely and what happens if a student tests positive, according to Gonsoulin.
“Transportation, that’s the one – and I’m just being totally transparent – that’s the one that gives me pause,” Gonsoulin said. “You can imagine, on any given day we have 50 to 70 kids on a bus. Closed area and a bus driver.”
Gonsoulin said face masks are mandatory for all students over the age of six. The district will provide students face masks or laptops depending on whether they are learning in person or remotely. Gonsoulin said after safety, the next top priority is making sure every student gets fed.
“That’s very important,” Gonsoulin said. “When school starts, for those people that are remote we will activate and deploy our school buses and we will find areas we’ll be dropping off lunches. We will find a way to feed our children.”
Parents can expect to receive a survey next week asking them which option they want for their children. Parents must return the survey by August 3. The board will likely vote on how to reopen schools later that week.
Other highlights from the Jefferson County Education Roadmap:
- Six “smart buses” with built-in wifi will be provided for areas with Kimberly and Corner, which have less access to broadband
- Teachers will received professional development on techniques for digital teaching
- The district has ordered about 2,000 laptops for faculty and staff, as well as personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, masks and face shields
- Services like occupational and physical therapy will still be provided for students in special education programs
- Each school will now have its own nurse
- Accommodations will be made for faculty and staff who have school-aged children
- Each nine weeks, students and parents will have the option to change their method of education
- The school board is considering a $30 hazard pay for all employees that are considered essential workers
JEFCOED Roadmap Approved by… by Miranda Fulmore on Scribd
Venezuela’s exiles in Chile caught between hope and uncertainty
Initial joy among Venezuela's diaspora in Chile has given way to caution, as questions grow over what Maduro's capture means for the country — and for those who fled it.
Sunday Puzzle: Pet theory
NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer plays the puzzle with KAMW listener Daniel Abramson of Albuquerque, N.M, and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
Inside a Gaza medical clinic at risk of shutting down after an Israeli ban
A recent Israeli decision to bar Doctors Without Borders and other aid groups means international staff and aid can no longer enter Gaza or the West Bank. Local staff must rely on dwindling supplies and no international expertise.
Iran warns US troops and Israel will be targets if America strikes over protests as death toll rises
Iran's parliament speaker warned the U.S. military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if America strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by President Donald Trump.
Bob Weir, guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, has died at 78
For three decades with the Grateful Dead and three more after the group ended following the 1995 death of his bandmate Jerry Garcia, Weir helped build and sustain the band's legacy across generations.
Nationwide anti-ICE protests call for accountability after Renee Good’s death
Activist organizations are planning at least 1,000 protests and vigils this weekend. Officials in major cities cast Saturday's demonstrations as largely peaceful.
