OP_032620

6 | March 26, 2020 | the orland Park Prairie news
OPPrairiedaily.com
Consolidated High School D230 Board of Education
Officials praise preparedness for at-home learning success
7
Aaron Dorman, Freelance
Reporter
Consolidated High
School District 230’s eLearning
program originally
was intended as backup for
a weather event, such as a
polar vortex.
Instead, the COVID-19
pandemic is forcing D230
to use it now. But the prior
development time has
proved invaluable.
“We look like geniuses,”
said School Board
President Tony Serratore
during the board meeting
held March 18. “We were
ready to go when it was
time [on March 16] and
that gave us a leg up on a
lot of places.”
Serratore praised the
student attendance record
— thus far at 95 percent
— and the engagement and
communication between
staff, parents and students
that helped engender the
switch to a virtual platform
after closing the
schools. All students have
Chromebooks and can
log in through Skyward.
They have daily assignments
posted on Canvas
or Google Docs. Teachers
were asked to be available
if students had questions.
“Our students aren’t just
taking tests,” said Eric
Olsen, principal of Stagg
High School. “It is a very
interactive experience
with our teachers.”
Teachers are given freedom
to hold classes in
a variety of ways, from
group discussions to blogging
to interactive sites.
According to Superintendent
James Gay, the
school board had started
looking at potential eLearning
programs last
June, and by September
had a working plan
approved by the State.
“When this all came about
a couple weeks ago, a lot
of districts were scrambling
to get this eLearning
plan approved by the state,
but we had a working plan
that we’d already practiced,”
he said.
Board Secretary Susan
Dalton added, “It’s a D230
proud moment when I
know where we are at for
our students.”
Still, Serratore said the
preparedness should help
D230 with the uncertainty
ahead..
“I wish we knew when
all of this was going to
end, but none of us know,”
Serratore said. “This will
keep them on top of their
subjects, and they’ll be
learning every day.”
In addition to the educational
transition, the board
was also working hard
to support other student
needs. Much of the board
spent the day prior to the
meeting going door-todoor
delivering 10 days’
worth of meals
“You don’t know what
you have until it all comes
crashing around you,”
Board Member Dave
O’Connor said. “I think
our district did great work;
everybody jumped up and
the food delivery made us
all proud.”
Public hearing for $24
million bond sale
During the School
Board meeting, a public
hearing was held on the
subject of issuing $24 million
in bonds to add to the
district’s working cash.
The cash is to be used to
fund multiple projects, as
previously reported.
Orland School District 135 Board of Education
Officials to use spring break to adjust eLearning game plan as needed
Jacqueline O’Reilly,
Freelance Reporter
Orland School District
135 officials were already
getting ready for eLearning;
they just did not expect
to have to roll it out
this soon.
The D135 School Board
met March 16 in a special
meeting to discuss the
district’s first attempt at
eLearning amid the international
coronavirus pandemic.
As parents, students and
faculty face the social distancing
made necessary by
the outbreak, the district
is developing and putting
eLearning plans into action
1-2 years before they
had planned.
According to David
Apps, a member of the
D135 Technology Advisory
Committee, eLearning
for inclement weather days
was an item on the Committee’s
January agenda.
“At that time, it was
anticipated that it would
require many discussions
over many meetings, and
would possibly be implemented
in 1-2 years,” Apps
said. “I recently spoke to
some of my close friends
who work in education,
and their response to what
our team has put together
in such a short amount of
time has been overwhelmingly
positive.”
Superintendent John
Bryk explained that the district
is using a combination
of emergency school days
and “act of God” days to
allow students the opportunity
to spend the week
of March 16 at home. Students
will not be accountable
for school work during
the act-of-God days. The
week of March 23 is spring
break week, and will allow
teachers to firm up their eLearning
plans.
“The Teaching and
Learning Department has
put a lot of effort in for
the last couple days, along
with union leadership,
to put together not just a
plan but an effective plan,”
Bryk said. “I’ve received
quite a few emails from
parents thanking the staff
for their efforts. This could
have been a very difficult
situation for parents.”
Bryk further stated it is
his hope that faculty members
will engage with students
on a daily basis.
While March 16 was
technically the first eLearning
day, it is clear that lesson
plans are not yet perfect.
Lynn Zeder, assistant
superintendent for teaching
and learning, explained that
the plans had been put together
in record time.
“Today, with deciding
what were the appropriate
assignments, it’s kind
of like Goldilocks,” she
said. “Some may have had
too much; some too little.
Based on feedback from
parents, we’re going to
go back and look at that,”
said.”
Board President Linda
Peckham-Dodge indicated
that a grade-specific resource
page for parents
might be helpful in avoiding
unequal expectations
across the student population.
Students can access eLearning
programs through
Google Classroom, Seesaw
and email. Access
to technology should not
present a problem for families,
according to Apps,
thanks to the recently announced
Keep Americans
Connected Pledge, introduced
by the Federal Communications
Commission,
and subsequently signed
by all telecommunications
companies in the area.
The Keep America Connected
Pledge states that
during the COVID 19 outbreak,
providers will not
terminate service to any
individual or small business
customer because of
an inability to pay; waive
late fees accrued because
of economic circumstances;
and open Wi-Fi
hotspots to any American
who needs them. Several
telecommunications companies
also are increasing
network speeds.
The district, through a
partnership with Quest
Food Management Services,
also is to provide
lunches for students in
need throughout the closure
period. Parents have
been surveyed so that the
district can determine
which students qualify for
this program. District officials
have designated the
district’s three junior high
schools as curbside pickup
locations. Installation of
satellite drop-off points
through use of school buses
has been discussed, but
according to Bryk, they are
not necessary at this point.
In terms of district staffing
levels during the closure,
Bryk indicated that
the school buildings would
always be staffed to a skeletal
level, should a parent
need assistance. But workfrom-home
plans for most
district staff is to be enacted
immediately after spring
break and will continue
throughout the closure.
Should parents or students
need to contact a teacher or
administrator, the district’s
website at www.orland135.
org is the place to go.
Bryk said he is confident
of D135’s ability to get
through this.
“The entire Orland
School District 135 staff
is prepared for an extended
school closure, should
the need arise,” he said.
“We understand these are
unique circumstances, and
appreciate everyone’s support
and assistance in making
this remote learning
process a success.”