SPRING, Texas – As coronavirus continues to spread, many businesses and institutions are having to redefine normal. For most that means closing or reducing capacity, but what about schools?
Since it is more difficult for schools to limit capacity, some are opting to offer both in-person and remote learning opportunities.
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Houston Community College has already announced hybrid classes, and the Spring Independent School District announced Tuesday that is would be adopting a similar model.
What is hybrid learning?
Spring ISD will give parents the chance to choose between two options when students return to classes: full-time online instruction or a “hybrid model,” which is a combination of both in-person and remote classes.
What can I expect from the hybrid model?
If there is a minimal spread of COVID-19 in the community, students in grades 3 through 12 will attend school up to four days a week. They will do remote classes on Wednesday so their schools can be deep cleaned.
What if I live in a community with widespread transmission?
In that case, the district will “move to an alternating schedule of only two days of in-person instruction each week, with the other days dedicated to at-home learning,” according to the district.
What happens if my child’s school closes?
If the school has to close for any reason, the students will continue to do remote classes until it is deemed safe to return to campus.
What if my child is not in third grade yet?
Students in pre-K through second grade will get “four days of in-person instruction with enhanced social distancing measures in place that will minimize the opportunities for students to mix outside of their class group,” the district said.
What measures will Spring ISD take to make sure my child is safe while on campus?
The district said it will “enhance school sanitation and hygiene efforts through a variety of strategies, including face coverings in common areas, plexiglass shields as appropriate, frequent hand washing and reduced class sizes.”
What if I don’t feel comfortable sending my child to school?
Spring ISD is also offering classes that are strictly remote, but they will differ from the classes students were taking during the closure at the start of the outbreak.
“Our courses, our scope and sequence will be standards-based instruction, and it will include an aligned assessment,” said Melissa Warford, McNabb Elementary principal. “We really want to emphasize to our parents, to our community members, and to our teachers that what we provide students in Schoology will mirror the same high-caliber, high-quality instruction that they would receive when they are inside the classroom.”
Parents can visit the Spring ISD website to learn more about the two options and the upcoming school year.