Since March, kids in public and private schools have been home due to the pandemic in Arizona. The Governor's new executive order delays reopening schools until Aug. 17th. However, for months now the Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) has been working to answer two questions.
How do we [YUHSD] get back to school in a safe environment for all students and staff? And how do we approach teaching and learning and the delivery of instruction in a really rich method?
In this episode of Arizona Edition, KAWC's Lou Gum speaks with the Superintendent and the Director of Education Technologies for YUHSD.
"It is going to take everybody to provide a clean safe environment for any kind of in-person type of education," said Superintendent Gina Thompson. “That is why custodial staff, teachers, and all district employees have come together to make cleanliness a joint approach,” she explains on Arizona Edition.
Thompson says the district is working with the county health district for guidance to reopen the classroom. Parent communication has played an active role, providing the district with key information through surveys.
"They have asked some really rich and great questions and I think a really critical part is listening and understanding that public schools have a lot of moving parts. What works for one family and one situation, doesn't necessarily work for everyone, " Superintendent Thompson said.
Teachers in the district have been able to learn more about distance learning through Arizona State University. The college offered a blended learning technique for educators to use in their classrooms. Educators are also getting familiar with AVID digital learning.
"We are hoping for people to have a mixed approach where you can also get learning from home," said Melissa Ellegood, District Director of Education Technologies.