Schedules Advantages and Disadvantages: Planning Ahead - Fall 2020
Planning Ahead: Fall 2020
Scheduling for Fall 2020
May 21, 2020
Please contact Rachel Dratch ([email protected]) and Amy Wasser ([email protected]) for more information
Schedules
Below are possible schedule scenarios day schools across North America are considering for Fall 2020.
This chart is designed to enable you, at a glance, to see some of the considerations you will need to take into account as you navigate what is best for your local context. We encourage you to review these options and think through the lens of multiple stakeholders. Consider what questions your parents, teachers, staff and students will have about each scenario. This is by no means the full picture, but it is a window into looking ahead and designing what is possible. You may consider creating multiple plans, based on different situations.
|
Schedule Option |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Full day on campus |
Simplest academic plan Helps working parents Brings us on a road closer to where we were preCOVID19 Will assist with identifying and supporting students dealing with social or emotional concerns |
Will have to wait until we know it is feasible and that might be a date close to the first day of school Cannot be our only plan Not all students and faculty will be able to return to campus May need to close again if one or more people get COVID-19 or there is a new outbreak Will have to record for those students unable to return What will the impact of behavior outside of school be (ie: not social distancing) |
|
Full day on campus with staggered start and end times |
Alleviates crowded situations for arrival and dismissal |
Difficult for families and faculty to schedule |
|
Completely remote |
No issue with building opening or closing No need to buy special supplies to prepare the building No need for new policies and structures for use of the building Creates equity so all students can learn Maintains safety all stakeholders and the community Enables us to plan ahead and support parents, create supply lists and navigate a new orientation mindfully Enables parents to plan ahead with this information |
May be stricter then what the local authorities are allowing and put the school at a disadvantage if other schools open their buildings Will have to have a solid communication plan to show our continued value Will be a hardship if parents have returned to work outside the home Assessment of academic program will be needed and adjustments made accordingly especially for younger grades Teachers need excellent professional development for long-term remote teaching Requires change to staffing model, including potentially letting some teachers, staff, and administrators go Will need to find ways to create community in a remote setting and maintain connection Mental health support will be needed No in-person school visits or shadowing for potential new students |
|
Remote summer programming |
Provides activity and learning for multiple age groups Could do some guidance work with juniors and senior for college placement An opportunity to try new subjects Do camp style classes especially for younger students Enables students of all ages to hone skills Gives parents an enhanced sense of school’s value |
More screen time Teacher burnout if courses are taught by faculty Time planning extra summer programming could take away from planning for the fall |
|
Summer programming in the building |
Enables students and teachers to reconnect and create community An opportunity to provide learning and activities for a variety of age groups Outdoor activities are possible because of weather Enables schools to test out strategies before the new school year |
Must prepare the building and new guidelines around medical rules Time planning extra summer programming could take away from planning for the fall Will have to be able to staff this model |
|
Only preschool and special needs intensive program return to building |
Serve the population who cannot consistently benefit from remote learning Help parents return to work Can have tours of the building and possibly shadow potential new preschool students |
Must prepare the building and new guidelines around medical rules and sanitization Staff morale and culture will need to be addressed as only part of the staff will be on campus Only students in these classes allowed on campus |
|
Half-days in the morning or afternoon for all students |
See and connect in person with students Boost to social and emotional well-being Parents more willing to pay for in-person instruction Avoid issues with lunch and recess since students only remain on campus for classes Can include tefillah and other communal norms and begin to return to routine Have time to disinfect and sanitize building in afternoons Option to have after school activities outside or in partnerships with JCCs and synagogues if applicable Can have tours of the building and possibly shadow potential students School and home will be equipped for learning |
Not enough locations for physical distancing Will need to address transportation May not be able to accommodate all students Hard for working parents Might need to record classes or make them accessible for students who cannot return Will need to address staffing model Will need to address how to make this work for faculty who cannot return Will need to be thoughtful in creating the smaller classes, keeping socialization needs in mind WIll need structured at- home expectations for work in order to have learning in the afternoon |
|
Half days - one group in the morning and one in the afternoon |
Easier to maintain social distancing because of smaller class size See and connect in person with students Boost to social and emotional well-being Parents more willing to pay for in-person instruction Parents can plan around this We avoid issues with lunch and recess since students only remain on campus for classes Families can plan lunches so all children at different ages can eat at the same time Can include tefillah and other communal norms and begin to return to routine Option to have afterschool activities outside or in partnerships with JCCs and synagogues The same teacher can teach both “sections” and create projects that can be done remotely to bring together both sections of the class All students can access labs, library, art room and other perks of the building Can have tours of the building and possibly shadow potential students School and home will be equip for learning |
Not enough locations for physical distancing May not be able to accommodate all students Need to address transportation Need to record classes or make them accessible for students who cannot return Hard for working parents Need to address staffing model Need to be thoughtful in creating the smaller classes, keeping socialization needs in mind Need structured at-home expectations for work in order to have learning in the morning / afternoon Challenging to sanitize the building between morning and afternoon sessions We may have social exclusion if students in the same grade are on different schedules |
|
Rotate days A/B |
Can see and connect in-person with students Boost to social and emotional well-being Parents more willing to pay for in-person instruction Everyone is on a similar schedule Can include tefillah and other communal norms and begin to return to routine Parents can plan around this We get full days of in-person learning and can teach remotely / asynchronously on the other days All students can access labs, library and other perks of the building Can have tours of the building and possibly shadow potential students School and home will be equipped for learning |
As for half days and: May not have enough locations for physical distancing May not be able to accommodate all students Lunch and recess will need to be restructured We may have social exclusion if students in the same grade are on different schedules |
|
2 weeks in, 2 weeks out--MS and LS rotate or other grades rotate |
Same pros as A/B schedule- and also: Opportunities for students to connect and then have home time Might enable the “best of both worlds” for creative planning and programming |
Same cons as A/B schedule- and also: Hard to adjust- will students and faculty adapt to every two weeks? |
|
Modular Curriculum learning--unit by unit, each with different instructor |
Allows teachers to prepare units very creatively and not have to keep preparing as many new ones Creates equity so all students get exposed to the same high level Promotes teacher collaboration |
Inconsistency may be difficult for students How do we make sure students have adults who know them well and oversee their progress and well being? |
|
Academic classes fully remote and only “specials” electives, art and PE in the building |
Allows for connection and community Keeps the teaching equitable so all students can access classes Allows for creative uses of building Can have tours of the building |
How to enforce an attendance policy Specials would need to also be remote for those students unable to be on campus Challenging schedule for parents |