This went out to Des Moines School District parents/students today. This should be interesting:
MESSAGE FROM DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT AHART
Dear Friends,
As soon as Des Moines Public Schools transitioned to distance learning to finish last school year, we shifted our focus to how to safely begin 2020-21. Like school districts across the state, we spent thousands of hours developing a plan - according to the guidelines issued by the State of Iowa - on how to resume school in the midst of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The development of this plan also reflected input from more than 80% of our families. While everyone wants a day when we can resume school as we have for the past one hundred years, that is simply an unsafe option. For DMPS, we prepared a plan - again, according to the guidelines issued by the State of Iowa - that provided our families with a choice between an all-virtual learning model and a hybrid model, which combines in-person and online learning. Our goal: educate our students while protecting the health and safety of our students, their families, and our staff.
Over the past two weeks, the State of Iowa has released increased limitations on local decision-making, after more than 75% of our families had already registered for the plan we introduced on July 1. The DMPS plan was designed to maximize both student and staff safety and academic learning. Compliance with the recent changes in requirements will place students and staff at unacceptable risk given the COVID-19 conditions expected at the time school begins. Of particular concern are the guidelines issued just yesterday, stating that the transmission rate in a community must be more than 15-20% before a school can even ask for permission to change to online learning for a mere two weeks, a level triple that recommended by most public health experts.
The State's approach over the past two weeks has created concern and confusion for parents and teachers alike. It ignores the complexities of everything that goes into how a school district operates, not only preparing for online learning but everything from transportation to meals to technology to staffing. We recognize the significant challenges that the dramatic changes to daily schedules creates for our families and we are working with multiple district partners to address childcare and other family needs. However, the very notion that a school can simply flip a switch to go back and forth between in-person and online learning ignores the reality of how schools operate, what is best for our students and families, and limits the ability of teachers to provide quality instruction.
Our reason for existence is to educate students, and that is exactly what DMPS will do in 2020-21. Whether in person or online, our teachers live to support the success of their students. But I am not going to put our staff - or their students and families - in the position of getting sick for that purpose. We can return to learn in a way that is smart, safe and realistic.
Therefore, Des Moines Public Schools is working on the following changes to our Return to Learn plan:
Delay the start of the school year to shortly after Labor Day. Professional Development days currently scheduled throughout the year would be held prior to the start of classes so that the 2020-21 school year ends as currently scheduled.
The 2020-21 school year would begin fully virtual across all grade levels.
As soon as it is safe to do so, DMPS would transition to the hybrid learning model for elementary and middle school students who registered for that plan.
High school classes would most likely be held entirely online for the Fall semester, with the exception of some in-person classes at Central Campus.
As Superintendent, I will continue to make every effort to work collaboratively with the Iowa Department of Education and the Governor about our need to take this approach to responsibly further our students' education. Finally, DMPS is prepared to take every step available to ensure a safe start to the school year for our 33,000 students, 5,000 employees, their families, and the entire Des Moines community.
Dr. Thomas Ahart, Superintendent
Des Moines Public Schools
