USD 235 Parents/Guardians:
We still need your help in planning what our Continuous Learning Plan will look like in Uniontown USD 235. If you haven’t done so yet, please fill out the survey using the link below. We ask that all USD 235 Parents fill out the survey by noon on Monday, March 23. We will use the information collected in this survey to begin forming our plan. As of 3:30 PM on March 22, 2020, 198 people have filled out the survey.
Much of this letter is simply a repeat of my letter on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Please help us to spread the word asking all parents/guardian of students in Uniontown USD 235 to fill our Tech Survey. We have just over 450 students in our district and at this time we have received a survey from only a little over half. While 198 isn’t half, the survey does allow one parent to respond that has more than one child.
Our administration team along with our technology staff be meeting next work during Spring Break so that we may have information ready for our staff to use in forming the Uniontown Continuous Learning plan during the week of March 30 - April 3.
We appreciate your willingness to work together to make this the best experience possible for your child(ren).
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NQKQZG6
There was not a webinar from KSDE today for the first time in a long time. I am thankful for that as Mr. Reith, Mr. Eden, and I were sitting through 2-4 webinars a day lasting from 30 minutes to two hours per webinar. I can assure you we are understanding of the recommended time limits that the Continuous Learning Taskforce put out in the guidance!
I have put some new information in today’s update but much of it is a repeat from yesterday (3/20). I want to share again that the Continuous Learning Task Force sent out their recommendations on Thursday, March 19. Mr. Eden, Mr. Reith and I spent Thursday, March 19, reading through the guidelines as well listening to several webinars to review and explain the guidance in further detail.
We want to reiterate even after having another day to review this plan the following…
- We will be focusing on essential learning and essential outcomes for students – “Less is More”.
- We will be emphasizing relationships in this new learning environment.
- Our decisions must support all populations of students.
- We will establish a consistent and agreed upon framework of expectations, communication models and practices that all stakeholders share.
- We will be using 1-2 platforms of learning for all students. We simply can’t have every person using their own platforms. This would be confusing for students and parents alike.
- The guidance we received has recommendations on time for students to spend learning each day. We will be using these recommendations. They are 30 minutes for Pre-K; 45 minutes for KG and 1st grade; 60 minutes for 2nd and 3rd grade; 90 minutes for 4th and 5th grade; and 30 minutes per teacher in 6th through 12th grade. (3 hours maximum in a day.) These will be maximum minutes and doesn’t mean that it will even be daily.
- Continuous Learning will not be hours of screen time for students and parents.
- We will not just be making copies of worksheets and sending them home.
Mr. Eden, Mr. Reith and I met with USD 235 Technology Staff on March 20, 2020, and began discussing Technology issues and concerns. We will be able to better answer some of those concerns after reviewing the survey results.
I want to thank all of you who has sent us kind words and well-wishes to the Admin Team on our social media platforms as well as our Maintenance and Food Service Teams. We are all thankful to work in such a caring school district.
Be safe Eagles!
Thank you and God Bless,
Bret Howard, Superintendent Uniontown USD 235