SF schools provide latest plan on reopening this spring
SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) on Tuesday provided updates on its ongoing plans to get students back in the classrooms, reiterating that it was committed to reopening as many schools as possible for in-person learning.
The district said that at this time, the priority has been focused on the youngest students from preschool and transitional kindergarten through second grade, as well as students in special education and county school programs.
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District officials stressed that it was working toward having kids undergo a full day of instruction but that any return to in-person learning will require a combination of schedules that will be tailored to each school site and enrollment numbers.
They presented three schedule models as part of the reopening plan. At school sites where space is available, students will be offered on-campus learning, five days a week for a full day of instruction. There will be one teacher present for each classroom.
SFUSD proposal for return to classroom.
But for the schools where the district receives more requests for in-person learning than it can accomodate, a hybrid schedule will be used, with students on campus two days a week for a full day. The other three days, kids will be back to distance learning with at least two hours of daily live instruction.
In the hybrid model, there will be two teachers assigned to the classroom: one who will facilitate in-person instruction and the other who will work with students who are learning online.
"By having this type of schedule we know it's not ideal, but it actually allows for us to see more students in person and rotate so that they all have access to in-person instruction," said Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Enikia Ford-Morthel.
SFUSD proposal for return to classroom.
A third option will be a full distance learning schedule which will be available to families who want to continue learning off campus.
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There has been no date set for when kids return to classrooms. District officials said it depends on factors including when teachers can get vaccinated and when the city moves into the red or orange tier, as well as the bargaining process with the district’s labor partners.
"Our goal has and continues to be to maximize daily in person instruction for students and to maintain as much consistency as possible by welcoming students back to the schools in which they are enrolled," said SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews.
School campuses were also undergoing application approval and a site inspection process, which were required for reopening, officials said.
"These health and safety standards provided an important milestone as we needed to find common ground with our employee groups in order to move forward," said Matthews.
The San Francisco Board of Education was expected to vote on the proposed plan on Tuesday night.