Pittsburgh-area superintendent offers tips on tackling in-person learning

MARYLAND SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARETRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TOBRING STUDENTS BACK IN PERSONSAFELY THE GOVERNOR GAVE THEMA MARCH FIRST DEADLINE.MEANWHILE PRIVATE SCHOOLS ANDDISTRICTS ACROSS THE BORDER INPENNSYLAVIA HAVE BEEN DOINGTHIS ALL SCHOOL YEAR.

WMAR 2NEWS ABBY ISAACS SPOKE TO AP-A SUPERINTENDENT TO SEE WHATTHETHEM.FRANKLIN REGIONAL SCHOOLDISTRICT IN THE SUBURBS OFPITTSBURGH HAS OFFERED IN-PERSON SINCE SEPTEMBER, WITHTHE EXCEPTION OF WEEKS AROUNDTHE HOLIDAYS&.

AND WITH NOCONFIRMED CASES OF IN-SCHOOLTRANSMISSION, ARE LOOKING TOFURTHER EXPAND, WHILE SOMEMARYLAND COUNTIES ARE JUSTGETTING STARTED WITH THISPROCESS.

As good as it couldpossibly be given thecircumstances THATGENNARO PIRAINO SET OUT TOACCOMPLISH FOR THIS SCHOOLYEAR.

TO GIVE EVERY STUDENTTHE CHOICE ABOUT THEIREDUCATION.

We knew that we hadto provide an environment thatwas really conducive to theneeds to the families FOR KTHROUGH 8, THEY DECIDED TOOFFER 5 DAYS IN PERSON, HYBRIDOR ALL VIRTUAL MODELS, ANDHYRBID OR VIRTUAL FOR HIGHSCHOOL.

And then we began totailor this by determiningwhich staff members based upon their skill set andinterest were going to teachthe hybrid classes Itof work.

We had to hireadditional teachers to supportthat.

We had to purchaseadditional technology.STUDENTS CHOSE AT THEBEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAAND ONE THIRD OPTED TO STAYVIRTUAL.

SINCE SEPTEMBER,THEYTHAT THEY COULD CONFIRM WEREFROM IN SCHOOL TRANSMISSION.PER THE PENNSYLVANIA STATEDEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONGUIDELINES BASED ON SIZE ANDNUMBER OF CASES IN A 2 WEEKPERIOD, THEY HAD TO SHUT DOWN1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR 3 DAYSLAST MONHT AND A HIGH SCHOOLFOR 2 DAYS THIS WEEK..

DURINGWHICH TIME THE BUILDING GETSCLEANED AND CONTACT TRACINGOCCURS.

Because we have the 6feet of distance and themasks, our need to quarantineis very minimal for most casesso that has really helped usstay open BEING A REGIONALSCHOOL DISTRICT WITH ONLY 5SCHOOLS AND 3200 STUDENTS,THEY HAD MORE FLEXIBILITY THANMARYLAND SCHOOL SYSTEMS, ANDIT HELPED THEM TAILOR THEIRAPPROACH.

When youyou have to figure out a wayto make it personal and itquite a challenge.

I feelfortunate I dontackle BUT THEY STILL HAD TOTACKLE THE SAME SAFETYCONCERNS, SO HIS ADVICE TOCOUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS, ASIDEFROM REQUIRING MASKS ANDSOCIAL DISTANCING, IS TO TAKEA REGIONAL APPROACH INSTEAD OFA HOLISTIC ONE.

No two schoolsare the same, look at eachschool individually and lookat each community individuallyand then begin to tailor thatresponse or that plan basedupon the needs of thatcommunity GOVERNOR LARRY HOGANIS PROVIDING 20 MILLIONDOLLARS IN COVID-19 RELIEFFUNDING FOR EDUCATION ASSCHOOL SYSTEMS WORK TO GETSTUDENTS BACK INTO CLASSROOMS,INCLUDING COMPETITIVEINNOVATION GRANTS FOR SCHOOLSOR SYSTEMS THAT COME UP WITH AUNIQUE APPROACH TO ADDRESSACADEMIC ACCESSIBILITY.EDUCATION HAS BEEN ONE OF THEHARDEST THINGS TO NAVIGA