Northwest ISD Prepares for

Northwest ISD PREPARES FOR 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR

Remote Learning and In-Person Learning Options

by Brooke Ezzo

As we all know, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Northwest Independent School District students left schools for spring break this past March and did not return. As extended spring break turned into summer break and now school registration is looming in the background, there is still much confusion.

The ever-changing information from both federal and state entities in regards to the virus has left the district, parents, and caregivers on the edge of their seats, waiting for further instruction on how to reopen schools for the 2020-2021 school year.

With registration deadlines quickly approaching, Superintendent Dr. Ryder Warren and his team have come up with possible plans for the new school year after getting guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

After a district-wide parent/caregiver survey went out, the district combed through parents’ needs and wants. This information was a valuable tool to help the district slim down from a 5-point reopen plan to remote and in-person learning plans. Guidance also came from Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath in a conference call on June 23. During this call, Morath did not give guidance on health measures to be in place for in-person learning, assuming that responsibility will be left up to each district. But he did touch on ways to enhance remote learning at home.

The district hopes to have more instruction on exactly how remote learning will look for the new school in the upcoming weeks.

Remote Learning at Home

When students were not allowed to return to the classroom in March, the district quickly converted to a virtual learning platform. A recent letter from Dr. Warren states that remote learning at home will look completely different from the platform implemented this past year. The staff has been working tirelessly to prepare educators and parents for a more robust remote learning experience.

With recent spikes in positive cases throughout North Texas, the district understands that its students’ health and safety is the priority. With that, families that choose to keep their children at home or are unable to return to a classroom setting will have access to a full virtual learning experience.

This includes more teacher interaction and more time in virtual learning and completing lessons. Remote learning might be semi-flexible, but based on state guidelines, the students are still required to mirror the level of work, commitment, and time on a task as they would with in-person learning. Daily attendance rules will apply, and students will be required to show evidence of daily learning. This means saving all assignments until the end of the week will no longer be applicable. The district hopes to have more instruction on exactly how remote learning will look for the new school in the upcoming weeks. They are also exploring options for ways students learning from home can be involved in fine arts, athletics, and other extra-curricular courses.

In-Person Learning

This is understandably the most difficult decision the district will be making considering opposing views when it comes to what health measures are effective against the virus.

Information from the TEA indicated they had purchased face masks, thermometers, and hand sanitizer for every district in Texas to help with the start of the new school year. However, no further instruction was given from Commissioner Morath in the conference call on mandated health measures.

According to the June 27 newsletter, the decision has not been made on whether or not masks will be required.

“As we continue to explore and develop our safety protocols for In-Person Learning, we will follow the guidance of our state and local officials as well as carefully consider the science behind the safety measures we put in place,” Dr. Warren stated in the newsletter.

This summer, all schools will be installing Plexiglass shields at front reception desks. They’ll also have additional hand sanitizer stations will be put throughout the schools, and common areas (cafeteria, gym, library, etc.) may be converted to additional space for social-distancing.

The district added that they’d send update letters out more frequently as we get closer to the August 20th start date.

If you plan on doing in-person or remote learning and haven’t registered yet, please do so. This helps the district in many ways before the school year begins. To register, visit www.nisdtx.org, click on the About tab, then Enrollment Online, and follow the instructions.