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Scottsdale schools leaders approve 2nd semester plans

Sending commitment letters to parents, students

Posted 11/6/20

Changes are ahead for Scottsdale Unified School District’s second semester for grades K-12 including refining learning models to serve its approximately 22,000 students.

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Scottsdale schools leaders approve 2nd semester plans

Sending commitment letters to parents, students

Posted

Changes are ahead for Scottsdale Unified School District’s second semester for grades K-12 including refining learning models to serve its approximately 22,000 students.

The refined models, recommended by a committee comprised of parents, teachers, classified employees, principals and district leaders, were unanimously approved at the Nov. 4 special SUSD Governing Board meeting.

Parents and guardians of SUSD’S 6,800 Enhanced Distance Learning and Scottsdale Online Learning students will receive a district letter on Nov. 6, explaining the second semester learning options.

Parents and guardians will be asked to commit to an instructional model for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year, beginning in January.

Commitment forms must be returned to the district by midnight Thursday, Nov. 12, according to a press release. Communication will not be sent to the parents and guardians of students already engaged in on-campus learning.

However, if a family decides to choose another option for the second semester, their school’s principal should be contacted directly before the end of the day Thursday, Nov. 12, noted the release.

After students return from winter break on Jan. 4, 2021, there will be three learning models for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and three learning models for students in grades six through 12.

Learning model options for students in kindergarten through fifth grade:

  • On-campus, in-person instruction five days a week, provided health metrics continue to support in-person learning, with early release on Wednesdays, or
  • Enhanced Distance Learning through which students receive a full day of synchronous (“live”) instruction, including “specials” (art, music, P.E.) and other school services, such as speech.
  • Current Scottsdale Online Learning students may choose to continue under a grandfathering provision, but will not have access to live instruction for specials.

Three learning model options for middle and high school students with some modifications:

  • On-campus, in-person learning five days a week, with early release on Wednesdays, or
  • Enhanced Distance Learning in which students receive live, (synchronous) instruction; or
  •  Scottsdale Online Learning in which students will take three courses every nine weeks.

“We’ve learned a lot since school began in August,” said Dr. Scott Menzel, SUSD’s superintendent in a prepared statement.

“For second semester, we need a plan that is sustainable in terms of teacher and technology resources, yet reversible, in case the coronavirus pandemic forces us back to distance learning.”

A listing of school principals and the contact information is available at www.susd.org/Principals.

The district plans to share second semester schedules with middle and high school students the week of Dec. 21 through the StudentVue platform at www.susd.org/Students.