SALT LAKE CITY-Thursday, Utah State Board of Education State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Sydnee Dickson, briefed the board on the “path forward” for public schools in the Beehive State during a meeting.
Items discussed included ramping up learning, the busing of students, technological needs and even a consideration of how often students should wash their hands.
Dickson said what occurs depends on the state’s level of risk. Presently, Utah is under moderate risk, or orange, per the state’s color-coded risk assessment system.
Dickson said these trends are being followed closely and that making adjustments to a public school system is “really tricky.”
Various states around the country are considering bridge learning over the summer. It is uncertain if this means formal in-school instruction or if this means spending 30 minutes a day focused on math and literacy.
Some options may entail “looping,” which consists of students remaining with their current school teachers for another year or perhaps just a few months to support a return to school and make a transition to the next grade.
Another suggestion is teachers teaming up in “shared delivery” of instruction which would combine the talents of instructors who are better at digital teaching and those who are better at conventional classroom instruction.
Another option calls for schools offering a mixture of in-school and at-home learning to abide social distancing regulations.
Schools may also opt for staggered schedules, meaning there are fewer students at different times of the day.
Dickson also confirmed that budget cuts are coming. This is a matter which is likely to be discussed by lawmakers during June budget adjustments in the Beehive State.
