D308 Students Will Begin School Year With Fully Remote Learning

OSWEGO, IL — The Oswego School District 308 Board of Education approved fully remote learning for all students in the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. During a special meeting Monday, the board voted 5-2 in favor of the district's Remote for All plan for its 1,800 students.

Board members Brent Lightfoot and Alison Swanson voted against the motion.

According to the district website, Remote For All is the learning plan that is grounded in live engagement between teachers and students, with learning opportunities and schedules to replicate the in-person learning experience as much as possible. Attendance by each instructor will be taken daily.

Superintendent Dr. John Sparlin told Patch in a release that based on the new guidelines from the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Public Health, county health departments and other health organizations, as well as "rising positivity rates of COVID-19 in our area, have caused us to conclude that reopening schools at this time is not attainable."

He also said the district's leadership team has been diligently planning options for resuming school, each keeping the health and safety of students and staff at the forefront.

As per the new plan, there are some expectations that students, teachers as well as parents need to fulfill in order to ensure a positive e-learning experience. For students, these include but are not limited to, students submitting daily attendance, adhering to assignment deadlines, communicating regularly with teachers and keeping the camera on during Go Live! sessions.

Parents need to ensure the students are completing their work by helping them establish a daily routine. They are also asked to regularly monitor their children's grades via Google Classroom.

Teachers have to host a minimum of four Go Live! sessions per week during school hours for each class taught. Responding to emails from parents withing 24 hours is also mandatory.

For a list of the expectations and the complete plan, visit the website.

The district is also asking students and parents to take a technology survey, where they need to answer questions regarding the reliability of internet connection at home, the need for a device at home and at what time can devices provided by the school be picked up.

The Remote for All plan will be in effect for six weeks, and it will be reevaluated in September, depending on the COVID-19 conditions in the state.

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