West Chester SD Calls Out To Parents Keeping Kids Home

WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester district public schools returned to hybrid learning this morning, accompanied by a statement from the superintendent that parents who have chosen the hybrid learning model send their children to classes as agreed, or sign up for fully remote learning for the next quarter.

West Chester Area School District Superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon on the morning of Jan. 11 posted an update on the school opening plan that said alerted parents who signed up for hybrid instructions that if they choose to keep students home, it becomes an issue.

"We have said repeatedly that you may keep your child home, learning remotely, at any time —however, we offered that option for students who may feel sick, or who had a potential exposure, or for times when a parent was concerned about a spike in community spread," Scanlon explained.

"We didn't anticipate that we would end up with empty classrooms," the superintendent told parents. He asked parents to make their choice known for the upcoming learning period so the school district can plan accordingly.

Scanlon reported that across the month of December, like many school districts in our area, administrators noticed many parents choosing to keep children in a remote setting. This, he said, resulted in many classes with very few students, especially at the secondary level, leaving middle and high school classrooms sparsely populated.

"Parents and students have told us that as classroom attendance has fallen, many students say it’s simply not as enjoyable to be in person," Scanlon said.

"As we plan to best utilize our instructional spaces while adhering to the guidelines of maintaining six feet of social distancing, we are asking parents to commit to either remote learning or the hybrid model until the end of the third marking period (on March 31)," Scanlon told parents today.

Special education students who attend five days a week in person, based on need, will continue in person. Sports and after-school activities also resumed Jan. 11 with social distancing guidelines in place, the school district said. When the school district has an idea who will be in classrooms, it can better plan for everyone, including students who are there every day.

Scanlon asked those parents who want to keep their child learning remotely until March 31 to complete a form by Jan. 15, with the change to take effect on Jan. 19. Parents who want their child to remain in the hybrid model, going 2 days in-person and 3 days remote, do not need to fill out the form.

"We know this may feel like we are changing the rules, and we still want to offer flexibility — which is why we have a hybrid, remote, and cyber option," Scanlon told parents.

He added, "We recognize the need for families to have flexibility, but we also want to be able to offer in-person spots to students who are struggling the most."

Scanlon assured parents that if they choose to keep their child in remote learning until March 31, they will not forfeit an in-person spot for the final marking period.

Direction and conditions have changed repeatedly throughout the pandemic, however, the
recommendation from the state and the majority of other health officials to maintain 6 feet of
social distancing has not wavered. For the time being, our district will continue to follow that.

The form to complete for elementary students can be found here.

The form to complete for secondary students can be found here.

Parents whose children are attending the district's cyber program do not need to complete another form, Scanlon said.

"We only need parents to fill out the form if you are committing to a full, five day per week remote (learning from home) format. This will help us know how many students we can bring back to four-day per week instruction, while maintaining the six feet of social distancing guidelines," he said.

Scanlon said that the schools do understand that students who remain in in-person hybrid may occasionally need to learn remotely because of illness or other situations. "If you choose hybrid but need to keep your child remote for a day or more, simply send a note to your child’s teacher/principal/attendance secretary," he said.

Scanlon explained that in addition to examining the space available in classrooms, administrators have been evaluating how students are doing. Each school has a team of teachers, counselors, reading specialists, administrators, and other staff that reviews student progress to determine instructional needs. Those teams have met weekly throughout the year, even before the pandemic, he said.

This year they are reviewing and considering student failures, special learning accommodations such as IEP and 504 Plans, mental health concerns and issues, and math and reading support to determine needs.

"Because we have limited space due to our social distancing guidelines, the teams must prioritize those students meeting multiple criteria when determining the need for additional in-person instruction. Parents and guardians of identified students will be notified by an administrator or counselor," the superintendent said.

The message to parents discussed the new state guidance, which Scanlon explained allows school districts to operate elementary schools in a hybrid format even when COVID-19 cases are in substantial rates. "That new guidance pertains to school districts that are in an all-virtual format and does not have an impact on WCASD since our plan already includes a hybrid model for elementary students when we are already in the substantial zone," he said.

"We fully understand the importance of in-person instruction, and our goal is to remain in-person, with mitigation efforts in place, as much as possible. With a vaccine becoming available, and rapid testing also more available, I am hopeful the second half of our school year will bring us several steps closer to normalcy," Scanlon said.

Scanlon's full message to parents can be viewed here.