We are preparing for the transition to the 2020-21 school year to continue to provide students with a high-quality educational experience – whether online or in the classroom.
On June 18, Gov. Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 1569, which includes many education provisions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation creates a Blended Remote Learning Day option to give schools flexibility as they develop plans for fall.
The ISBE looks to provide school districts with guidance in the next week to support a safe transition this fall. The plan will include public health requirements for personal protective equipment, including face coverings; capacity limits on individuals in one space; social distancing; symptom screening; and school-wide cleaning and disinfection.
The District 88 administrative team is carefully researching and planning scenarios and models for what school will look like in the fall and will continue to collaborate with education leaders from the area. Staff and parents/guardians will be included in reviewing plans before implementation. In an effort to help families prepare, the district shares the following possible scenarios:
Remote Learning 2.0: Continued use of the Remote Learning/E-learning environment, similar to the plan we used this spring, but enriched and enhanced. In this scenario, teaching and learning are completely virtual, and students won’t be present in the buildings.
Hybrid Model: In this scenario, the district would continue to rely on Remote Learning/E-learning, but would phase in opportunities for students to be in the classroom (as guidance permits). The district is looking at a variety of schedule options to determine the best way to implement this model, as the logistics are challenging.
In-School Learning: In this scenario, the district would return to a traditional, in-person learning environment (while implementing any restrictions required by CDC or the Illinois Department of Public Health).
Athletics and activities: With regard to when athletics and extracurricular activities will resume, we will continue to follow federal, state and local guidance. We are working on a plan to phase in sports and clubs in a manner that’s safe for students and staff and will share those details as soon as possible.
* To listen to a presentation about District 88's transition plan, click the audio file above.
AREAS OF FOCUS
District 88 will maintain its collaboration with Addison School District 4, School District 45, Salt Creek School District 48, Arbor Management, Chartwells and Cottage Hill Operating Company to provide free meals to residents who are 18 years old and younger. Food will be distributed from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays through August, and five days’ worth of food will be provided (five breakfasts and five lunches). To see more details about our food-service program, including locations and how adults can volunteer to help, go to www.dupage88.net/Coronavirus.
District 88 will continue to support the social and emotional well-being of students, staff, families and community members. See a list of available resources (including resources in Spanish) at www.dupage88.net/Coronavirus.
In collaboration with Addison School District 4, District 45 and Salt Creek School District 48, we will host a special virtual screening of the new IndieFlix documentary “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety” at 7 p.m. on June 25. The goal is to provide an opportunity for dialogue between local families, community leaders and experts. The event will feature a viewing of the 56-minute film, followed by an informative panel discussion led by producer Scilla Andreen and Dr. Jerry Bubrick from Child Mind Institute. The film will be shown in English, with Spanish subtitles. Register to attend, and see more details, at https://www.dupage88.net/site/public/files/?item=5213.
Equity and culturally responsive teaching: We have been committed to creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive environment for all students through Deep Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series for more than half a decade, and we have put in place many programs to support these initiatives. We know equity is a journey and won’t be reached quickly or easily. However, we need to be relentless in our pursuit of equity, inclusion and the elimination of racism in District 88 and our communities. Read more about our efforts at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/11685.
We are continuing our work with Deep Equity, Youth Equity Stewardship, Trauma-Informed Practices and Restorative Practices. We recently hosted several virtual opportunities for students and staff to share their thoughts, feelings and potential action steps we can take as individuals and as a district to improve.
In July, we will host three virtual events for parents/guardians and community members to engage in this important work. Below is more information, and stay tuned for further details.
Gary Howard, Benjie Howard and Wade Antonio-Colwell will lead equity-based conversations
Dr. Melissa Sadin will discuss trauma and how to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the current civil unrest
Dr. Ivette Dubiel will lead an anti-racism series designed to cultivate enhanced understanding of critical equity and social justice
We have implemented the District C.A.R.E. Team (Committed to Academics, Resiliency, and Equity) for students and staff to expand and deepen our work in these areas.
On June 19, we recognized and celebrated Juneteenth. According to http://juneteenth.com, "Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas, origin in 1865, the observance of June 19 as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today, Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement."
DISTRICT 88 BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING The next District 88 Board of Education meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. on June 22 at the District 88 Office, 2 Friendship Plaza in Addison. In compliance with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s Executive Order, we will have limited attendance at this meeting.
Members of the public who would like to listen to the meeting can access a live audio stream at www.dupage88.net/boardstream.