Butler school district goes remote
Butler Area School District will move to remote learning next week across all grade levels.
“We are in excess of all the data metrics we have put into place,” said Butler Superintendent Brian White. “We just feel this is what we have to do at this point.”
White spoke to the media Monday standing in front of the Broad Street Elementary School, where the district's cyber school teachers have converted half of the building's classrooms into isolated studios for live learning. There is also an area within the school set up to serve as an overflow unit for Butler Health System.
Kindergartners through sixth graders will begin remote learning Monday, joining the secondary students who have been learning remotely since Nov. 3. White said district officials will conduct a weekly evaluation on a return to in-person instruction.
White issued a notice to parents Thursday afternoon. He said some parents have already been keeping their children home, and the district in recent days activated its plans to prepare students for remote learning.
“We're passing out computers at this point,” he said. “We're putting together bags right now with remote learning supplies for kids to take home tomorrow.”
Students who attend school in-person Friday will go home with their remote-learning materials, and teachers will be using the time to help guide the children on how to use those materials and participate in the format.
White said arrangements will be made for children who have already been staying home.
“(Friday) is going to be focused on the kids in school,” he said.
White said that in recent weeks more than 30 staff members had either tested positive for the virus or had begun quarantining due to close contact, adding further need for the shift to remote learning.He said the district has experienced more cases in students, but in both staff and students the origin of those cases appears to be from the community at-large and not within its own buildings.“Not that it couldn't exist, but as it stands, I have no examples of school-based transmission,” White said.White said this is an optimistic view, but it also means spread in the outer community remains the core concern when making the decision. Until things improve, children will learn a different way, through methods more advanced than in the spring.“I think we're substantially better than we were a year ago,” White said.White said the district plans to lean on its cyber school teachers and their experience.
Cyber teacher Kelly Neff, from Connoquenessing Elementary School, said she has given out tips and tricks to help the other teachers, such as using a stylus when possible and using multiple screens while teaching.“I've been helping some of the teachers and shared out some of my videos to show how to do that,” Neff said.As she spoke with students, it sounded like the same counting lesson that just one year ago would have been said in front of the unused blackboards to her right. Instead, she stared deeply into a computer screen filled with little boxes full of bright, young faces.The methods differ from class to class. Some use additional cameras to show their work, and most teachers find a way to use their Smartboards, which is like a computerized white board, in their routines.“I'm finding that there's a lot of adapting,” said cyber teacher Kim Covert, from Connoquenessing Elementary School. “You can use a lot of the things you've learned as a teacher, but the material all needs (to be) adapted to a new format.”One thing that remains unchanged is the student-to-teacher relationship that Covert has been able to form. “That was one of my big concerns,” she said. “It's moving a little slower than in a regular classroom, but those relationships are there and that's strong.”Covert said the students have also been able to connect with one another through the digital medium. “I'm really blessed. I've got such a nice group of kids,” she said. “They are reaching out to each other, and they are giving compliments to each other.”
