HCPSSFall Planning Update, June 25, 2020
June 25th, 2020
The following message was issued by HCPSS Superintendent Michael Martirano during the June 25, 2020, Board of Education meeting:
Our preparations continue for the 2020-2021 school year. Our internal planning team is already hard at work on all of the preparations we need for learning to resume in the fall, including teaching and learning processes, student supports, transportation and other operational considerations, and many other factors that must be considered in our plans.
Surveys
Last week, we issued surveys to ask students, parents and guardians, and staff to provide feedback on the Continuity of Learning program and input into decisions for the fall. Parent/guardian surveys were provided in multiple languages and distributed through email. Information about the surveys and links to translated versions were provided at all 14 meal distribution sites, and also shared with many community organizations. Students in grades 3-12 were given opportunities to complete the survey during Continuity of Learning check-ins.
As of yesterday afternoon, June 24:
- Approximately 17,200 student surveys, or 38% have been completed.
- Approximately 7,100 parent/guardian surveys, or nearly 20% have been completed.
- Approximately 4,200 staff surveys, or 55% have been completed.
The surveys will remain open through noon next Wednesday, July 1. Unstructured feedback may also be provided throughout the summer by emailing fall-input@hcpss.org.
Stakeholder input
We have convened a Recovery Plan Stakeholder group, with approximately 35 members including parents, students, staff, and community members, which include representatives from diverse community groups and health organizations. This group met virtually twice this week and will meet two more times next week.
The stakeholder group is reviewing the survey results and emailed feedback, and sharing input from their perspectives on their concerns, factors to consider, and other suggestions for making the new school year a success. Additionally, our Superintendent Advisory groups are meeting to provide their input and feedback.
We have launched a new webpage for Fall Planning to provide stakeholders all updated information related to our planning, including survey links and other input opportunities. This site is accessible from our home page and it will be continually updated as we progress through the planning process.
As I have stated previously, this is a constantly evolving, fluid process, and we continue to work rapidly to develop the most comprehensive plan possible while within the constraints of a compressed timeframe, limited budget and many unknown and uncertain factors. We are working to establish a final plan as soon as possible to give staff and families plenty of time to plan and prepare for the fall.
We plan to bring the initial draft plan to the Board on July 9. Our final plan is due to be delivered to the Maryland State Department of Education by August 14.