The Danville School District 118 Board has had a first reading of a possible small beginning to a permanent virtual school. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Yacobi told us a while back that some students really thrived by doing remote learning during the pandemic, so a plan for the future is to have that option for certain performing students who meet qualifications. But for right now, she says the plan is to just start with a small amount of fifth and sixth graders, and let it grow slowly.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: We know COVID taught us there are certain students that thrive under remote learning. What we’re proposing is that we do start out small, in looking at groups of students who may thrive and/or need a more focused environment, but still have a teacher of record. We know staffing is a struggle, that’s why we knew we couldn’t launch a “virtual school K-12” right out of the get go.
Also talked about during Wednesday night’s 118 Board meeting was the handling of remote learning days for all, if that option is chosen during inclement weather. Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddes says, the rule is that if you have an E-learning day replacing an ordinary emergency closing day, you are then required to provide food to the students who normally receive food from the district on any school day. Dr. Geddes says, that means if it is already known, on a school day, that the next day will have freezing temperatures, or perhaps a blizzard overnight, then plans can be made to make the next day E-learning, and the food for the next day can be sent home with the eligible students. But if a surprise comes and the decision to close cannot be made until the next morning, then you’d have just a regular emergency closing day, with no E-learning.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: If we forsee that we will need to use an E-learning day, we will send food home in advance. Otherwise, we will be using a traditional snow day, and school will be closed.
Passed by the District 118 Board Wednesday was a change in how 8th grade graduation will be handled at North Ridge, where all the district’s 8th graders attend. Dr. Yacobi says instead of having an big evening graduation ceremony, they will bring the students to the high school for a graduation ceremony during the school day, designed to get the students focused on the idea, that high school is the next step.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: We really want to move the focus of I’m not just “done with eighth grade,” but really to set them up for “what’s my future?” And to get that target of graduation isn’t 8th grade, graduation is when you graduate from 12th grade from Danville High School. We think we can do it in such a way that we’re building a culture and a climate, that the students will feel comfortable, you know, on day one when they come to the high school.
In other action, the District 118 Board passed a revised agreement with the Danville Education Association for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years; as well as passing the Facilities Plan that was unveiled during the special meeting on November 10th, with several school buildings receiving room additions, HVAC improvements, and more; largely from COVID impact funding. CLICK HERE FOR MORE: Facilities Plan for Dist 118
