At the regular meeting of the Board of Education held on Monday, August 10, 2020, the Board approved the Rockford Return to Learn Plan. The Plan was developed through hundreds of hours of collaborative work by our administrative team, teachers and support staff during the past two months and complies with Governor Whitmer’s “MI Safe Schools Roadmap.”
A summary of our plan is attached along with our comprehensive plan, which outlines our teaching and learning models, professional development, and safety procedures during the various phases of the Governor’s “MI Safe Start” economic re-engagement plan.
Our Return to Learn Plan includes two options for parents:
Face-to-Face Instruction Option
This option has students in the classroom with face-to-face instruction from their teachers starting September 14. Instruction will be delivered remotely from August 24 through September 11, with students receiving instruction online at home from their teachers in real time. This will allow for live interaction between teachers and classmates. Students enrolled in face-to-face instruction will also receive remote instruction should the Governor move Michigan back to Phases 1-3.
The reasons for phasing in the face-to-face instructional model for three weeks are:
·For the past month, the average daily increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the State of Michigan has been approximately 700 per day.
·Governor Whitmer has extended the “State of Emergency” for Michigan through September 4.
·RPS is responsible for the safety of 8,000 students and 1,000 employees, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
Rockford Virtual Option
The Rockford Virtual option is for parents who choose to not send their students to school for face-to-face instruction. Under this option, students participate in online learning paths in a Michigan standards-based partner curriculum guided by an RPS teacher. Details about Rockford Virtual can be found here. Families who enroll in this option are asked to commit to a minimum of one trimester of virtual learning.
Thank you for continuing to trust us with your child’s education, especially during this unique time. The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff, and community are of the highest importance. If anyone can rise above the challenges we are facing, it is the Rams Community.
Thank you,
Michael S. Shibler, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
