Families are expressing lots of relief to anxieties on schooling options. On the cover, brothers Zack, Nick and Tyler Gourlay present their plans for the next hurdle of their education, hybrid school, which was rolled out at the end of March. They each like their options which are:
Preschool through 2nd grade and SDC classes will have an option to return to their school to attend in-person Learning Support sessions.
Students in grades 3-12 will have an option to return to their school to attend In-person Learning Support sessions. Families should look for daily scheduling information to come from their school’s leadership.
A 100% distance learning model will continue to be an option for all families.
It is called is a “hybrid” because the District is offering students Distance Learning and In-person, on-campus learning. Some students will remain Distance Learning students. Other students will become “Hybrid Learning students.”
Bargaining units (employees) will communicate to the District their preference of the following and the District shall assign them to one model or the other:
- Preference for In-Person Learning
- Open to either model
- Preference for Distance Learning
- Strong preference for Distance Learning – If assigned as a Hybrid Educator, may request unpaid leave.
- Request for reasonable accommodations under American Disabilities Act (ADA) for Distance
Learning due to high-risk health condition of self or request due to the high-risk health condition of a household member has been granted or temporarily granted.
It appears that most staff members will be fully vaccinated by the end of April, and California recently announced that all people sixteen and older can begin getting vaccinated. So, things are rapidly
looking up.
All students and staff arriving on campus will be confirmed daily to have no symptoms or exposure. On campus, masks and physical distancing will be required, in alignment with health authorities’ recommendations. Despite authorities announcing that distance only needs to be three feet, the safety protocols for Mt. Diablo Unified School District will remain at 6 feet per their agreement and planning with the teacher’s union.
School administration have been busy preparing school sites to be as safe as possible for staff and students. Boxes upon boxes of personal protection equipment (PPE) have been shipped to schools, ready for use. Sanitary supplies are stocked, campuses have installed safety signage, protocols are in place, and classrooms have been properly arranged for physical distancing.
MERV-13 air filters have been installed at all possible locations at all school sites district-wide. All in all, a combination of health-conscious behavior, well-defined safety protocols, and a strong cleaning regimen gives one confidence about campuses’ health safety.
Getting back to classrooms for in-person support is a relief for just about all parties involved.
For those thinking ahead to the Fall 2021, (next school year), an in-person learning option will be offered to families and schools will continue to follow public health authorities’ recommendations.
MDUSD and Teachers Union planning for full-time reopening in Fall 2021
In a joint statement to district families, Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) and Mt. Diablo Education Association (MDEA) leaders offered assurance, describing planning efforts for a return to full time in-person instruction in the fall, with distance learning as a continuing option. More details on this option and the application process will be provided later this spring.
“While we truly hope that we are putting the worst of the pandemic behind us…be vigilant. We encourage everyone to wash your hands frequently, continue to wear masks in public, stay home if you have symptoms, and avoid close contact where possible,” Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark & MDEA President Anita Johnson stated in a press release regarding 2021-2022 school year.