(Friday, July 31, 2020) The Rochester City School District has released its
School Year 2020-2021 RCSD Reopening Plan to the New York State Education Department. This plan outlines the District’s approach to bringing students back to class whether it is in-person, remotely, or a hybrid model of both.
“It has been a collaborative effort preparing to reopen schools in the Fall, and I want to thank the many people involved. Maintaining the health and safety of our students, staff, and families, continues to be our priority said Superintendent Dr. Lesli Myers-Small.
The District’s Reopening Plan is broken down into several main components:
The RCSD has developed a plan for communicating all necessary information to district staff, students, parents/guardians, visitors,and education partners and vendors.
This section covers student and employee safety, engagement with visitors, face coverings and protective equipment, health hygiene, hand sanitizer use, cleaning and disinfecting, and health checks.
School meals will continue to be available to all students, including those attending school in-person and those learning remotely.
Students and school staff must wear acceptable face coverings at all times on school buses and will maintain appropriate social distancing. Students who are able will be required to wear masks and social distance on the bus to the extent practicable.
Resources and referrals are available to address mental health, behavioral, and emotional needs of students, faculty, and staff when school reopens.
Interscholastic sports are not permitted at this time, and additional information on athletic activities will be forthcoming from NYSED.
Attendance will be taken daily both in-person and remotely.
The RCSD will provide multiple ways for students to participate in learning through remote and/or blended models, and the District will provide a laptop to teachers who currently don’t have one.
Additionally, the RCSD will provide Chromebooks to K – 12 students who currently do not have one. Furthermore, the RCSD will ensure that every teacher and every Pre-K-12 student who lacks reliable connectivity has the opportunity to access high-speed broadband in their classroom, workplace, or residence.
The District must prepare for three scenarios to return to school:
- In-Person Learning
- Hybrid (combination of Distance Learning and In-Person Learning)
- Distance Learning
A hybrid model will be implemented in phases beginning with students in Pre-K-4, K-6 special classes, and K-12 specialized programs. Students not in school for the hybrid model will receive instruction through the distance learning model.
In the event a parent does not want to send their child to school, the RCSD will offer the opportunity to enroll in its Online Learning Platform, which is 100% remote learning. A letter is being sent to parents explaining their options and what they need to do should they want to enroll in the District’s Online Learning Platform.
Students with Disabilities in Pre-K – 12 specialized programs (NYSAA, ASD, GEM, Social Communications) will attend school in-person four days a week and engage in remote learning one day. Students with Disabilities in Pre-K – 6 self-contained classes will attend school in-person two days a week and engage in remote learning three days.
The RCSD will continue to support bilingual students and English Language Learners by providing hybrid and/or distance learning models, consistent with the student’s grade level and the instructional plan.
Superintendent Myers-Small said, “During the past several months our students, parents, and staff have been incredibly flexible, patient, innovative, and resilient. Our RCSD community has shown its ability to navigate through this fluid situation with creativity and forward thinking.”
###
