School board approves CLP application

An extensive plan to continue the education process in Unified School District 333 through the end of the 2019-2020 school year was approved by the board of education during a special meeting Wednesday.
Meeting by video conferencing, the school board passed the district's Continuous Learning Plan application.
Implementation of the plan will begin on Monday.
USD 333 students have not been in school since March 5, the start of spring break.
Students were scheduled to return to the classrooms on March 16, but the administration made the decision to close all schools through March 20 to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Governor Laura Kelly, on March 17, announced that all school buildings in Kansas will be closed for the remainder of the school year because of the spread of COVID-19.
A task force of Kansas educators delivered sweeping recommendations for Kansas school districts for adapting lesson plans when school buildings closed on March 19.
The 76-page plan provided advice for dealing with technology challenges, delivery of meals and other issues.
Schools are allowed to provide limited in-person instruction for groups of no more than 10.
Teachers are asked to conduct daily streaming video check-ins to hold students accountable.
The USD 333 board was provided with a 13-page summary of the district's plan, which is well over 70 pages.
The plan will be presented to Kansas Department of Education and then to the federal government.
“This is a 13-page summary of the process, but we are designing this boat as we are building it,” superintendent of schools Quentin Breese told the board members, “We are going to put it in writing, and you guys are going to approve and we are going to cater to the needs of our students.”
Breese said that the district will adapt along the way and use the things that are working and eliminate the things that aren't working.
The application covers many areas including academic support, general guidance, related services, communication, IEP meetings, special education evaluation referrals, special eduction re-evaluations, general notice, parental rights, etc.
In describing how the district will ensure continuous learning is available for every student, the application states “Our district 1 to 1 initiative has been instrumental in providing this modified learning environment through 'Google Classroom.' We will continue to monitor every student through this platform and various other applications for their participation, engagement and demonstration of critical skills. We have stressed that this is not a time to focus on new learning. Activities should be short (one hour or less each day at many levels) and should focus on interactive experiences.”
The recommended learning times are PreK – 30 minutes; grades K-1 – 45 minutes; grades 2-3 – 60 minutes; grades 4-5 – 90 minutes; grades 6-12 – 30 minutes per teacher, three hours max per day.
Online learning will be utilized across all grade levels and content areas.
To ensure that all students have access to devices and the internet, USD 333 officials have been working with local providers as well as providing outdoor Wifi to identified areas. The district is continuing to promote and assist mobile hotspot technology with the assistance of wireless providers.
Teachers will have communication with students with Google Classroom, personal phone calls, email and other platforms as identified through the plan.
Along with the application for the Continuing Learning Plan, the school board approved an application  asking that the state waive 251 hours from the required 1,116 hours of attendance.
School districts in Kansas must submit an application to waive the attendance requirements by April 8.
Schools in USD 333 had been open for 886.25 hours prior to being shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A resolution suspending all graduation credit requirements above and beyond those minimum required hours was set forth by the Kanas State Department of Education for the graduating class of 2020.
USD 333 policy requires 25 credits to graduate. The state minimum is 21 hours.
The board approved continued wage payments to all regular employees, including regular salaried hourly employees and employees under current contracts with the board who are not instructed to report to work on days they should otherwise be required to be working during an emergency closing.
The authority granted by the resolution to continue wage payments to idled employees is effective through June 30, 2020, unless the board takes action to authorize payment during a longer duration.
Included in the changes/additions/terminations to classified staff and supplemental duties approved by the board was the hiring of Concordia Elementary School principal Derek Holmes as the head high school boys' basketball coach replacing Michael Roe, who resigned after the season.
Holmes guided the Concordia High School girls' team to a 51-1 record in two seasons. The Panthers went 26-0 and won the Class 4A state championship in 2009. They finished 25-1 and second at state the following year.
Holmes was selected as the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2009. He served as an assistant boys' coach from 2010-2016.
The retirement of Sharon Krueger as a special education teacher and the resignation of Landon Slipke, junior-senior high school vocal music instructor were approved by the board.