Fresno schools release distance learning plan. Teachers say it’s short on key details

The Fresno Unified School District released an update on distance learning plans late Friday afternoon. The teachers union says educators and parents still need more specifics on protocols and procedures.

The district’s 19-page document, A Strategic Plan for Reopening Schools 2020-2021, provides some new information on daily instruction, services for students in special education classes and English learners.

However, some things haven’t been finalized, like which campuses students can pick up breakfast and lunch. Parents and students will be notified before the start date, Aug. 17, the plan said.

There also isn’t specific information on how the curriculum will be taught, like how much time students will be learning on the computer and if they’ll need supplies for other activities.

“We’re still working out some of the details on what that first week of school is going to look like, how many hours kids are going to be there and the like as we focus on building those connections and troubleshooting any of the issues our students may face as we kick off this new online learning process,” Superintendent Bob Nelson said in a video posted late Friday.

The strategic plan is a “living document” that will be updated with more detail over time, Nelson said.

“I think there’s a lot to be concerned about in terms of ensuring everybody’s questions are answered,” Fresno Teachers Association President Manuel Bonilla told The Bee. “There’s still a lot of questions that need to be answered that the document doesn’t cover.”

It’s still unclear how attendance will be taken, Bonilla said, and what the protocols are for getting students the support services they need. Bonilla added that the FTA was able to work with the district on creating the school schedules, that can be found here, but did not help create the planning document.

“There’s a lot more work to do,” Bonilla said. “If I look at the plan as a teacher, it’s not what I need to start the school year.”

Nelson said teachers would start training on Saturday to prepare for teaching distance learning. Teachers will also be sending parents and students messages every Monday to get a sense of the upcoming schedule, he said. Teachers will also hold office hours two days a week, and site leaders will have weekly virtual meetings to answer questions.

“These schedules will be finalized in the next week, and we will share these out with families as that happens,” Nelson said.

Bonilla wasn’t the only one with questions.

Trustee Terry Slatic questioned why the district released the long-awaited plans after 5 p.m. on a Friday. Slatic also said he had expressed his “disappointment to Nelson with the FUSD communication plan (on all things COVID) as well as the lack of any actual strategy on messaging by the FUSD communication department.“

District officials could not be reached for comment late Friday.

How will Fresno schools work amid COVID-19?

English learners will be allocated time for language development instruction, the document said, and there will be opportunities for extended instruction. Assessments will be used to monitor student progress in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

Students in special education classes will continue to be provided the services, accommodations and modifications needed for their Individualized Education Program, or IEPs, according to the document. IEPs that were due in spring 2020 and not completed will be completed this school year.

Annual IEP goals will continue to be implemented, the document said, and progress reports will be provided to families quarterly.

Students who are homeless, in foster care, living in shelters or motels will have access to academic and social-emotional support as well as case management.

People can call the district’s Family Learning and Technology Support Center at 559-457-3939 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays for help. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, people can call the district’s COVID-19 Center at 559-457-3395.

You can read the district’s full document at this link.

This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 7:52 PM.