Ashland Families, Students and Community Members,
We are so proud of the work that we have done together to return to in-person learning after two years of disrupted learning. We are grateful for the staff, students and families who have joined together to keep our schools open and keep people healthy. In order to make this happen for our community, every educator has had to work harder than ever before to meet students' needs.
Students had dramatically different experiences over the course of online and hybrid learning. This requires educators to plan and deliver instruction that meets a wide range of student needs while providing more intensive social emotional and behavioral supports as students adjust to the classroom.
At the same time, we are facing a significant staffing shortage in classroom staff, transportation, custodial and other critical areas. Every person in the district is having to cover their own jobs as well as the work of others. Due to the lack of substitutes, many educator staff have not been able to take personal leave time. When someone calls in sick, there is often no one to fill in for them.
Our teachers, support staff, and administrators at every level have gone above and beyond each day to serve our students and families, often sacrificing time they need to take care of themselves.
Our educators need relief so they can take care of themselves and give their best to our students. In response to the growing need, the Ashland School Board approved a change to the school calendar, adding one non-school day a month between January and May. The dates are as follows:
- January 3 (planning and preparation day)
- February 22 (wellness and relief day)
- March 14 (planning and preparation day)
- April 15 (planning and preparation day)
- May 9 (wellness and relief day)
We know that this presents a real burden to families. The levels of stress in our staff are incredibly concerning, and as a district we need to provide opportunities for staff to take care of themselves and ensure we are able to retain them. This requires a long-term investment in our staff to ensure they can continue to provide the standard of education and support we anticipate as a community.
To support families, we have partnered with the YMCA, ScienceWorks and other organizations to provide daycare options on these days. Scholarships are available. Please look for details in the weekly update from your child’s school this Friday.
We are so grateful to the community’s continued support as we navigate schooling through COVID.
Thank you for your understanding as we provide relief for educator wellness and retention, so they can better serve your students now and for the years to come.
Sincerely,
Samuel
Samuel Bogdanove
Superintendent
Ashland Public Schools
Pronouns: He, Him, His
