JULY 27, 2020
FPS Virtual Option Overview Information | 20-21 Issue 02
Dear Families & Staff,
As we shared on Friday, we are adding a Virtual Option to our Reopening Doors planning for the 2020-21 school year. Since reviewing the results of the parent survey, where it was shared that about 50% of families were interested in this option, we have been putting plans together for what Virtual will look like. I am very proud of our team for putting this together so quickly and creating a structure with which to offer a Virtual Option for those families that want a choice in keeping their child home, while continuing to learn with Franklin Public Schools. The resources contained throughout this communication will help you to better understand what Virtual will look like in FPS. The following visual lays out the options that families have for how school can look for your child as we go into the 2020-21 school year:
(click to see larger if needed)
VIRTUAL OPTION PROGRAM INFORMATION
Part of the complexity with offering a Virtual Option is that we have learned that “virtual education” means something different to everyone. Our vision for a Virtual Option is fully outlined in the video presentation and slides linked below. Since there is a lot of information, we have specifically linked to sections of the video or slides that might be of interest to you depending on grade level or needs.
4K-12 Virtual Program Video Overview
Virtual Learning Programming Introduction by Dr. Mueller - click here
Overview of our 2 Reopening Doors Learning Models by Dr. Reuter - click here or go to 2:01
Elementary 4K-5th Virtual Learning Overview - click here or go to 4:04
Middle School 6th-8th Virtual Learning Overview - click here or go to 8:00
High School 9th-12th Virtual Learning Overview - click here or go to 11:22
Highlights of the Program & Questions - click here or go to 16:53
4K-12 Virtual Program Overview Slides
Click here to start at the beginning of the slide deck (Slides 1-3)
Click here for the Elementary Virtual Option Overview (Slides 4-7)
Click here for the Middle School Virtual Option Overview (Slides 8-12)
Click here for the High School Virtual Option Overview (Slides 13-18)
Click here for the 4K-12 Virtual Program Highlights (Slides 19-20)
The video below is 19 minutes long but walks through all the details of the Virtual Option
VIRTUAL OPTION OFFERINGS
The rest of this communication contains some of the overall information about the virtual program. Depending on interest in the Virtual Option, please know that Virtual classrooms may have a higher class size than In-Person classrooms. We are setting up the Virtual Option to have a separate administrative team and student services team than your In-Person home school assignment. Literacy, Math, Science, and Social Studies are mandatory for all students. Elective offerings will be part of the student experience but elective offerings will vary by level. For more details, please review the slides and video referenced above.
LIVE INTERACTIONS AND SCHEDULE
One piece of feedback we heard from the spring virtual time was that students and parents were looking for more live interactions/lessons with the teacher. Students in the Virtual Option will be expected to follow the In-Person time/bell schedule. Students will have daily attendance requirements and there will be daily synchronous (live) teaching opportunities for the student to attend.
The Virtual School Day Schedule will work as follows:
VIRTUAL OPTION TIME COMMITMENT
If you are choosing Virtual for your child for grades 5K-5th Grade, you will be committing for Trimester 1 and Trimester 2. If you are choosing Virtual for your child for grades 6-12, you will be committing for all of Semester 1. Due to us having to shift around staff for offering Virtual, we need families to make a commitment to the Virtual program for a set amount of time. Please note that the In-Person classroom teacher you would normally be assigned to for the school year will not be your child’s Virtual Option teacher. As we go into the start of 2021, we will share the process for re-entering In-Person or committing to longer with Virtual.
VIRTUAL OPTION ASSESSMENT & SUPPORT
Students will be assessed on the standards addressed in each unit of a given subject. The mode of assessment may vary based on the virtual environment. Reports cards will be issued and families will be invited to participate in parent/teacher conferences. We will fully support those students with IEPs and 504 plans. What this looks like will vary by student. IEP/504 plans will be reviewed and revised as needed to reflect appropriate support in the virtual environment.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
We are working very hard to give you all of the information you will need to make your decision. Please know that while we have been fielding a lot of questions from families, we simply will not have all the answers to every question before we need families to commit to a learning path for the year so we can continue to move forward with getting ready for students. We encourage you to continue checking out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page where we are constantly updating that information with questions and answers that will be helpful. Please continue to use the FORM on the FAQ page to submit questions as it helps our leadership teams to tackle questions together. We have added a new school on the form for “Virtual Learning Program” so you can submit questions there that will be directed to our Virtual Option leaders.
WHAT’S NEXT
Please look for a communication from us tomorrow (Tuesday, July 28) on what some of our health protocols and procedures will be for In-Person classes. We feel this information is important for you to have so you can make your decision for your student(s) to attend In-Person or Virtual to start the year. Following that, we will communicate and open up the Virtual Option application on Wednesday, July 29. The application will be open through next Tuesday, August 4 @ 11:59pm at night. If you do not apply for the Virtual Option by the deadline, you will be unable to opt in to Virtual at a later time. After we have the applications for Virtual, we can then continue forward with organizing our staff and getting ready for students.
Thank you for taking the time to review all of this information as you decide what’s best for your family and your student.
Sincerely,
Dr. Judy Mueller
District Administrator
Franklin Public Schools
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Email: communications@franklin.k12.wi.us
Website: http://www.franklin.k12.wi.us
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Phone: 414-529-8220
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