COVID 15 ~ April 15, 2020

Expectations

Individual Student Goals

For the 4 to 5 students in your room that have not been signing on and completing assignments. Please email Keri and me with their names and a personalized goal. For example:

• Tiyreek:  Log on to Lexia for  40 minutes per week (half the recommended time).
• Larry: Log on and complete 1 Google Classroom assignment
• Zavion Log into Lexia for 40 minutes (half of the recommended time)
• Zaiden: Attend one-morning meeting
• Dante: Attend one-morning meeting

The goal should be both the next logical progression and a high leverage strategy for student success. Keri/I will call the family and support them in attaining the goal and try to mitigate any obstacles that they are meeting. Together as a community we will celebrate growth for our families and help them feel successful in this new world order.

MOU
I am anticipating that the MOU between the district and BTU will be released this afternoon at the union meeting. All school leaders have been told is to be prepared with a schedule that allows for three hours of synchronous teaching per day. After I have had a chance to review the MOU I will send out a plan for what this could look like for our students.

Data

Student Sign-in
ODA has created a school-facing dashboard summarizing Clever and Google Classroom usage by major student group. All school leaders in BPS were granted access today. To view the data, click on the link above. You will be prompted to authorize Google Data Studio to use their BPS email address to authenticate. This dashboard includes two summary data pages, as well as a page including a student-list that indicates the number of times a student has logged in to Clever or Google Classroom during school closure. I am not sure you will be able to access this dashboard however Clever now has analytics that you can see.

Family Needs Survey
We are conducting a district-wide Family Needs Survey to understand the needs of families and provide connections to critical resources during this difficult time. For students whose parents or guardians have a contact email address in Aspen, families receive personalized links for each child. Given Chromebook distribution issues we know that our families do not always have accurate information in Aspen. Families are also able to complete the survey online by visiting surveys.panoramaed.com/bps/family2020. Could you please share this link with your families? Also, I am slightly concerned that families will choose the wrong Lee. So if you could stress that it is the Lee Academy. Both schools are right next to each other on the choice list.

Resources

Lexia Now in Clever
Lexia Core5 (K-5) and PowerUp (6 and up) licenses are available to all students beginning on 4/13. If you are choosing to use Lexia Core 5 with students please make sure that you have students use ot for the prescribed amount of time. Please see this document for access and training information.

FableVision
FableVision Studios has opened 3 platforms to BPS teachers & students. Animation-Ish, Get Published, & FabMaker Studio are creative platforms perfect for online learning.  FableVision is the company that is run by Peter H. Reynolds the author of "Dot" and "Ish". It allows students to bring their stories to life and maybe a  hook for those reluctant writers. I have not played with this so I am not sure of how appropriate it is for our students. Submit your intent to use by 4/15 to Karissa Goff, KGoff@bostonpublicschools.org. FableVision Website

Origo Scope and Sequence
These are lower-tech at home math ideas for kids.  They combine some literacy and many are available in Spanish and English. Consider matching some of these to your math objectives in using to supplement what you are currently doing. Origo Learn at Home Activities

COVID 14~ April 13, 2020

Teacher Facing Educational Resources

The district is curating additional grade level teacher resources in a site that can be found here. The hope is that you can take these assignments and easily import them into your platforms in a way that makes sense for your students. 

Communication

• Thank you for your notes and family outreach. You really are amazing!
• All communication should be updated through week 4 by the end of the day today. 
• This is our most important tracker. 
• Grade 3 remember that you are switching to the main tab this week. 
• Please remember to record your 1:1 sessions with students in the new column. 

Technology Updates

• Chromebook pick-ups are ramping up as deliveries are closing down; as long as a student is red on the dashboard, we’ll deploy a Chromebook to them.
• Please do not send anyone unexpectedly to Chromebook pick-up locations (including teachers) 
• Comcast Sign-up: Families do NOT need to provide a social security number 
• As soon as they have hotspots, Central Office will communicate the next steps to schools.
• A reminder was sent to teachers last week about Zoom accounts and Central Office will keep updating the Zoom list so the school leaders can see who has not established a BPS Zoom account. 
• The waiting room is enforced to prevent Zoom Bombing BUT teachers automatically skip the waiting room if they are signed up in the BPS account.

Engagement, Registration & Assignment, and Partnerships

• Round 1 assignments for grades K0, K1, 6, 7, and 9 for the 2020-2021 school year went out on 3/27 by email. Families can also call 617-635-9010 or email welcomeservices@bostonpublicschools.org. 
• Registration and other services are taking place for the current school year and next school year is taking place by phone. This includes change of address requests. Families can pre-register at sis.mybps.org, schedule a registration appointment at https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/8517n4dg/ or call the BPS Welcome Center at 617-635-9010.
• We may see new students on your rosters.  Please feel free to connect with them and engage them.  By our next call, we will have guidance on accepting them in the school.  Our usual process is not to accept students until they start attending school so that they are not counted as a withdrawal if they never attend.  
• For families who register in the second registration round (started Feb), we do not yet know when we will release assignments.  
• Families are asking about language testing, OEL is working on this.  More information and hopefully answers will be available in the coming weeks.
• If you have individuals or partners seeking to volunteer during this time, please direct them to www.bostoncares.org/bostoncovid19volunteers.
• If you have individuals or partners seeking to donate funds to support our COVID efforts, direct them to the Boston Resiliency Fund https://www.boston.gov/departments/treasury/boston-resiliency-fund

Supports for Families: 

• Families with needs such as groceries, etc, can email Margaret Farmer, mfarmer2@bostonpublicschools.org
• Families who need help with evictions and housing, Brian Marques, bmarques@bostonpublicschools.org
• All fundraising on behalf of BPS students, families and schools must be directed to the Boston Resiliency Fund.  As a result individual schools and departments cannot fundraise separately.  If you have families in need, please have them email mfarmer2@bostonpublicschools.org with Family Support Needed in the Subject line.  
• The central office is working to create a form that can be shared with families.
• BPS Resources for Students and Families one-pager

Resource

Time for Kids is now free. This may help you with lesson planning and access to materials. Visit this link if you are interested

COVID 13 4/7/20

Call for instructional videos for families and educators

A central instructional video hub has been created to share with families, students, teachers, & partners. Fill out the form & include a 10-25 minute video. It can run the spectrum of content and grades. The videos will be curated centrally and distributed across our networks. Contact: Jason Sachs
I think this would be a great opportunity for us to showcase the work that we are doing with our students as we move to this new world of virtual instruction.  I do believe we have the best teachers in our building!

Chromebooks-Correction from Earlier

We want to make sure that Chromebooks are going to students with need. Our first indication will be who has not logged in etc.

Do not simply go to Campbell. We must schedule an important. 

They do not want staff picking up large numbers of Chromebooks to deliver at this point. 

New Students

We are registering new students. You could potentially get a new student.  Keri and I will be in contact if that happens. 

Equity Roundtable

I have been talking in our grade level meetings about Equity Roundtables that were going to be an expectation for each Equity Roundtable

I have been talking in our grade level meetings about Equity Roundtables that were going to be an expectation for each school community. I received the mandate and the description of the roundtable yesterday. 

The problem of practice that we are going to examine is: What are the barriers that are keeping students from accessing learning from home? What can we do as the Boston Community to remove those barriers? 

This will require all of you to continue tracking how many of your students are accessing learning. Members of the equity roundtable will develop a way to reach out to those families who are not accessing learning and take an inquiry stance into why. We will then formulate scaffolds to help our community.

We need people to join this roundtable.

 I need your recommendations on who you feel would be good community representatives. I am specifically not going to ask the parents that form the nucleus of our family council and governing board. I also would like representation from our Latinx and Vietnamese community members and families. Of course, all meetings will be virtual. With those guardrails, who do you think good family and community member representatives would be? Please send me your ideas by end of the day tomorrow. 

I would love to have you join the roundtable. Please let me know if you are interested by the end of the day tomorrow. 

Fundraising

All fundraising on behalf of BPS students, families and schools must be directed to the Boston Resiliency Fund.  As a result, individual schools and departments cannot fundraise separately.  This includes Donors Choose

If you have families in need, please have them email mfarmer2@bostonpublicschools.org with Family Support Needed in the Subject line. The district will create a form that can be shared with families.

Inspiration

I came across the following on Twitter. I thought that I would share it with all of you. I am spending a lot of time on Twiter but if you follow the right people you find some great links to real research and some awesome ideas teaching and learning. This is a message that I want each of you to take to heart. 

We are human and our humanity is what will get us through this. One of the most important things that we are teaching our students and their families is that we are there for them. We have their backs and we love them. We are living our Lee Academy Pledge. We are the embodiment of what is good in our world. We are the helpers and caretakers. People can turn to us when they need us. We believe in each other even when they might not believe in themselves.

Tweet:

I read this and it brought me to tears. I love it when people take a step back and focus on the good. Sometimes I find myself stressing out about what I can’t do and failing to see what I am already doing... this was a good reminder.

A parent wrote this for his local teachers about distance learning.

Here is the letter:

Hey teachers, 

I just wanted to let you know that however this week goes down - it's all good. We're on your team. This wasn't what you signed up for, and I sort of can't believe you're actually going to attempt to do this. Your life is about to become one giant conference call with two dozen nine-year-olds who have no set bedtime and are hopped up on Captain Crunch and whatever their parents have been stress-baking for the past 12 days. What could possibly go wrong?

In light of this, our family is giving you blanket permission to do this however the hell you want for the next two months.

Your kid wants to sit on your lap while you teach long division? That's great.

Need to stress eat half a bag of Cheetos while you're trying to explain how to calculate Experimental Error? Go for it.

Feel like having morning meeting in your pajamas - all month long? It's a judgement free zone here. Lord knows that's what I'll be wearing until at least noon.

Having a panic attack because you need to check in on your parents and wanna point that Zoom camera at three straight episodes of Sponge Bob for an English assignment? Excellent plan.

Want to just sit there and ask them how their days were for 40 minutes without mentioning a single thing about MLA formatting? Please God do that.

See, I don't care if you teach my kids one more thing this semester, and this is why: Just by showing up, by checking in, by caring enough to do this freaking IMPOSSIBLE job - you've already taught them the only things I really wanted them to get out of school.

You've taught them that people are flexible - they adapt to new things.

You've taught them that people will show up for them even when it's hard.

You've taught them that communities work together for the greater good.

You've taught them the world is a good place. That even when circumstances are scary, people are good.

You've loved them enough to be there - and that's all any of us can do, is love each other through this.

Our kids will be ok. Take care of yourselves too. We love you. You've got this - and if you don't, I'm not telling.

COVID 12 4/6/20

 Teaching and Learning Resources

These resources are available to directly load into Google Classroom and online learning platforms. There is some interesting stuff here/

PBS LearningMedia

WGBH and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more just for Massachusetts teachers. Resources for PK-12. I had fun playing with this today.

Wide Open Classroom

Wide Open School is a free collection of online learning experiences for kids (from 25 partners) curated by the editors at Common Sense.

Boston Public School Website

BPS is publishing resources each week that you can pull into your Google Classroom. This is also parent facing so students can go directly to the website as well. I do not recommend directing them there. It will result in better learning outcomes if you choose activities and videos based on your knowledge of your students and your overarching curriculum plan for the year based on your unit development. 

Retention

The superintendent is anti-retention based on the research she has studied. There will be guidance forthcoming on this issue. This information may include how the district plans on strengthening our 5th Quarter Program. For now please do not plan on retaining any students until we receive further guidance

Chromebook

The district is winding down its Chromebook deliver model and moving to a pick-up model for Chromebooks for multiple reasons. Some delivery is still available.
The District starting to do repairs. There is a repair link on the website.
If a student needs a repair they will be getting an existing Chromebook that was received from schools. Their broken Chromebook will have to be quarantined for several days before repairs can start. 

Family Call-Center

The district is launching a family support call center. This call center will be separate from our tech support and BPS hotlines. Please do not give these internal numbers out.  The call center will be both technical support and support for all other family issues. The center is still in Beta Testing and the number is not published yet.
In the interim please have parents call 311 for technology support and other support that they may need. When they identify themselves as a BPS family they will be directed to the appropriate place. 

Comcast

Any family that had debt prior to March16th they are forgiving that debt and allow you to sign up for internet essentials. This is ONLY available over the phone. This will not happen if people use the internet to try and sign up. Hotspots from Verizon will be coming soon. The Comcast news should reduce the need for hotspots.  The best thing our students can have is broadband from Comcast. It will be more reliable than a hotspot. 

Zoom

Is BPS going to ban Zoom?

Zoom is getting bad press. It is unsafe when we do not use it correctly. 

No, we will only ban something that we think is unsafe. If Zoom is configured safely and correctly it is a safe tool. Mark Racine believes that it is safer than Google Hangouts. 

Activate Zoom through your Clever account. Mark strongly suggests that you use the training to get the safest experience for students. 

The BTU sent out a memo saying that Zoom was not in compliance with FERPA and Google Hangouts. They have since sent out a correction. 

This is actually a null argument and not a yes or no question. Using the comparison of traffic laws makes this easier to understand. A car can be technically compliant to drive on the road. This is Zoom. It is the driver's responsibility to follow traffic laws. We (educators) are the drivers and the traffic laws are FERPA.

Google Hangouts

New features coming. Teachers will be able to mute everybody and you will be able to end meeting for everyone when you leave the meeting. 

Technology Resources

How to Maintain Student Privacy Online

COVID 11 4/3/30

Awesome COVID video

I wish I had this time and talent. Check this out.

Meal Delivery

In addition to the city-wide initiative in providing meals to all BPS students, the district is also

supporting meal delivery to students who currently receive door-to-door transportation as part

of their IEP services. Outreach was conducted last week to our families and if you receive any

inquiries from families, please advise them to email mealdelivery@bostonpublicschools.org as

this email is being closely monitored by OSE and responses are issued daily. In addition, this

may change as the situation evolves.

I have heard that this is still very much an imperfect science.  

Teaching and Learning Expectations

Please find the Lee Academy expectations for teaching and Learning here.

Some Thoughts for Finding Balance

We are only in the beginning stages of making this work for ourselves and our school community. 

Thank you for your patience and grace as we navigate through this unprecedented time together. I have been finding that I could literally work on "school stuff" 24 hours a day between learning new stuff and keeping up with the day to day learning, needs of our families, and problem-solving. 

When I start to do this I am not fully present for my husband who really needs me and my son who still needs me even though he is 18. I can only imagine that this is exponentially worse for those of you with school-age children

Here are a few tips that my colleague Emily Bryan shared with her staff that I thought I would pass on to you:

• When working on a virtual platform, manage your time and availability by communicating specific ‘support hours.’ For example:
• Notify students and families that you will read and respond to emails between 8-9am and 7-8pm.  
• Create a block of time when you are available for Zoom or phone support.
• Avoid creating an expectation that you are available 24/7.
• As much as possible, schedule your ‘work time’ around your personal needs. Consider “chunks” of work time vs. long stretches.
• Let go of perfectionism.  Just dive in, get started, and learn alongside your students and colleagues as you do it.  Mistakes are inevitable and a necessary part of this process.

Remember self-care you and your families come first. Our students need you but if you are not taking care of your own needs you can't take care of theirs!

Model Google Classroom Set-Up

Later today I will send you an invite to join a Lee Academy Google Classroom. This is a sandbox that I am playing in to practice my skills. I think that the best tip I came up with while I was playing is is to set up topics (Reading, writing, math, science, etc) The stream can get overwhelming without it.

Chromebook Updates

Based on what I heard during my call with the Superintendent today, I will have a big update on Chromebook distribution on Monday.