Tri-Cities parents asked to start teaching their kids at home. Teachers told to help

Schools might be closed because of coronavirus, but Tri-City parents and students can expect to keep learning.

Tri-Cities teachers are being asked to take a more active role in helping parents teach their children as schools remain closed for a third week.

This comes as state officials asked school districts to hand over their plans to the state for continuing to educate students during the six-week shutdown.

Washington’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction expects schools to start teaching kids. What that will look like will depend on the school district.

The push is a change from the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. At the time, state leaders wanted to make sure education was applied fairly if it was going to be done online.

This changed after a U.S. Department of Education urged states to try to teach students, even if they can’t reach everyone equally.

“They said don’t hang out at a zero because you’re worried about not doing it at a 10,”said Superintendent Chris Reykdal.

All of the Tri-Cities schools districts shared ways for students to learn during the closure. They’ve also sent out packets of information and worksheets, and now they are taking more steps toward reaching students and parents.

Kennewick schools

The Kennewick School District provided a guide to help parents who suddenly find themselves leading a home school.

They advise parents to set up a daily routine, provide a place for homework, talk to their children about activities and limit time spent watching TV, playing video games and surfing social media.

Starting this week, Kennewick teachers are developing weekly plans and schedules for students along with contacting families.

“Teachers will be communicating with students (and) families to help ensure students are receiving learning activities, to help answer questions and to provide guidance and support to students,” the message from Kennewick leaders said.

Along with providing activities and lessons to the students, they will give feedback.

While students will be learning, they won’t receive all of the material they would get in a normal classroom, Kennewick officials said.

Students won’t be graded when they finish assignments, and won’t be penalized if they don’t finish. And grades won’t be hurt by the school closure.

“Students will be encouraged to complete new learning activities and complete any make-up work assigned prior to the school closure,” Kennewick officials said. “Our goal is to fully support student learning throughout the closure period.”

Pasco schools

Teachers will be checking in during the next two weeks with students and families.

The check-in is aimed at determining whether students have access to technology and what barriers they might face with learning away from school.

The district plan for the next few weeks includes providing lessons to all of the students.

Pasco elementary school teachers have already been busy putting together online resources and paper packets for K-5 students. This week, sixth- through eighth-grade students will also get the worksheets.

The lessons can be picked up along with lunch and breakfast at any of the meal sites, and they’re available online, the school district said Friday.

High school students will start getting their weekly lessons on April 13.

“Providing learning through an extended closure is uncharted territory for all of us,” Pasco officials said. “We will continue to refine our services as we learn and improve.”

With a district where nearly 70 percent of the students are low-income, there are concerns about students having access to computers and the internet. The school district planned to distribute laptops last week, but canceled the event because of other shutdowns.

Officials are planning to get the computers to students who need them.

Richland schools

While Richland did not spell out a plan yet, the district already has been working on its distance learning.

They’ve promised that teachers will have weekly contact with students about learning goals, activities and assessments.

In the first week of the closure, the district sent Chromebooks home, and had teachers putting together lesson packets.

“We are asking all of our families to join us, as cooperation and collaboration is critical as we transition from learning in the classroom to learning at home,” the Richland School District said on its website. “By working together we can help students stay on track to move to the next grade level, the next course and/or graduate.”

Educators suggested that parents talk to their students about what they are struggling with, and then reach out to their student’s teachers.

“It truly does take a village,” officials said. “While everyone should do their part to follow social distancing guidelines at this time, consider ways to ease the transition to this new learning model.”

Richland has a resource page available for parents on its website.

This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 1:31 PM.