ROCKY VIEW— After families were allowed to decide on their students learning mode for the remaining term, Rocky View Schools saw those choosing between the classroom and online learning for elementary and middles schools remain static in number.
Superintendent Greg Luterbach provided an update on learning modes at the Rocky View Schools board of trustees meeting on Thursday (Jan. 21).
Rocky View Schools has about 17,000 students across Grade 1 to 8/9, he said, and families had the opportunity to decide on a learning mode for the remainder of the year from Jan. 11 to 15. Their choice will remain in place from Feb. 8 to the end of the year.
Of the families asked to indicate a learning preference using an intention form, about half of families responded, Luterbach said. Those who did not respond will stay in their current learning mode.
The vast majority of families, more than 90 per cent, Rocky View Schools heard from asked to stay in their current learning mode.
The remaining 10 per cent looking for a change accounted for about 750 students.
Luterbach said for the first half of the year about 2,250 Grades 1 to 9 students logged in online, for the second half of the year this number will stay about the same.
Rocky View Schools had 371 students online ask to go to in-person learning, while 377 were in-person and asked to move online.
Rocky View Schools saw a move of about 250 high school students to online learning, jumping from around 750 in the fall to around 1,000 in the winter.
The school division will hire a few more teachers for face-to-face learning using money from the $9.3 million Federal Return to School grant that was received in October.
Luterbach said the time table has been built for high school students, who were required to decide their learning mode in December.
“We have all the pieces ready to go for the high school switch-over on February first,” Luterbach said. “We appreciate all the different efforts being made by schools and education centre staff to pull this off and be able to support this choice for families.”
Luterbach added the response has been similar from teachers with some looking to move online, while others are hoping to return to the classroom.
“It’s been on all sides of the issue,” Luterbach said. “We have not run into a real situation whereby we haven’t been able to fit any of these spots— We’re proud of our staff and how they’ve stepped up.”
Luterbach noted Alberta Health Services and Alberta Education will decide if a school will be closed due to a COVID-19 outbreak. However, the division can advocate for action.
“We have a voice in it, but it’s not our call,” Luterbach said. “There needs to be a conversation and consultation.”
Ward 3 Trustee Jim Forrest said people have appreciated the ability to make the change. For Rocky View Schools to do this is a testimony to the hard work of all people involved in education.
“I’m very impressed we’re managing to make this work and we’re managing to do a lot of good in these difficult times,” Forrest said.
