GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – It’s been about a year since students were in the classroom in Green Bay, and students are set to begin returning to in-person classes next week. Some parents are more than ready to get their kids back on track.
Parents like Melissa Stitz have been fighting to get their kids back into a physical classroom now for months. She says the frustrations continued to build as the goalpost was moved from certain gating criteria, to other criteria, to teacher vaccinations.
“Part of the challenge and frustration is the fact that currently in the state there are six districts that are still 100-percent of virtual, and we are one of those,” Stitz told WTAQ News. “Between now and the end of the year, my son will have about 24 in person days. Whereas a student in Ashwaubenon would have over 100 in-person days. Same community, it’s just the fact that they’re back sooner with more days.”
But she says amid the pandemic, everyone is just trying to navigate and do the best work they can to help the students through the times. Now that return dates have been cemented, Stitz says new hurdles arise.
“How do we ramp up quickly to make sure that we’re doing it the right way, but yet still not waiting and moving slowly? How do we do this efficiently?” Stitz said. “I think the challenge is how do we move quickly back to full time learning because there are over 300 schools in Wisconsin that are offering 4-5 days right now.”
The full plan would start with students in grades 3K-5 returning to class for four days a week beginning March 1st. A blended mix of students in sixth and ninth grades would also return to in-person classes on March 1st. On March 8, a blended group of students would return to in-person classes for grades 7-8, as well as grades 10-12.
A full schedule of how cohorts and blended models work is listed below:
Return to in-person learning plans including cohorts and blended models. (IMAGE: Courtesy of Green Bay Area Public School District)
The week of March 22nd, following spring break, would be virtual for all students. Students would return to blended learning on March 29th, the following week.
Stitz pointed to other districts that have done well since returning to in-person learning, and believes if Green Bay does the same, they could increase the number of in-person days for students in the district.
But even with those questions, Stitz finds reassurance in the plans and mitigation efforts being put forth by the district.
“One of the things the district did that I thought was really a positive thing, they had information in which they had contacted the teachers and districts that are currently offering face-to-face, as well as people in the community [businesses, doctors, etc.], so they have a long list of of suggestions,” Stitz said. “It sounds as though they’re ready, they’re prepared. They have stations set up, which I think is great, and should hopefully help provide some security to those that maybe are still a little nervous.”
Right now, she’s just hoping for the best.
“We really are kind of late to the game, so I really am hopeful that there’s a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. We need to continue to support their return to school, meaning families, parents, teachers, administration,” Stitz said. “We also have to give each other grace and patience and understanding that this isn’t going to be perfect, but we have to start somewhere.”
Comments