Trisha Conlin
LAPS District and School Board,
When our kids came home from school on March 13th we watched with bated breath to see how our fantastic district would respond. I expected the best because we are the best. We rank #1 school district in NM. I think everyone was disappointed in what they saw- Parents, teachers, and students.
Going off of our spring knowledge we chose the Hybrid model because the Online model was less than satisfying. A year of kids logging on only to find that half the time the teacher never came on, or just let the class talk, or released them after 5 minutes, was not what we wanted for the 2020-21 school year.
Before the school year started we thought heavily about pulling our kids out of LAPS and using an online homeschool program. We thought and prayed about this for days. We finally came to the conclusion that we would keep our kids in LAPS, knowing that if it was like the spring we would pull them out and go with a homeschooling program.
Now that the school year has started and we’ve been doing the Online model for 3 weeks I can honestly say that LAPS has met and surpassed my expectations. Our kids have gotten into a routine. They are able to see exactly what and when something is due. I can even hear my elementary age daughter laughing during class time. We are able to be as social as the family wants to be by allowing a limited number of social interactions when school and home responsibilities are done. Our kids feel like they are learning and succeeding.
When LAPS sent out the surveys about which model we would like to send our kids to we said Hybrid because we knew Full Time was not an option and Online was a joke. We were not given specific details about Hybrid or Online models. We did not understand the full extent of Hybrid that when the kids are home they are on their own, reviewing rather than learning. We were not aware of the teachers’ feelings and frustration with the Hybrid model, or the fear of getting sick.
We realize that this is a difficult time. We realize that we need to be flexible. But we also know that our children need the education that has been available in years past. We worry that without it they will struggle as they move forward with their LAPS and college education. Hybrid will only teach them about a quarter of what is normally taught. HS students will only meet with their teachers once a week, barring any sickness. We feel that our question of going to a homeschool program will be back on the table.
LAPS has found a way for students to continue to learn “almost” as much as in the past. LAPS has found a way for our students to succeed and not feel like failures. This is with the Online model. Yes, it’s different. The teachers can’t see them in person, students aren’t making those connections with other students, but at least their education will not be lacking. With time we are confident that the district will come up with a way for students to work in small groups and figure out how to implement the things that are missing from the Online Model.
We are imploring LAPS district and School Board to continue with the Online Model until we can switch to the Full Time model.
Trisha and Jeremy Conlin
I am a Substitute Teacher for this district. In past years I have subbed at each of the Elementary schools. This year I will only sub for Chamisa Elementary because that is where my youngest attends and where I feel most comfortable. I will be selective in which classes I sub. I am not willing to expose myself to hundreds of students, a risk that teachers are not even taking. I also will not be able to sub for the opposite class (Green or Gold) than my children- still waiting to hear what schedule they have been assigned.
Of the several Substitutes that I know, some have stated that they will not take jobs this year, others will only sub for their children’s class. I feel the district is severely overestimating how many subs they have that are willing to work this year in the whole district.
We were never asked if we felt comfortable subbing this year, it was just the same paper we sign every year. We haven’t been told what to do in a classroom concerning Covid. We haven’t been told if we need to take our temps each day we sub or any of the procedures.
Trisha Conlin
Questions about Hybrid Model:
-What is the threshold for Covid cases in the class, school, or district before we shut down?
-Does class or school get canceled when kids in a class are sick- not covid? What will this look like?
-If my child is sick, how are they to make up/learn what they have missed? (Teachers will only have Wednesdays to help).
-If we go to Hybrid and staff/students get sick and school closes will we go back to the Online model? And how long with the gap be between the models?
-What happens if subs refuse to take jobs and teachers are sick?
-Will substitute teachers be given PPE? Or do we need to provide our own?
-Are you certain you have enough subs for each of the schools?
Online Model:
-How do students take state tests?
-How do we get most of our electives back into the curriculum? Not just taking attendance, but actually teaching a class i.e. Weights or PE in the HS.