KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Parents with students in the Kalamazoo Public School district now have three different back-to-school learning options to pick from that all include a portion of virtual learning this fall.
During their meeting Thursday evening the Kalamazoo Public Schools Board of Education approved the district’s Smart and Safe Start Plan learning plan where all students will begin remotely on August 31st.
The three options passed on a 6-to-1 vote. Trustee Tandy Moore was the only member who voted against the plan because she opposed the learning option that utilizes the KRESA virtual curriculum.
Option one include a three-tiered plan that begins with online only classes, moves to hybrid classes after Thanksgiving, and returns to in-person class for the last portion of the school year, depending on the state of the coronavirus pandemic.
Families will also have the option to remain fully virtual for the full school year.
Options two and three offer all-year online learning programs, one created by KPS and the other is through the KRESA Virtual & Innovative Collaborative, or KVIC.
The KPS Virtual Learning Path plan, or KVLP, will use Calbert Learning kindergarten through 8th grade and GradPoint for 9th through 12th grade and the teacher will be from KPS, but he/she might not be from the student’s school.
The KVIC plan utilizes Lincoln Learning for kindergarten through 5th grade and Michigan Virtual for 6th through 12th. The teacher students will be in contact with virtually will be from Kalamazoo County but may or may not be specifically from KPS. AP classes will also be offered through the KVIC program.
Regardless of option, all students will still be enrolled at KPS and are still eligible for the Kalamazoo Promise.
KPS Superintendent Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri says overall the curriculum will be more rigorous and align to Michigan’s standards. The district will also provide Chromebooks for all students and WiFi connectivity for those who need it.
She adds that will take more than the “3 R’s” of reading, [w]riting and [a]rithmetic to make this year a success, it will also take relationships, routines and resilience.
Parents must fill out an option selection form indicating their choice for their child. That form can be found here.
Raichoudhuri says they have also developed a checklist that compares the three options to make it easier for parents to choose. That checklist can be viewed here.
The checklist was brought up during a series of listening forums Raichoudhuri held to gather input on how to properly reopen school.
“We listened to all stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, administrators, staff members, and community partners. We listened during scheduled public input sessions, board meetings, and meetings with KPS employees. We listened to health experts. We read a lot of emails, research, and guidance documents. We also looked at what worked well in the spring and what did not work as well. Our plan was developed carefully considering all of the above,” Raichoudhuri stated.
Here is a specific breakdown of the three learning options:
Option 1: KPS Three-Tiered/Trimester Model: tiered progression toward fully in-person
- Tier 1/Trimester 1: Aug. 31 – Nov. 24 Fully Remote: Taught by a KPS teacher with classmates from their school
- Tier 2/Trimester 2: Nov. 30 – Mar. 12 Hybrid Model: Two days in-person with social distancing Three days of learning activities at home
- Tier 3/Trimester 3: March 15 – June 11 Fully In-person: Five days a week for all students
Option 2: All-Year 100% Virtual: KPS Virtual Learning Path (KVLP) or KRESA Virtual and Innovative Learning Collaborative (KVIC)
- KVLP utilizes Calvert Learning for grades K-8 and GradPoint for grades 9-12. The teacher of record is from KPS (may or may not be from your student’s school). Your child will still be enrolled in KPS and eligible for The Kalamazoo Promise scholarship.
- KVIC utilizes Lincoln Learning for grades K-5 and Michigan Virtual for grades 6-12. The teacher of record is from Kalamazoo County (may or may not be from KPS). Your child will still be enrolled in KPS and eligible for The Kalamazoo Promise scholarship.
More information can be found on the KPS website.
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