KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Considering all the obstacles, Kalamazoo Public School officials are fairly happy with the unusual school year forced on them by the coronavirus pandemic.
During a special school board meeting Tuesday night many parents called in to express their gratitude with how the first week of school began.
“I just say bravo. I don’t have anything negative to say about KPS,” one parent said. Another added, “I’m just grateful. My son has a lot of caring and supportive teachers.”
KPS Superintendent Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri says there were still some problems with WiFi servers for some students, but they’re doing their best to address those problems. “There’s still going to be issues along the way as we go through the school year, but it’s looking really well and I’m so grateful,” Raichouduri said.
KPS is also softening their mandate that all students participating in live online classes must have their cameras on. Raichouduri says there should be exceptions.
“With a stance towards cultural sensitivity, if a student does not feel comfortable having their camera on, there needs to be a discussion with the teacher, student and parent,” she stated.
Here is the video policy memo that was given to teachers as they began their virtual classes:
Dr. Raichouduri is also encouraging students to use the “background blur” tool on Google Meet so they can show their face while still maintaining some privacy of their surroundings.
Overall, the board still anticipates a lot of challenges through the school year, but Dr. Raichouduri says they’ve gotten feedback that most children are making the best out of the situation.
Trustee Ken Greschak says he is glad to see there has been no major drop in enrollment despite all the challenges. “We’ve had a few glitches, but 13,000 students, and it feels to me like the glitches are pretty pretty minimal,” he added.
More school updates can be found on the KPS website.
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