August 6, 2020 Vol. 21, No. 12
In This Issue FOUR SEASONS
Four Seasons, by Kevin Box, in real life is located in front of the Center for Transformative Learning on the UCO campus, but this week is hidden somewhere in our paper. Email contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing. For more information, see page 4.
Back to School section See Page 15
FRIDAY, August 7 Partly Cloudy High 93° Low 77°
SATURDAY, August 8 Mostly Sunny High 97° Low 74°
SUNDAY, August 9 Sunny High 96 Low 75°
By Nuria Martinez-Keel Oklahoman.com Edmond Public Schools opted last week for a blended learning model instead of reopening traditionally. The Edmond Board of Education voted 4-1 to approve the measure during a virtual meeting. The board also agreed to delay the first day of school to Aug. 20 to give time to prepare for the new schedule. The district’s 25,000 students will alternate between at-home learning and attending in the classroom. This would reduce the number of students in a school building by half to limit wider exposure of COVID-19. Originally the school district had planned to open Aug. 13 with most students in a traditional classroom setting. Now the district will group all students into either an A schedule or a B schedule. Students on the A schedule will attend face-
to-face classes on Mondays and Tuesdays. Those in the B group will come to school on Thursdays and Fridays. All Edmond students will learn from home on Wednesdays while schools are deep cleaned. Superintendent Bret Towne said it would have been nearly impossible for students to socially distance otherwise. “We’re very reluctant to think that we can open school face-toface with our buildings full right now,” Towne told The Oklahoman on Monday. “That’s just something that’s going to be difficult to do, so after that we have to look at our other options.” Children from the same family will be assigned the same A or B schedule, the superintendent said. Families will learn which schedule their children are assigned by Aug. 11. Teachers will grade assignments and take attendance even on remote learning days, a departure
from distance learning policies in the spring. The district announced in its previous back-toschool plan that it would ensure every student has a device and internet at home to access online learning. Another 2,500 students have chosen the district’s full-time online curriculum, called Virtual Edmond, Towne said. This would further reduce the number of children attending school in person. Lee Ann Kuhlman was the only board member to vote against blended learning. She said the risk of COVID-19 is too great to bring teachers, students and support staff back at all. “We’ve seen the numbers increase, and we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Kuhlman said. “I just feel very strongly that we are putting people at risk.” Parents, and patrons of the district, wishing to know more should consult the district’s web site at www.edmondschools.net