ASBA Annual Conference Dr. Jay Barth, chief education officer for the city of Little Rock, said the stigma can be greater in certain communities. That means districts must be proactive. “I do think in the area of mental and behavioral health services, this is not a case of, ‘If you build it, they will come,’” he said. “There really has to be a level of work to get individuals and
families comfortable with the notion of seeking out these services.” Telehealth has been an effective tool for helping students access services. Fussell said telehealth lets her see patients in their own homes and family environments, where she can learn about their pets and toys. It also reduces the stress involved with going to the doctor’s office. Internet access is limited
in parts of the state, but telehealth isn’t going away, she said. Kindall and Sorey said the pandemic has been a collective trauma with longlasting repercussions. That means mental health services must be prioritized. “Mental health services have always been a support,” Sorey said. “There may be a moment where mental health services are primary.”
Key: Digital learning to continue The state’s secretary of education told school board members that digital learning models won’t end when the pandemic does. But he said some things are non-negotiable. By Steve Brawner Editor
Some of the virtual and hybrid arrangements created in response to COVID-19 will outlive the pandemic because parents will want to continue educating their children that way. But some things are non-negotiable, Education Secretary Johnny Key said at the ASBA Annual Conference Dec. 11. Key said 64% of students this year were onsite, while 22.3%, or 105,479 students, were studying remotely. Another 13.5% were engaged in a hybrid model of some kind. Key said the arrangements were created to give school districts a way to pivot to at-home instruction if necessary because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some patrons will want to continue a blended or remote education, so the state must be ready to continue offering these choices to parents and students.
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION JOHNNY KEY said digital programs must be planned with purpose.
“Even if the pandemic has subsided, we expect there will be parents across the state of Arkansas that feel like this is a good option for them. So we have to be prepared for that,” he said. For the upcoming 2021-22 school year, schools must offer 178 days of instruction under the law, but they will be able to continue to offer blended or remote instruction programs as they did this year. Quality is non-negotiable Key said six aspects of digital programs are “non-negotiables.” The
program must be planned with purpose; it must have high-quality content and instruction; students and teachers must have equity of access; teachers, students and parents must be offered support; there must be clear expectations, policies and guidelines; and school districts must plan for regular communication and interaction. Key said 5,125 at-home students had been identified by 108 participating school districts as either “no shows” who never engaged in remote learning or as students who were not logging in to their classes. The state has 262 school districts. In response to this situation, the state Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has partnered with the Graduation Alliance to create the Engage Arkansas initiative to engage those students along with others who are struggling at home. The division was contacting them and trying to set them up with a coach through the end of the school year. Among the students contacted at the time, more than 95% in grades 6-12 said they did have an adult checking on their progress. “Families are trying. Families are trying to support their kids. Sometimes they just find it difficult to do that,” Key said.
Schools should prepare to hire tech staff
How can school board members support digital learning? By replacing myths with facts, having high expectations, and offering grace. They also should be prepared to hire additional technology staff. 12 March 2021 Report Card
Those were among the suggestions in a breakout session at the Annual Conference titled, “7 Steps for School Board Members Supporting Digital Learning.” Cathi Swan, director of the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative,
said school board members should help dispel the myths associated with digital learning: that students can’t learn without a teacher in front of them, that technology will replace teachers, and that technology isn’t necessary because
