KISA School Re-Entry Plan

Click here for the full video press conference on Kent ISD's Re-Entry Plan Survey

Click here for the slides regarding survey results used in this press conference

OUR PURPOSE

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented moment in history, including for our public schools. Almost overnight, educators were directed to fundamentally transform the very nature of school itself — one in which teaching and learning no longer took place inside a traditional school building. While there are many unknowns at this time, we promise to be ready with multiple plans for a safe return to school this fall. One thing is certain: the way we look at public education will never be the same.

OUR CHARGE

As 20 autonomous public school districts within Kent ISD, we pledge to provide safe and accessible learning options for our students and families this fall. Our collective and unwavering commitment is to put the needs of our students above all else. We value collaboration as a necessary driver for advancing excellence, efficiency and equity. KISA member public school districts – Byron Center Public Schools, Caledonia Community Schools, Cedar Springs Public Schools, Comstock Park Public Schools, East Grand Rapids Public Schools, Forest Hills Public Schools, Godfrey Lee Public Schools, Godwin Heights Public Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Grandville Public Schools, Kelloggsville Public Schools, Kenowa Hills Public Schools, Kent City Community Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, Lowell Area Schools, Northview Public Schools, Rockford Public Schools, Sparta Area Schools, Thornapple Kellogg Schools, Wyoming Public Schools

OUR PLAN

Based on guidance from federal, state, and local health officials, along with feedback from over 30,000 stakeholders countywide, Kent ISD-area school districts in the upcoming school year...

1. ......agree it is our desire to return to full-time face-to-face instruction, per state health requirements. Almost 90 percent of surveyed parents believe that in-person learning is the best option for delivering a quality educational experience.
2. ...will provide a high-quality online learning option for students and families. One in five parents surveyed lack complete confidence in the safety of face-to-face instruction this fall.
   • The type of online delivery will be a local district decision, led and taught by local district staff or certified Kent ISD teachers, if preferred. Districts will have access to Kent ISD’s countywide online school – MySchool@Kent – as one potential option for delivery of virtual instruction for middle and high school students.
   • Districts will share best practices in virtual instruction to maximize efficiency and quality throughout our region, in particular online learning strategies for our youngest learners.
   • Robust training opportunities in virtual instructional models will be available to all educators regionwide.
   •  Families who choose an online option will have continued access to local district extracurricular and co-curricular activities.
3. ...acknowledge that a hybrid option — a mix of face-to-face and online learning — is notpreferred and will be implemented if it is the only way to have in-person instruction amandated by state executive order. If so, we will strive to employ common criteria to prioritize face-to-face instruction for our most vulnerable and youngest students.
4. ...will provide top-notch resources, tools and services to address academic learning gaps and social-emotional needs for students due to the Spring 2020 state-mandated school closure.
5. ...will advance exceptional supports and services for students, families and staff to address mental wellness linked to the pandemic.
6. ...agree to communicate and coordinate — to the extent possible — all pandemic-related districtwide policies or procedures. Coordination and communication on these policies is paramount in ensuring equitable access and opportunity across our region.