Posted 8.3.2020
Dear Students, Staff, and Families,
On Saturday morning, August 1, 2020, the Grandview Heights Schools Board of Education met and approved my recommendation to start the 2020-2021 school year in full-time distance learning beginning Monday, August 17.
For now, Grandview Heights Schools has moved to “Phase 1” of the OHSAA guidelines for all sports, which focuses on skills training in groups numbering 10 or fewer. We will look to be creative and continue to offer extracurricular and band using technology and other strategies. This area is rapidly changing and new guidance and recommendations seem to be released hourly. We will continue to monitor these updates and communicate with our students, athletes, coaches, and families.
These decisions are based upon the recommendations of the Franklin County Public Health (FCPH). A copy of those guidelines are attached.
Like you, I am deeply saddened that we will begin the school year in this way. But I also take into account that we must listen to our health experts to ensure our community remains healthy and safe. We are still hopeful that in person learning will happen this year, but that decision will be based on what the public health data tells us.
We are not recommending a specific date in which to return to in person school. Rather, we will continually reassess our ability to return to school in person based on the FCPH recommendations.
I will be meeting with FCPH weekly, on Tuesdays, to gather updates regarding the most current data and will also be providing weekly updates to our school community. It is our collective goal to have students physically back in school as soon as possible based on FCPH recommendations. If students and staff are able to safely and physically return to school based on any new recommendations or criteria issued by FCPH, then I will communicate this information on a Tuesday and we will return physically to our hybrid model on the following Monday.
Remote learning for the upcoming school year will look very different from last year when our schools had to close abruptly with little notice. Grandview Heights Schools has created an enhanced remote learning environment based on feedback from staff and families. Each building principal will be sending out their updated schedule today or tomorrow for your review.
We will follow up with all the families who have registered for Florida Virtual School (FLVS) to assess whether they want to remain in the FLVS pathway. Families will have the choice of continuing to participate in FLVS or switching to our distance learning option. Should we pivot to a hybrid model, we WOULD switch those families back to FLVS and/or a distance learning cohort by grade level if available.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Andy Culp, Superintendent
Posted 7.29.2020
Dear Students, Staff, and Families,
You may have heard that many school districts in central Ohio, including Bexley, Columbus, Gahanna, Hilliard, Southwestern, and others, have announced that their districts will be starting the 2020-2021 school year in full-time distance learning. We expect other central Ohio districts to make that decision as well in the coming days.
For the past several months, I, along with other central Ohio superintendents, have been meeting weekly with Dr. Mysheika Roberts of Columbus Public Health and Mr. Joe Mazzola of Franklin County Public Health (FCPH). During our meeting on Tuesday, they released new recommendations and criteria. Based upon the case counts, positivity rates, and trend data, they have advised that schools begin the school year with all students in distance learning. This morning, Mr. Mazzola officially released his recommendations. A full copy of his letter is attached.
FCPH is strongly recommending all schools begin the 2020-2021 school year operating remotely. FCPH will be evaluating surveillance data and communicating its observations weekly with school partners as the school year begins. Specifically, FCPH will be monitoring the following:
- Overall level of risk as defined by the state public health advisory alert system. They are recommending that this not be used as the indicator, but rather just as a single metric for consideration. We had initially communicated that “it will be used as AN indicator not THE indicator” for Grandview Heights Schools.
- Weekly trends in the overall number of cases and in those who are school-aged. Currently Franklin County is averaging around 260 new cases daily. This needs to be significantly reduced.
- Trends in county testing positivity rates as provided by healthcare partners. Currently, positivity rates are between 8 and 13 percent. This also needs to be significantly reduced.
FCPH also recommends that schools discontinue extracurricular activities including sports, band, and other activities during periods of remote learning.
This Saturday, August 1, at 10:00 a.m., the Grandview Heights Schools Board of Education will hold a special board meeting to discuss these new recommendations and decide how to proceed with the upcoming school year.
Based on these new Franklin County Public Health recommendations and in deference to the sobering COVID-19 spread in Franklin County, unless something significantly changes, I plan to recommend to the board that Grandview Heights Schools begin the school year in full distance learning.
We will continue to meet with Mr. Mazzola and his team on a weekly basis to reassess our ability to physically return to school. It is my intention to bring students physically back as soon as we are able based on improvement in the above outlined criteria and guidance from FCPH; therefore, I am not recommending a specific date to return to school.
Realistically, based on current metrics outlined in Mr. Mazzola’s letter, Franklin County has some significant work to do in reducing the spread of COVID-19. We have a reopening plan that ensures a high quality distance learning experience for students, yet allows us to pivot.
Like you, there’s nothing I want more than to begin the school year with students and staff in the classroom. That remains our goal. However, we must follow the guidelines of health experts to make sure we open school in the safest way possible for all. We know that this is not how parents, board members, students, teachers, or administrators want to start the school year. We hope this is temporary and look forward to the day we can safely be back in our classrooms and school buildings soon.
The Board of Education special meeting on August 1, at 10 a.m., can be observed on the district’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/c/GrandviewHeightsSchools If you would like to address the board during Public Participation portion on the agenda, please email Hayley Head, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, at [email protected] by 4 p.m. on Friday, July 31, with your request to speak.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Andy Culp, Superintendent
Posted 7.24.2020
Dear Grandview Heights Schools Families,
On July 22, 2020, the Grandview Heights Schools Board of Education approved the Plan for Learning 2020-2021. In addition, the district is moving the first day of classes for students to Monday, August 17th. This will allow for additional professional development and training for staff to ensure a safe and smooth transition for students.
When school reopens on August 17th, families will have two educational pathways to choose from:
- A School Based Pathway, which is linked to Governor Mike DeWine’s county level color alert system; however, additional conditions could also come into play should there be a more localized outbreak. School will be in person for all students when the alert level is yellow or orange. Students will be in the hybrid AM/PM model when the alert level is red. If the color alert is purple, students will be distance learning.
All in-person pathways include extensive plans for distancing, masks, sanitization, and increased cleanings.
Based on the current health and safety guidelines provided by the Franklin County Board of Health, the school year will start on the hybrid model. That means 50% of students will attend school in the morning and 50% of students will attend school during the afternoon.
OR families can choose:
- 100% Online Learning from home through a partnership with the Florida Virtual School. Families are asked to please commit to the Florida Virtual School option for their child for at least a trimester or quarter. That way, students can remain on-track and uninterrupted with the material covered in each pathway. It also allows the district to appropriately dedicate resources and staffing. On Monday, July 27th, families will receive an email specific to the Florida Virtual School online learning pathway. The deadline to sign up for the Florida Virtual School will be Tuesday, August 4th.
This upcoming school year will be complex, varied, and unlike any other school year. We sought extensive input from our families and staff, and we knew we needed a plan that would ensure a high-quality learning experience for students and allow us to pivot should we need to close our physical school doors again.
We thank you for your patience and continued understanding throughout this process. We know that many families will still have questions and we encourage you to visit our website. We will be here to work with you and answer your questions every step of the way. Families can learn more about our comprehensive reopening plan by visiting https://www.ghschools.org.
Thank you and please stay safe,
Andy Culp, Superintendent
Posted 7.23.2020
Florida Virtual School Registration Process Update
Dear Grandview Heights Schools Families,
This is a quick update regarding the upcoming Florida Virtual School registration process. Last night during our Grandview Heights Schools Board of Education meeting, I indicated that we would be sending out a registration form today for the Online Learning option with Florida Virtual School (https://www.flvs.net/) and that registrations would be due by Friday, July 31st.
I wanted to share with you that we are modifying our timeline in order to provide our families with the most up to date and accurate information as well as more time for decision making about this online learning option.
We have a meeting scheduled with Florida Virtual School on Monday, July 27th. We plan to send out the registration form after our meeting on Monday, July 27th. Registrations will then be due by Tuesday, August 4th. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Andy Culp, Superintendent
Posted 7.23.2020
Grandview Heights Schools Board of Education approves Plan for Learning 2020-2021 at July 22, 2020, Board of Education meeting. Watch the meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctJapdKQ4ek
Posted 7.23.2020
Grandview Heights will offer school-based 'pathways,' online learning when classes resume
By ALAN FROMAN
THISWEEKNEWS.COM
Posted Jul 22, 2020 at 10:00 PMUpdated at 2:39 PM
The Grandview Heights school board voted Wednesday, July 22, to approve a plan for the 2020-21 school year with an option that includes three school-based “pathways” the district could pivot to and from as needed and a virtual-learning option that families can choose.
If the school year was to begin now, the district would use a hybrid model in which students spend half of every day in their school building and the other half engaging in distance learning at home, Superintendent Andy Culp said.
The other school-based pathways are a traditional school model with enhanced safety protocols and an enhanced distance-learning program because of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Culp said.
The distance-learning program will include an enhanced structure and consistency from what the district offered in the spring to meet the needs of students and the feedback received from students, families and staff, he said.
The color-coded system adopted by the state will be a major criterion, but other criteria will be used to determine if and when the district needs to switch from one model to another, Culp said.
Grandview Heights Schools will partner with the Florida Virtual School for the online option offered for families who would not be comfortable sending their children back to school under a traditional or hybrid model, he said. The online academy will be offered at no cost to families. The online academy will be facilitated by a Grandview Heights teacher, Culp said.
Families are being asked to decide by Friday, July 31, if they want to have their children participate in the online academy.
The district is asking parents to commit to the online academy for a trimester or quarter, if possible, Culp said.
As of July 22, the parents of about 30 students have indicated their children would be participating in the online academy if a traditional or hybrid model was in place, he said.
Ten to 20 more families have indicated through email messages that they are considering the program, Culp said.
The planned first day for students in Grandview is Aug. 17.
[email protected]
@ThisWeekAfroman
Posted 7.6.2020
Dear Students, Staff, and Families,
On Thursday, July 2, Governor Mike DeWine announced back to school health and safety guidelines for all school districts across Ohio. Grandview Heights Schools is currently reviewing those guidelines in its plan to return to school on August 13, 2020. We are waiting for a second document for schools from the Ohio Department of Health that will provide additional guidelines. Here is the link to the guidance that he shared today: Reset-Restart-Full.PDF
Governor DeWine also shared a new Ohio Public Health Advisory System for Ohio counties. Each week, the state will report out on the status of all 88 counties in the state. These alerts range from Level 1 (yellow) to Level 4 (purple). As a county’s alert level increases, precautionary measures should increase. Franklin County is currently at a Level 3 (red) and approaching a Level 4 (purple).
We have outlined and communicated a three phase process to help us shape our final decision: 1) Data and Research; 2) Design and Planning; and 3) Decision. We surveyed our staff, our students, and families as part of the data and research phase and this information is helping us formulate and shape our “Grandview Heights Schools Philosophy and Planning for Learning 2020-2021” document. This document was shared at our board work session for the board's feedback on Thursday, June 18. We will be following up with another Board Work Session on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, to further garner additional feedback from the Board of Education regarding what school will look like this Fall. A final decision will be made later this month. We are working on a date for that meeting.
We owe it to our students, staff, and families to be fully prepared for all three possible scenarios outlined below. Even if we are back to school in a “traditional” setting this Fall, for example, it is possible that we will be forced to transition to a hybrid model or distance learning for a period of time based on the spread of COVID 19. Please know that we will, should we be in either a traditional or a hybrid model for schooling, provide distance learning (we are evaluating live streaming capabilities and distance learning cohorts for students based on numbers) for those students and families that are not comfortable returning to school.
These pathways include:
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Traditional School Setting with significant mitigating safety protocols;
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Hybrid Model of Traditional and Distance Learning (currently K-12 AM/PM day rotation by last name 5 days a week); or
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Enhanced Distance Learning
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Online pathway for any student or family that is not comfortable returning (if that’s what Grandview Heights Schools decides)
By planning and preparing for 4 pathways, we can pivot from one pathway to another if needed. Once we thoroughly review the guidelines from the state, the Ohio Department of Health, and meet with Franklin County health officials, we will be able to share more details regarding our plan for school this Fall. We will be sharing the 4 pathways with our entire community after our July 8th Board of Education meeting.
Our goal is to make sure that our reopening plan aligns with our commitment to maximize and personalize every student’s learning in the safest way possible.
Sincerely,
Andy Culp, Superintendent
Previously Posted
Dear Students, Staff, and Families,
The district has embarked on a three-phase process to collaboratively engage our students, staff, and parents to help design various scenarios for what learning could look like as we head into this Fall.
Like all other school districts in Ohio, we will work within the framework of guidelines from the Ohio Department of Education and local health officials. We've all seen what a fluid situation this has been; therefore, we will need to continue to be as flexible as possible in our planning.
As a reminder, the three phases are data and feedback; design and construction of options; and, finally, a decision phase.
Thank you to our students, staff, and parents who participated in the survey as part of Phase 1. The survey results can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q1UT91lOUqSFeWKsNr50Y6FPlFOyD0F-p0OuJ9fXbvA/edit?usp=sharing
Right now, we’re in the process of unpacking the data. This feedback will help shape how we develop our plans for the possible scenarios, and most notably, for distance learning.
During Phase 2, we will be working on three back to school scenarios: 1) Traditional School Setting; 2) Hybrid Model of Traditional and Distance Learning; or 3) Distance Learning. By planning and preparing for a variety of situations, we can pivot from one plan to another if needed. We owe it to our students, staff, and families to be fully prepared to deliver our stated mission to maximize and personalize every student's learning and, at the same time, be flexible should we be forced to shift from one scenario to another if the environment or rules change.
The final phase, Phase 3, is the decision phase. I, as your superintendent, will be making a recommendation to the Board of Education to approve our plan for delivering either distance learning, a hybrid model of learning, and/or traditional learning with a focus on the health and safety of our students in late June or July.
Together, we must continue to be nimble, flexible, and adaptable in regards to our planning. Thank you for your continued grace, flexibility, understanding, and participation in your child’s education, and thank you for taking the time to help us plan for the future.
Sincerely,
Andy Culp, Superintendent
