Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit eesd.org/safetogether.

Please visit eesd.org/safetogether and click on the “Distance Learning” button on the left side of the page.

• 3 hours for TK/Kindergarten
• 3 hours, 50 minutes for Grades 1-3
• 4 hours for Grades 4-8
• Breaks (do not count toward instructional minutes)
• Lunch periods (do not count toward instructional minutes)
• Daily Live interaction

Our certificated staff will have the flexibility of teaching from the classroom or from home during distance learning

Teachers will have their prep time daily, and this will be embedded into the schedule.

More information about technology requests will be provided at a later date.

The district has invested in technology so that every student will receive a ChromeBook or iPad. We will make every attempt to provide students the same device as their teacher has, based on our records, but we cannot guarantee that this will occur.

While Distance Learning is an instruction model, the district will pay the difference between your current household internet service and upgraded high speed internet service. You will submit a copy of the prior month's service bill to show what the service monthly charge was and the following month's bill when the service is increased. The net difference will be reimbursed per month. Your School Principal or Director will sign off on the reimbursement form and a copy of each month's bill will be needed for backup. This is open to any currently employed instructional staff member/para working with students remotely from home.

Yes, you will be able to schedule substitute teachers this year. Substitute teachers will get trained in distance learning, and each elementary school site will get two long-term substitute teachers and each Middle School will get 3 substitute teachers placed on-site.

The district’s learning platform will be Google Classroom for grades 4-8, Seesaw for TK-3, and Elevation for English Language Learners. Zoom will be the video conferencing platform for our schools. Additional programs may be purchased by the school sites.

Once the MOU is approved, the schools can release teacher assignments, schedules and class lists to teachers. Contacting families prior to the first day of school is not required, and is optional if teachers would like to create this connection with students and families before the first day.

Climate, relationship, and culture building is always a part of the process of working with a new group of students during the first few days of school, as are instruction and assessments.

Principals will be scheduling drive-through equipment/materials pick ups, as well as back to school night activities. However, in person Meet & Greets would not be safe at this time, due to county health orders and the volume of people who would be coming together on campus.

Class sizes will remain the same in distance learning.

• Student ZoomDesk: Students will have the opportunity to call a homework help desk for support with school work.
• Technology Support Desk: Students and families will have access to tech support. ESD will make efforts to offer tech support in Spanish and Vietnamese.

More information, including website and telephone number information will be provided at a later date.

Please work with the parents, principal and, if needed, the district’s social workers on developing a re-engagement plan (if the student has attendance issues) and/or learning plan to address their needs.

i-Ready-August 26th (TBD)
CPM-TBD
Ellevation (English learner) Training - August/September and ongoing
Google Classroom - August 10-12
Distance Learning Ongoing Training
Asynchronous Training Tech Tuesday newsletter and ESD Most Requested Help Website
Synchronous Training - TBD based on staff survey (1st Wednesdays)
Seesaw - TK-3 (Training TBD)

School-based activities can continue to be offered in a modified manner:

• Schools will continue to provide school-based activities and clubs, in a virtual format
• Teachers, Principals, and Support Staff will use a creative approach to help students connect and engage in clubs, and school spirit activities

• SB 98 creates requirements for reporting attendance during distance learning.
• Teachers will take students' attendance and participation under distance learning
• SB 98 defines daily participation & requires districts to develop a re-engagement plan if a student misses more than 60% of their weekly participation rate.
• Students and families can expect that ESD will make every effort to ensure student participation, including making home visits, if necessary.
• Student attendance is not optional.
• ESD will work with families to ensure their children attend school, offering support if the family is experiencing hardships that prevent the child from attending school.

More information will be forthcoming from your site principals regarding the processes and procedures for tracking attendance and instructional minutes. Note: Additional information regarding excused/unexcused absences, reporting absences, as well as addressing technology and electricity (i.e., brown outs) challenges that prevent student attendance, will be provided by your school site.

Spanish and Vietnamese translators and assistance will be available for EL students and their families.

The district is returning to a traditional grading model for grades 4-8, and primary grades will receive O,S,U, or N.

We are currently evaluating staffing needs to address the work environment and programmatic adjustments due to distance learning, and we will be working with CSEA regarding MOUs for reassignments.