The district provided an opportunity for teachers to hold office hours for their students, which were held either before or after school, giving students a chance to connect with their teachers outside of school hours. Students could “drop in” to ask questions or get additional support. Elite Hours was a program by teacher invitation only for those students who needed a little additional support. Students could revisit lessons to catch up or strengthen their understanding on concepts to gain confidence. There were also intervention classes offered during the school day for both reading and math. Kids that were identified as needing additional support could be pulled out of their regular class and work in a smaller group setting.
Support for teachers and staff includes a district-operated teacher credentialing program for new teachers and those teachers who would like to become administrators in the district. The district also supports teachers and provides growth opportunities, year-round, for those teachers that would like to advance or grow in specific academic areas.
In addition, this summer we are providing professional development to teachers in writers workshop to train them to better implement a writing program to improve writing skills throughout the district. Overall writing skills were severely impacted during the pandemic and this program will be crucial to reverse learning loss. There will also be training over the summer for professional development on any new curricular adoptions. This was extended to the summer so that teachers have enough time to learn the new material and do not have to be pulled away from students. Lastly, mental health services are available not only to all our students, but for all staff as well. This has been a crucial area of concern post pandemic and the district wanted to make sure mental health services were available to all.