Teachers, PTA speak on hybrid system

 

Benton High School has gone from reopening from a two-week online-only education period, to revival, to a complete shutdown for three days in the space of 24 hours, something of a whiplash.

It might have been better, BHS parent Erica Caples said Tuesday, if a hybrid education system for all students had been put in place from the start of this semester. Caples, who serves as president of the St. Joseph PTA Council, anticipated this kind of development, which has been implemented across the state and region. The closure begins Wednesday and lasts through Friday, before hybrid education kicks off Monday, Oct. 12.

“It has been crazy, but I think that is across the board,” Caples said. “We’re all in this trying to figure it out and navigate together.”

In this system, Benton kids — and all other middle and high schoolers — will go to school on Monday and Thursday if their last names begin with A through K; for all others, they will go on Tuesday and Friday. Other days will be done through remote eduction.

Hillyard Technical Center and Webster Learning Center will be going in-person on every day except Wednesday. All elementary schools likewise will send students to school every day except Wednesday. All student extracurricular activities and athletics will proceed as scheduled.

At any rate, the St. Joseph PTA feels that the district is now following the right course.

“As long as we’re giving each other a lot of grace, I think we’ve done well, I think we are doing well,” Caples said. “I think everyone is being very resilient and adapting. It’s all we can do.”

The two teacher advocacy groups for the district, the Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri State Teachers Association, each conveyed their support for the new system. Denise Peters of the MSTA said teachers are presently becoming acquainted with the new system.

“It’s not something anyone wants,” she said. “We all want to be in person all the time. But we also have to accept the reality. That we’re in a pandemic right now, and things are going to have to change to keep us safe.”

J. Eric Simmons of the MNEA said teachers learned of the new system at the same time as everyone else — on Monday afternoon, as the SJSD Board of Education met in emergency session to unanimously approve it. The next three days of closure will be essential for teachers to adjust their approach to education for having kids in the building not as often as before.

“Is it going to prevent us from doing some of the things that we would like to do with a typical class? Absolutely, it will,” he said. “But, regardless, if this is something our district can do to protect our staff and protect our students and our families at home? Then, it’s the right move.”