Dedicated to excellence in education
Update October 16, 2020
Update: October 16, 2020
Dear FCUSD Community: Please see today’s updates below and continue to visit www.fcusd.org/2020-21schoolyear to see this and past messages sent.
ETIS Notice: Technical issue with email
We are currently troubleshooting an issue in which teachers are unable to email students’ FCUSD email addresses. We hope to have the issue resolved early next week. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Elementary Parent Information and Q&A Night: Hybrid Reopening
Folsom Cordova Unified School District is preparing to welcome elementary students and staff back for in-person instruction in a Hybrid model on November 9. In order to address community questions, the District hosted a virtual informational night and Q&A session on October 15 to explain instructional options and outline health protocols. Comments and questions were collected through Thoughtexchange, an online crowdsourcing tool that allows participants to submit a question or thought and then rank other participant’s submissions. Top-ranked questions and highest-rated thoughts submitted last night were brought to the top of the conversation, which allowed District staff the opportunity to respond and answer.
Click here to view Thoughtexchange results
Major points to note from the presentation:
- October 21: Announcement of teachers who will be assigned the Hybrid or Virtual Academy
- October 21: Elementary parents will receive a follow-up survey to choose either Hybrid instruction or the Virtual Academy.
- October 23: Rebalancing of classes will be completed
- Every effort to keep students with their current rostered teacher will be made, although as schools rebalance their classrooms this cannot be guaranteed.
The top-rated themes/questions included:
- Why can’t elementary begin in January, after Winter Break?
- How will I know if my student’s teacher will be in the Hybrid or Virtual Academy?
- What will the Virtual Academy look like?
- What are the protocols if a student or staff tests positive for COVID-19?
- How will classrooms be sanitized, in between AM/PM cohorts?
- If I begin in Hybrid but want to switch to the Virtual Academy or vice versa, will I be able to do that?
- It’s cold and flu season, how will students who are sick be evaluated?
- What happens if the county cases start to surge, and we are moved back into Tier 1?
- What if students refuse to wear a mask, and are masks mandatory?
Please see the attached document with responses to these questions from last night’s information and Q&A. These questions will also be incorporated in our Frequently Asked Questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
For updated answers to frequently asked questions, please visit our website:
Secondary students schedules and updates
As we plan for reopening our secondary schools, more information and discussion will be shared in the upcoming days and will be included as an agenda discussion item at our upcoming Board Meeting on October 22.
Additionally, we will be scheduling an information forum, with an opportunity to address common questions for secondary school reopening plans, in the very near future. We will follow the same format as we used for the Elementary Parent Information and Q&A Night. The evening will begin with a presentation of information from staff, followed by a Thoughtexchange opportunity to submit questions to be answered by staff that evening.
Special Education Cohorts begin opening October 21, 2020
Please see the updated information and schedule for special education cohorts below:
- Preschool: 11 Cohorts
- Elementary: 25 Cohorts
- Middle School: 7 Cohorts
- High School: 14 Cohorts
- ACTT- FLHS: 3 Cohorts
Transportation will begin 10/26
Note: not all student cohorts are opening on October 21. We will open additional cohorts as we are able to safely staff them. Students who have been assigned to a cohort opening on 10/21 will be notified by the school. Students assigned to a cohort not opening on 10/21 will be notified by the special education office.
Special Board Meeting on 10/15
The Board met in Closed Session, Thursday, October 15, to provide direction to the negotiation team for the implementation of a Hybrid Learning Model. The safety of students and staff is of the utmost importance to the Board, as is evidenced by the expenditure of more than 7.4 million dollars provided by CARES Act funding, on items including HVAC units and filters, plexiglass, and other significant PPE accommodations and safety precautions.
At the urging of FCEA, we have tried a volunteer system under the most recent MOUs. The lack of volunteers, however, has left the District understaffed.
Based upon this experience, a majority of the Board has directed its team to negotiate the impact and effects of a Hybrid Learning Model which requires a return to in-person teaching. We know that in-person teaching will not be possible for all teachers. Accommodations for teachers unable to return will be made in accordance with the law, including but not limited to leaves of absence. Depending upon student needs, accommodations may include a distance learning position.
Other updates…
New school reopening guidelines released from Sacramento County Public Health. To read the full document, please click this link:
Sacramento County Public Health COVID-19 Reopening Guidance for Schools, 10-13-20
Free Flu Shot Clinic, November 3!
FCUSD and Sacramento County Public Health have teamed up to offer a free flu shot clinic on November 3, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. All are welcome and no appointment necessary. For more information, please see the attached flyer