School districts throughout Delaware County, closed through April 29 by Governor Andrew Cuomo due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have been forced to approach education in a new way - online, mostly.
Walton and Sidney Central School Districts, along with all others in Delaware County, have transitioned to online learning through the use of various platforms including Zoom video teleconferencing, Google platforms and email.
Students were provided with Chromebooks to facilitate access to online learning, and those without internet access have paper copies of assignments delivered to them.
Walton Interim Superintendent Larry Thomas and Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock had high praise for their staff and student body in dealing with the unforeseen public health crisis which has brought the state to an extreme slowdown.
The guidance provided to school districts by the state education department dealing with impending deadlines and testing requirements was immediate and thorough, Bullock said.
The information and guidance continues to be updated every two weeks, he said.
Annual English Language Arts (ELA) and Math tests were cancelled, followed by the cancellation of annual Regents exams. Those exams, Bullock explained, are measuring tools and though the districts will now be without the data which helps guide curriculum, there are several other benchmarks and measuring tools in place to asses student progress and absorption of materials.
Sidney works with common formative assessments on a two week cycle to measure instructional gaps and to determine how well students are progressing. Essentially, Bullock explained, there are other tools in place to make certain students are meeting educational “targets.”
Requirements regarding Regents testing have been waived, Bullock said, and Regent’s diplomas, honors and awards of distinction will be awarded if classroom and coursework is successfully completed with passing grades and learning standards are met.
The cancellation of the exams will not impact students moving to the next grade level or graduating.
Regarding graduation ceremonies, it is too early to tell what will happen as it remains unknown whether schools will re-open prior to the end of the school year in June.
Districts are not in jeopardy of losing state or federal funding because the tests are not being administered, Bullock said, which is critical because school budgets for the 2020-21 school budget year are being drafted.
The Sidney Board of Education expects to adopt its preliminary budget on May 5, Bullock said; and the Walton Board of Education is expecting to adopt its preliminary budget at its first meeting in May, Thomas said.
School budgets and board of education elections typically take place in mid-May and have been postponed until after June 1, with a rescheduled date expected to be announced by state officials in the coming weeks.
School superintendents throughout the county are meeting daily, via teleconferencing, for updates and clarity with regard to the changing policy.
“Education as we’ve known it for decades came to a halt,” Bullock said. Teachers had one day to adapt their teaching style to an online platform. “I’m impressed and proud of our staff. They continue to embrace where we are going,” Bullock said. When faced with challenges and adversity, school staff members were instrumental with collaborative brainstorming and teamwork to address many of the “unknowns” presented by the sudden closure of schools.
