Today marks the completion of our first full week of remote learning. I hope you and your family are finding a bit of a routine and normalcy during this time.
I want to share with you that I, along with 13 other school district superintendents across the Front Range, have collectively made the difficult decision to keep our schools closed to in-person learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Click here to view the collective letter from myself and these 13 additional superintendents.
This closure includes all in-person instruction, athletics/activities, BASE (before and after school care), preschool, outdoor education, DCSD sponsored field trips/camps, and facility rentals.
A significant consideration in making this decision today is that many models currently show that the impact of COVID-19 is likely to peak in the last week of April. Even once COVID-19 reaches its peak in Colorado, we know that there will be an equivalent amount of time after the peak in which the virus continues to pose a significant threat. The continued safety and public health risk this presents for our students, staff, and families moves us to take the step of extended closure to in-person learning through the balance of the school year.
I participated on a call this morning with Governor Jared Polis, Colorado Commissioner of Education Katy Anthes, and many area school district superintendents. During that call, Governor Polis acknowledged that having students continue with remote learning for the remainder of the school year eliminates yet another transition for our students.
Please know this was not an easy decision and we recognize the impact this has on our families. However, I feel this is the best step for us to take as a school district and a community.
With this extended closure, Monday, April 6 will be a teacher planning day with no student assignments or classes. If your child attends a DCSD charter school, please check in with your child’s school.
DCSD will continue with remote learning through the end of the school year. As I shared with you yesterday, the
DCSD Remote Learning Plan (
printer-friendly version download here) is now available and I believe it will answer many of the questions you may have. This plan includes details on grading, attendance, hours students should spend learning online each day, and more. Additionally, there is a
Remote Learning Frequently Asked Questions page on the DCSD website. We will continue to update this page as needed.
My communication earlier this week included details on continuing our
free breakfast and lunch for anyone 18 years and younger, the waiver of community service hours for 2020 graduates, technology access during remote learning, special education services, mental health resources, prom, and more. If needed, please reference my
April 1 communication, or visit our website at
www.dcsdk12.org/coronavirus for updates and resources.
Our Class of 2020, and other milestone student celebrations are of utmost importance and we are looking into options for high school graduations, as well as other K-12 student celebrations. I will share more information on our plan as soon as it is available.
This is an unprecedented situation we find ourselves in and I encourage you and your loved ones to continue following the advice and guidance of our healthcare professionals. As I mentioned above, COVID-19 is expected to peak in our area during the last week of April. Please remember to avoid playgrounds, athletic fields, ballparks, tracks, etc. located on DCSD property, and follow the Stay-At-Home executive order issued by Governor Polis.
Most importantly, please remember to take care of one another during this time. We are in this together and we appreciate the strength of our DCSD family. For the latest information, resources, and more, visit
www.dcsdk12.org/coronavirus.
Thomas S. Tucker, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Douglas County School District