Breakthrough Start 2020
Dear Breakthrough Parents and Families,
We have important information to share on how we plan to provide an excellent educational experience for your children no matter what challenges we face as a school community. After substantial research, large and wide-ranging survey responses from our families and staff, conversations with other education leaders in all sectors, and soul-searching discussions, we have made the following decisions regarding the reopening of schools on September 8th:
- A Remote Start: In response to feedback from our families and staff and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in our community, we have decided to open the school year with remote learning for all scholars. When schools closed suddenly in March, we focused on getting equipment and internet access to families that needed it, and were proud to resume school through online instruction for the remainder of the school year. Now, with the opportunity to plan and more fully train our teachers and staff, we are excited to be able to provide a dramatically enhanced remote learning experience for our scholars, teachers, and families. More details on our remote learning plans will be shared shortly.
- Out-of-Home Remote Option: We recognize that some parents will have an immediate need to find a safe place for their children during the school day, and we are working to create Remote Learning Centers in our school buildings or other safe venues in Cleveland where scholars can pursue their online classes in a safe and supervised setting. We will reach out to better understand your interest in this option, and we will share more information as soon as we can.
- Gradual In-Person Return: While we are committed to providing strong remote instruction, we believe that scholars learn best through in person interaction with their teachers and classmates. We are also very concerned about the negative impacts of social isolation and the other consequences of not being able to attend school in person. With those concerns in mind, we will be looking for gradual ways to bring scholars back into our buildings for in-person learning, as health and safety conditions permit.
We are excited about the opportunity to provide the best remote learning program in town, and ultimately look forward to the time when we can see and interact with our scholars in person. In the meantime, we will continue to invest in our school buildings and develop disciplined protocols to make them as safe as possible for our scholars and staff. In fact, our buildings will never fully close! We expect to provide meals, tech support, and other necessary in person services for scholars and their families. Our decision today to start the year remotely demonstrates our strong commitment to the overall health and safety of our scholars and the entire Breakthrough Schools community.
We will continue to share regular updates as we know more. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your school’s Principal or Director of Operations.
Stay safe, healthy, and we look forward to the start of another year together.
Alan Rosskamm
Breakthrough Public Schools