Medford Schools bring teachers in for on-site training

While Medford School District students will start off the year with distance learning, teachers are heading into schools soon for several days of on-site training.

They told her that's not gonna change how they count medford school district superintendent to discuss this new decision and what it means for teachers.

Tell us a little bit about what this plan is and why their teachers are coming back to the classroom.

Yeah.

So here's the, the center of everything we do is our students and student learning.

And that's essential.

That's the key, key thing that we do in the medford school district and the people who do that.

Uh, the best, um, our, our awesome classroom teachers.

And we know that we're starting school in a completely different manner this year.

And in order to ensure that our students are, our teachers are well-trained for our students, we are having extended in service time.

So we're having about two weeks of training and planning time for teachers prior to students coming back.

And during that time, we are asking that teachers come back for the.

For three days, the first week of training, tuesday, wednesday, and thursday, uh, to get some in person training around our new learning management system and our new student information system, plus what it means to be a, a comprehensive distance learning teacher.

And we know that that just like our stute for our students in person is the best kind of instruction.

Now we certainly will make arrangements if someone has.

A medical necessity, not in case you can't be there.

Of course they're not going to be required to come, but in order with the, the safety measures we have in place, um, and the fact that there will be opportunities if folks need to, after the, those required trainings are done, that they can make some arrangements with their principals.

Um, with that flexibility, then we'll be able to move on into the regular school year.

So this is just for the training.

They'll be back in the classrooms. they won't necessarily be in the classrooms. throughout the traditional schools session.

Yeah.

So we've heard from a lot of teachers who said, please let us teach for comprehensive distance learning from our classrooms. so that will certainly be an option.

And we actually prefer that we love for teachers to be in their classrooms. even if there aren't kids in there, they have access to their materials.

Um, easy.

There's an easier way to, to, to work with your peers whenever you're in your classroom.

And there's just, there's some normalcy to it as well.

Not to mention.

Well, some of the concerns that teachers have expressed to us from when they were working from home, um, technology concerns, we can, we can promise you yeah.

That the, the computer and the, the microphone and the camera will be working in your classroom.

And sometimes that internet connectivity is spotting wherever you, wherever you may live.

And so, yeah.

We know all those things are, are good benefits.

And we know that folks have challenges, whether it is medical or somebody that they, that they live in the same house hold with, or they have little kids of their own who need, um, some guidance during the, during the.

The learning from home that's going on.

And so that's why after we listened to all of the concerns, we made the decision to allow some flexibility, um, in circumstances where, uh, folks need to work from home.

And so what they'll do is work with their principal on figuring out what the plan is going to be to make sure that all