Thank You For Your Survey Comments

We have spent some time going over the survey comments and questions from the last week, and as a result wanted to respond to some of the larger topics addressed.  First off, thank you to EVERYONE that participated.  All of the positive comments around the supports and work of the district to this point have been passed along and were greatly appreciated.  Equally as important, were the comments sharing all of the areas where students (and parents) are struggling.  Below are couple of the most common concerns that were brought up, as well as the work we are doing to address them:

1.  Workload is too high:  Conversations are occurring at all levels around re-examining the workload for our students.  While we are committed to maintaining academic rigor, keeping students connected, and showing them care is our #1 priority.  If the amount of material that is traditionally covered through a course is not covered in this environment, that is OK.
2. When are school staff available for questions or extra help?:  I am asking building administrators to post something on their school website regarding this so everyone has the information.  Some buildings may also choose to send out an email with this information or do a phone dialer.  Stay tuned.  However, as always, do not hesitate to call the school or email the principal with any questions, such as this one, anytime!
3. Is Pass/No Pass an option:  Traditionally this is only an option through the first two weeks of a term. However, these are not traditional times.  We will be working right up until Monday morning to identify any limitations of our system, overcome those and by Monday morning we will have a plan in place that I will share here.  At a minimum, the plan will allow for extensive flexibility in regards to not having any deadlines to make this request for a course or multiple courses.  GPA should not be a stressor for students and families in this time. This will be consistent in grades 6-12 in both CDL at EHS and FRMS, as well as 6th-12th graders in the OPTIONS program.  Stay tuned for the exact details.  Needless to say, Pass/No Pass will be an option for all 6th-12th grade students right up until the end of the term.
4. How can parents get teacher contact information? On the left hand side of our webpage is a staff directory.  We made sure that it is up to date.  All FRSD staff should be listed there as well as the building phone number and their email address.

Thanks for your continued patience.  As we get these things resolved, we will be moving on to other areas of concerns shared in the survey.

Gary E. Carpenter, Jr., Superintendent, FRSD 28J