COVID-19 Community Report, Feb. 16 2021 Tue, 02/16/2021 - 10:13am | Autumn Labbe-Renault
This month I’m conducting a series of interviews devoted to the reopening of in-person instruction in the Davis Joint Unified School District. Last week I spoke with DJUSD Superintendent John Bowes, and I have two interviews today: teachers Amy George and Dianna Stommel. Dianna is also the current president of the Davis Teachers Association. Next week, I’ll speak to parents with different opinions about reopening.
Both teachers share what s it been like to teach remotely this year, and how they ve worked to build and maintain community in their classrooms. We also discuss what would make them feel safe and valued as the shift to hybrid and in-person instruction commences. Dianna addresses the DTA s position on reopening.
School board to discuss bringing students back
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The Davis school board will discuss its options for bringing students back into school classrooms for at least a portion of each week during Thursday’s meeting. Staff will point out the pluses and minuses associated with each option.
This will be the first time that the school board trustees discuss the specific proposals for return to campus during open session the school board’s discussions up to this point have been largely conceptual, while staff has researched how the various options would play out in the context of the Davis school district and its facilities.
School board hears lots of comment on COVID and school reopening plans
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During the Dec. 17 school board meeting, the trustees discussed the current COVID-19 situation in Yolo County, as well as the emerging plans for an eventual return to campus at some point in the future, after the health threat from the COVID virus has receded to a sufficient degree.
Leading off the COVID discussion was Dianna Stommel, president of the Davis Teachers Association, who acknowledged that due to the virus-related closure of school campuses, and the switch to distance learning (by teachers giving their lessons online, etc.) the present school year has been “difficult.”