When talking about the administration’s 4-1 hybrid learning model for the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD), superintendent Brigid Nease often emphasizes that plans are subject to change. Indeed, they are changing right now.
In her latest message to parents released on August 12, Nease mentioned that new guidance from Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) has changed the administration’s expectations for the school year. Specifically, she expects the district to transition to more in-person learning days faster than originally planned.
The original 4-1 hybrid model required students to learn in-person 1 day a week and at home 4 days a week until October at least. Now, Nease says that the district will likely move to 5 days of in person learning for grades PreK-4 by September 22, two weeks after the start of school.
The two-week transition will look slightly different for the older grades, however. By September 22, students in grades 5-12 will likely enter a hybrid model in which they work from home 3 days a week and in the classroom 2 days a week, instead of the original 4-1 model.
However, like all plans, this one is subject to change. For instance, there is also a chance that the state will tell districts to open in Step III (mostly in-person instruction) rather than Step II, (hybrid instruction, the current plan). If districts are told to open in Step III, Nease says, “it is not likely that the HUUSD will be able to offer a totally remote learning option for families.” Since staff will be working full time teaching students in person during Step III, the district won’t have enough staff to run a remote learning alternative for parents unwilling to send their children school in-person. “I believe those parents will need to apply for home study with the state,” said Nease.
