Bedford School Superintendent Jon Sills is scheduled to retire in about 10 weeks. But who’s counting?
Sills probably doesn’t have time. He is navigating the greatest challenge of his eight years at the helm: leading the transition to and implementation of remote learning necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The initial emphasis has been on “the social and emotional consequences of this crisis. We are really trying to rekindle a sense of classroom community,” the superintendent asserted.
“It is really quite remarkable, but truly not surprising, that our faculty has been able to put together such thoughtful, engaging and meaningful remote learning in such a short time,” Sills said. “It was only a matter of weeks ago that the majority of our teachers and counselors began to learn how to effectuate remote learning.”
“I am so impressed, not only by their teamwork, creativity, care, and compassion, but by their ability to pull this off under the incredibly stressful conditions that many of them are facing,” he continued, including managing their own children’s learning and, caring for ill family members, or dealing with reduced household incomes and other financial and emotional challenges.
Sills said the schools’ leadership team has been responsible for the approach to remote learning and its overall direction and coordination. Besides the superintendent and assistant superintendent, the group includes the four building principals, directors of finance, special education, counseling and technology, and library media, and the METCO director.
“Particularly helpful in training teachers to use the various platforms have been our instructional coaches,” said Sills, noting that most had no experience with Zoom, and the many teachers who were familiar with using SeeSaw or Google Classroom in class had never used them for remote learning, “let alone conceiving of and implementing entire weeks’ worth of communication and lessons using those platforms.”
“The goal is for all children to be engaged in remote learning every day,” the superintendent stated, “trying to find ways for students to learn at home using our online platforms but also in ways that do not depend upon technology.”
The biggest challenge, he continued, is supporting families who for a variety of reasons are having trouble helping younger children engage. This number has decreased “dramatically,” facilitated by the schools, which addressed technological needs by distributing Chromebooks and Hotspots, and directly reaching out to families. “All faculty– teachers, counselors, teaching assistants — etc. are playing a role,” he added.
“Families are in very different situations,” Sills explained. “A single mom who is a working nurse with an elementary-age child, for example, compared with parents working from home with a high school-age child == there are real challenges in terms of equitable access to the learning.”
In all of the schools, the superintendent said, “special educators have been simultaneously writing remote learning plans for each of their students and striving to serve them the best that they can under these circumstances. They collaborate with regular education classroom teachers, reach out to their individual students, and provide resources, materials, direct services, and related services according to the students’ current individual education plans.”
“This has been a particularly challenging expectation for our amazingly dedicated special educators, but one they have absolutely risen to meet,” he emphasized.
Overall, Sills reiterated, “The connection piece is key and truly appreciated by teachers, parents, and students.”
Click this link to read Bedford Schools and Distance Learning ~ Part 2 ~ Classes are Underway
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