Trustees approve administration's hybrid learning proposal

The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees approved a hybrid learning proposal brought forward by the administration that will allow students the option of on-campus learning while also prioritizing safety and social distancing.

The board approved ratifying a waiver to the Texas Education Agency to include the hybrid learning model.

High schools are implementing a hybrid model where students spend some days distance learning and other days on-campus. Wednesdays are “at-home” campus flex days where only designated students will be on campus.Sample schedule for a high school hybrid learning model.

A sample high school hybrid learning schedule.

Dallas ISD Chief of School Leadership Jolee Healey said schools will improve upon the hybrid model as principals determine the best ways to meet the needs of their students.

At the Sept. 24 board meeting, four Dallas ISD principals–Diana Nunez from Adamson High School, Mike Moran from Woodrow Wilson High School, Jonathan Smith from Carter High School, and Katie Eska from North Dallas High School–spoke to the benefits of the hybrid model.

Meanwhile, elementary and middle schools were considered for this model if the number of students intending to return to campus was larger than the campus space available for social distancing. Since the district knows this is a greater disruption for families with younger students, every attempt was made to find additional space.

After careful study of enrollment, campus capacity, portables and additional spaces, only one elementary campus also requires a hybrid model at this time. Based on survey results from that school, the campus is adopting a hybrid model where one group of students attend the campus in the morning and the other group attends the campus in the afternoon.

This decision, like all hybrid decisions, will be reviewed at the end of each nine-week period to determine when we can shift to five-day-a-week on-campus learning for all schools.

Watch the Sept. 24 board meeting here.