TIGARD, Ore. — Many students in Oregon are heading back to the classroom starting this week.
In her executive order, Governor Kate Brown told schools across the state they had to offer some form of in-person instruction by this week or before.
Some, like Salem-Keizer Public Schools already started hybrid for its elementary students in early March and plans to bring in middle and high school students back in mid-April. West Linn-Wilsonville Schools have had hybrid learning in place for all grades since mid-March.
Others, like the Tigard-Tualatin School District are starting this week with pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first-grade students. Then on Thursday, 2nd through 5th-grade students will begin half days of in-person hybrid learning.
Amber Fields has three kids, Tyson who is in pre-kindergarten, Skylar in kindergarten, and Charley in second grade. Skylar and Charley attend school in the Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD). On Monday, her kindergartener stepped foot in a classroom for the very first time for hybrid learning.
“Even though different, with plexiglass, and masks, and all the things, it was really exciting. So we got up and took the pictures with the sign the first day of “in person,” was the added language
She said before the decision was made about whether to do hybrid or comprehensive distance learning, Fields made sure to ask some questions.
“The first thing I asked my kids is, ‘What do you want to do? What would be best for you? And they just wanted to stay with their teacher,” Fields said.
Then, she got a hold of her kids' teachers for a chat.
“If you feel safe and you feel comfortable, then I will also support that by sending my kids back. So I had that conversation with their teachers as well,” said Fields.
Fields said elementary school kids are going to class for half days, each day of the week. After a couple of hours of in-person school, little Skylar had completed her first day. Fields said she was all smiles.
“That was her first response, ‘I wish I could stay all day and guess what mom I get to go back tomorrow!’ So, it was A+ in Skylar’s book,” she said.
She said her daughter Charley, who is in second grade, will be starting hybrid on Thursday and is also excited. While the pandemic has presented challenges, especially with both she and her husband working full time, Fields said her children’s teachers have been amazing. Skylar, her kindergartener, can read. It’s something she credits to Skylar’s teacher.
Fields, who also works with the district as the director of secondary and career and college, has helped develop the middle and high school hybrid plan that’s set to start April 19.
Fields said the most difficult part of coming up with a plan for middle and high school students is the changing guidance school districts have had to adjust to over the course of months.
“You’re already building a new plane that no one’s ever flown. You’re building it as you’re flying it and you’re constantly given new parts and new things on what feels like on a daily basis,” said Fields.
She said what’s been helpful for TTSD in particular, is that from the start there was a plan for online learning and one for hybrid learning down the road.
Like Tigard-Tualatin Schools, Portland Public Schools (PPS) also plans to start hybrid learning for middle and high school students on April 19.
As for the younger children, PPS plans on starting hybrid for pre-kindergarten through first grade on Thursday with 2nd through 5th graders starting next Monday on April 5.
A spokesperson with PPS said for many of those 2nd through 5th-grade teachers, this week will be used to help them prepare for next week, which is allowed under the governor’s executive order.