OKCPS Families, Staff and Community, 

OKCPS school and district leaders have been monitoring COVID-19 cases and staff and student absences. Unfortunately, we continue to see a significant number of our teachers, instructional and support staff and students out across the district due to illness or other circumstances. Even after working to reassign staff at all levels across the district, we have determined that we can no longer adequately sustain a safe and meaningful learning environment for our students. This is a manpower issue, and we are simply out of options.

Although we continue to believe that being in the schoolhouse is the best place for kids, OKCPS is left with no other choice but to make the difficult decision to shift our entire district to virtual asynchronous learning for the remainder of this week. Right now, we plan to bring our students back to campus for in-person learning on Tuesday, January 18th.

As a reminder, asynchronous instruction means that students will log in to Canvas and complete lessons and assignments on their own. Teachers may provide materials for reading, videos to view, notes to study, assignments to complete, activities, assessments, or allow for independent work time. We believe this will allow our families as much flexibility as possible as students can log in and complete the daily assignments in a self-paced manner at any time during the day or evening.

Below are a few important items we want to share with you, as this will be slightly different from the traditional style of asynchronous learning you may be familiar with. 

OKCPS FAMILIES:

ELEMENTARY:  

Elementary families are encouraged to log-in for a short meeting with your child’s teacher each day sometime between 8:20 - 9:00am to discuss the day’s expectations and so the teacher can answer any questions you may have.

MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL: 

There will be opportunities for middle and high school families to work directly with your child’s teachers. All assignments will be uploaded to your class Canvas page but there are 2 different ways your teacher can help you:

Office Hours and Targeted Supports for our middle and high school students will be held at specific times during the day.  See the chart below for when your teacher is available. Of course, you can always email your teacher as well.

MIDDLE SCHOOL  

HIGH SCHOOL 

ALL FAMILIES: 

• Attendance is important. All students must login and complete your assignments each day in order to be counted present. 

• If your student is having device or connectivity issues, please call the OKCPS Help Desk at 405-587-HELP (4357) Monday through Friday from 7:30am - 4:30pm to receive assistance. 

• Curbside meal service, including a breakfast and a lunch, will be available at no cost to students at all OKCPS school sites from 10:30am -12:30pm each day.

• Activities and athletics will continue for OKCPS students during asynchronous learning, while following existing COVID protocols. Please watch for additional information from your coach/sponsor.

• Families also should watch closely for any additional information that may come from your child’s teacher or your school’s principal.  

OKCPS STAFF

• Starting tomorrow (Thursday), any/all district site staff not in quarantine or off work will report to the campus each day during regular school hours. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are in quarantine as a close contact but are asymptomatic and can perform your job duties, you will be able to work remotely from home during your isolation or quarantine period.  If you are at home due to illness or have other obligations that prevent you from working, please take the appropriate leave and work with your colleagues to ensure that your students are taken care of.

• The schedules shown above will allow for a substantial amount of planning time, PLC time, and office hours in order to continue providing instructional support for our students during asynchronous learning.  

• Teachers should ensure all Google Meet links are posted and easily accessible for students.  You can find more information on Canvas expectations here: www.okcps.org/Page/7096

• During work hours, teachers should be actively engaged and available in case students log on or reach out to you needing additional support.  

• Staff should encourage all students to take their devices and any other materials home with them today so they are ready for asynchronous learning. 

• Staff members may bring their own children to work with them, as long as they are OKCPS students and not out of school due to illness or quarantine. These students are encouraged to eat breakfast and lunch at school, as well. 

• Until further notice, all meetings should be conducted virtually when possible, and staff are encouraged to closely follow social distancing protocols. 

COVID-19 TESTING & SAFETY

It is very important for families and staff to continue reporting positive cases and exposures to their school or supervisor -- even while students are home for virtual learning. This data is critical for district leaders as they make decisions and assess our ability to safely conduct school.

During asynchronous learning, OKCPS will continue to make COVID-19 testing available to students and staff at Taft Stadium, 2501 N May Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73107. This will be by appointment only. To make an appointment, please visit: www.okcps.org/TaftTesting.  OKCPS staff may also be tested at their school site if available, as well as at district sites which are located at the Student Support Services Center at Westwood or at the Operations Center. 

In the meantime, OKCPS will continue to add layers of safety by applying  yet another round of the 90 day Electrostatic disinfectant mist in all schools in the evening on January 13th and 14th which will sanitize surfaces and create a protective barrier for up to 90 days. Every school’s bipolar needlepoint ionization system will also continue to purify the air through our ventilation systems and is in operation 24/7.

Again, we currently plan to bring our students back to campus for in-person learning on Tuesday, January 18th. However, it is important to note that our public health partners tell us they anticipate a continued increase in COVID-19 cases over the upcoming long weekend which may impact our ability to safely return to school. For this reason, all OKCPS staff and families are encouraged to go ahead and make contingency plans for asynchronous learning to continue into next week. The district will notify you no later than Monday evening (January 17th) if we are forced to extend our virtual learning environment.  As a reminder, OKCPS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 17th to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

We realize this shift to asynchronous can pose challenges for many OKCPS families. Please rest assured we have done and will continue to do everything in our power to bring our students back together as soon as possible. A shift to remote learning -- even for a short amount of time -- is always our last resort.

The health and safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. Thank you for your flexibility and continued support of OKCPS.

Dr. Sean McDaniel

Superintendent