It’s been an unpredictable few weeks for all of us, but especially for schools, students, families, teachers, and staff members.
Just ask Jen Wilkerson: she’s a school psychologist in Ventura County’s Oak Park Unified School district. A month ago, she had no idea that she would have to figure out how to work with families online.
Wilkerson admits its uncharted territory, but everyone is trying hard to make it work.
On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond recommended that school districts continue remote instruction for the remainder of the current academic year.
Many school districts have already announced they will heed the suggestion. Dr. Stan Mantooth is Ventura County’s Superintendent of Schools. He says the superintendents of the county’s school districts met Wednesday, and unanimously agreed to follow the guidelines.
Mantooth says the situation has obviously been disruptive, and students have lost some ground in the educational process. But, he says they’ve learned quickly how to improvise and make things work.
The Ventura County Schools Superintendent says that now the way classes will work for the rest of the school year decided, they can move on to a number of other issues, ranging from what to do about graduation ceremonies to summer school.
For teachers and staff members who work with students, the focus is on trying to make things work in the new, remote teaching world. Psychologist Jen Wilkerson says everyone is doing their best to try to adjust to what’s become the new normal.
