School begins in Cedar Springs on Sept. 8 with the option of either fully in-person or online learning. Online classes will be taught by district teachers for grades K-6 and supported by district staff for grades 7-12.
Superintendent Scott Smith said preparations for the fall have been going well, thanks to the “grit and determination” of staff.
“There’s an element of nervous energy (among teachers and staff) — that’s just human nature, though,” he said. “Our goals are still the same. We’re not just going to survive this, we’re going to succeed.”
Based on the spring shutdown, the district has made some specific changes to help facilitate learning from any location, including supplying teachers with new laptops and, in partnership with Verizon, purchasing 300 hotspots to help everyone be better able to access the internet from home.
“Remote (learning) is still going to be a challenge, but we’ll be better in November than we are in October,” said Smith. “This year will be more complex, but you take the time to learn what your students need, regardless of them being in person or remote.
“We’re going to do everything we can to support our families, to meet our students where they are and get them where they need to be.”
