EDUCATION Commissioner Alfred Ada on Friday informed the House Committee on Education that the Public School System is focused on two important aspects of education: learning hours and social-emotional learning.
Alfred Ada
He said because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the safety of the students and strict adherence to safety protocols “are also among our main concerns.”
He said PSS has submitted a federal grant application to fund the mental health and wellness training of PSS teachers and staff.
Meanwhile, Ada said, “we are trying to bring back our students up to par. That is our goal. That is our vision for this school year.”
He added, “So we are moving forward in opening the schools. As you may know, blended learning began [last] week, and we are moving slowly but surely toward the five days [a week schedule] but still upholding the [safety protocols]. We are still on Community Vulnerability Level Blue. Once we get to green, then we can plan again for a five-day week.”
For her part, BOE member Maisie Tenorio told lawmakers that the stories she has heard since the beginning of blended learning have been “heartwarming.”
She said she is “excited for the next few weeks to see how things will go with blended learning and I just want to recognize all the amazing PSS staff who have worked so hard to create a safe environment for our students and give the parents some peace of mind that they are doing all they can to make our students safe.”
Tenorio said over the last 10 to 15 years, PSS “has been called to increase the programs and services to students to address the whole child, not just providing instruction, not just providing food and nutrition or a safe place for students to eat eight hours a day, but also to address things like behavioral health, physical health, mental health, leadership training, career pathways and career training and dealing with the unique needs of students who have experienced violence and abuse, offer support to students who identify as LGBTQIA+ and to provide special services for students who need additional assistance from special education services and programs.”
Tenorio said she has been “impressed with the love and compassion that [PSS staff] exhibit in addressing these needs by seeking federal funds to create programs that provide services to address all of these very special and unique needs of students and their families.”
She also expressed hope that moving forward, “we will begin to invest locally, strengthen our local investment, increase our local investment and really send the message to our children that their well-being is [of] utmost importance and that when we say that our students are our future, we are sort of walking our talk by investing local money into that future.”
