Teachers and Students Struggle to Adjust to Online School, New Grading Policies Adopted

Adjusting to remote learning was the focus of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board meeting on Monday, April 27. 

Student Representative Samah Sharmin set the tone in her opening report. She praised teachers for being accessible and asking for frequent feedback. But she also expressed frustration with the “overwhelming amount of work.” Describing online learning as exhausting and isolating, she noted the stressful general conditions of life during the pandemic. “I don’t think students should be held to the same standards as they were before,” she said. Sharmin asked the board to consider implementing a pass/fail grading system.

Superintendent Lisa Palmer acknowledged similar concerns about student stress affecting performance. She recommended that the board authorize the administration to be flexible in their decisions about permitting students to graduate or to move up to the next grade level. The board voted 9-0 to accept this recommendation.

Director of Secondary Education Denise Citarellli Jones’ educational update centered on revised grading policies for the rest of the school year. In academic subjects, elementary school students will receive either a 2, meaning the student is “moving toward grade-level expectations,” or a 3, meaning they are “meeting grade-level expectations.” In special areas, like music and physical education, they will receive either a pass or a fail.

Denise Citarelli Jones walked school board members through WSSD’s new grading policy. Photo: Rachel Pastan

Middle school students will receive letter grades in core subject areas and pass/fail grades in special areas.

High school students will receive letter grades in all subject areas. They will, however, have the option to convert those letter grades into pass/fail grades with the approval of a parent or guardian. Citarelli Jones explained that this flexible solution seemed to best meet the needs of students in a variety of circumstances, whether seniors getting ready to graduate or juniors hoping for college merit scholarships. Board president David Grande called it “a good hybrid solution.”

Teachers will introduce brief interactive sessions into their remote teaching starting in May, Citarelli Jones said. No new material will be introduced in these sessions, because some students’ home situations will make it difficult for them to participate. At present, all distance learning in the district is asynchronous, with students completing work on their own schedule. 

The district also hopes to offer some virtual sports team and club meetings in May. Administrators are constantly looking for ways to responsibly expand face-to-face interactive teaching and learning, Citarelli Jones said. “Our step into interactive Zoom is putting a toe in the water.”

Chromebooks for Middle Schoolers

A proposal to lease 1,300 Google Chromebooks — one for every student at Strath Haven Middle School (SHMS) — was unanimously approved by the board. 

In a presentation about what’s called the 1:1 Chromebook Initiative, SHMS Principal George King said the Chromebooks offer important instructional opportunities, improve assessment and feedback, and offer increased opportunities for differentiated instruction. Assistant to the Superintendent Mary Figura called the initiative important for equity, allowing all students access to the same technology. 

Strath Haven High School (SHHS) implemented a 1:1 Chromebook initiative for the Class of 2020 in September 2018 and for the remaining three grades in September 2019.

Figura reported that the new four-year technology lease will cost $181,012 per year, up from the $166,743 yearly cost of the current lease. This lease includes all computer equipment — desktops, laptops, computer carts, and more — for all five WSSD schools. The cost of the Chromebooks is $65 per student per year, she said. 

School board member Jennifer Lentz asked about vetting websites, middle school teacher training for the 1:1 program, and the feasibility of teachers keeping tabs on their students’ web activity. 

District network manager A.J. Cetroni responded that the district’s GoGuardian safety software contains built-in controls to ensure students only access websites teachers specifically approve. Middle school teachers have received substantial training on the software, he said.

Lentz further asked how much “school-directed screen time” would be generated by the Chromebooks. She asked about downsides to the program and whether families could opt out.

Middle school principal King said that the program intends only to enhance hands-on classroom learning, and that families who choose not to participate will be accommodated. Acting high school principal Andrea LaPira called the Chromebooks a “supplement to learning,” offering students useful access to tools like Google Docs. 

School board members Damon Orsetti and Kelly Wachtman, both parents of SHHS students, reported they find the high school’s Chromebook program to work well.

New SHHS Principal and Other District Roles

Gregory Hilden will be SHHS’s new principal starting July 1.

The board voted unanimously to appoint Gregory Hilden principal of SHHS, starting July 1. He replaces Kristopher Brown, who left in January to become equity officer in the Abington School District. Andrea LaPira will continue as interim principal until July.

Hilden is currently assistant principal at Garnet Valley High School. At SHHS, he will earn a salary of $153,000.

The board also approved a new position for Citarelli Jones, who will become Director of Education, effective immediately. Network Manager A.J. Cetroni will become Network and Site Services Administrator.

Finances and Birthdays

Acknowledging that a traditional graduation ceremony is extremely unlikely this year, the board unanimously approved a contract with 20/20 Visual Media for “graduation video production services” at a cost not to exceed $7,250.

The board voted to refinance the district’s 2012 Series A general obligation bonds, for savings Superintendent Palmer estimates at $1 million.

The board also voted to install GPS locators in school buses ($15,252), to replace the Swarthmore-Rutledge School lobby and vestibule floor ($35,000), and to replace the modular classroom floors in the high school ($160,000).

Finally, board member Orsetti addressed the district’s children. “I want to wish happy birthday to any kids out there who have missed their birthday celebration in school during the quarantine,” he said. “We’re thinking about you.”

To view a video of this or any other past WSSD school-board meeting: swat.ink/school-board. 

The next WSSD School Board meeting will be held on Monday, May 11, at 7 p.m. This and all future virtual meetings can be seen live on WSSD’s YouTube Channel.

To offer comments, call 610-892-3470, ext. 1102, and leave a phone message of no more than three minutes – before, during, or up until the end of the meeting. Phoned-in comments must include the commenter’s name, full address, and phone number.