Naperville 203 parents voice frustrations over e-learning as district prepares for hybrid schedule in January

Naperville Unit District 203 is preparing to move into a hybrid learning schedule in late January after a resurgence in COVID-19 cases delayed the transition this fall, administrators said.

The district has been operating for months in an enhanced e-learning stage, in which a majority of students participate in classes online while some targeted individuals receive in-person services. Welcoming more students back to the classroom has remained a priority, Superintendent Dan Bridges said, as soon as local health metrics and guidelines deemed it safe to do so.

But dozens of comments read into the record Monday displayed a lack of confidence in the district's leadership, with several parents and community members voicing frustrations over the remote learning environment. Many criticized officials for pushing back the start of hybrid learning and accused them of failing to address the academic, social and emotional needs of students.

"Remote learning is not a suitable substitute for in-person learning, period. Every week that goes by, our children are further behind, further disengaged, and for what?" said Elissa Howe, a mother of two elementary students. "This is not 'keeping them safe.' This is destroying their spirits. This is robbing them of their futures."

Preschool and elementary students were set to gradually begin a hybrid schedule in mid-October. But a sudden spike in coronavirus cases in DuPage County forced the district to take an "adaptive pause" the day before schools would have started welcoming back their youngest learners in phases.

As positivity rates continued to rise, Bridges announced last month the earliest the district would move into the next phase of its "Return to Learn" plan would be Jan. 25. That remains the target date, administrators told school board members Monday.

According to a timeline presented during the virtual meeting, enhanced e-learning is slated to continue until winter break, which takes place Dec. 23 to Jan. 4. To provide a buffer after potential holiday gatherings, all students will learn remotely Jan. 6-8, followed by two more weeks of enhanced e-learning, said Christine Igoe, assistant superintendent for student services.

Though the level of community spread is still considered "substantial" in DuPage, she said, health department data shows the number of new COVID-19 cases beginning to stabilize, and the rate of positive tests trending down. The county recorded a weekly infection rate of 439 new cases per 100,000 people as of Nov. 29 - down from 616 the week prior.

"If we continue to move in a direction like we're moving now, we should be on track for a Jan. 25 transition to hybrid," Bridges said.

It's unlikely the district would accelerate that timeline, even if circumstances improve, he added, pointing to the need for consistency so families can plan ahead.

Lauren Persin, the mom of a second-grader, said Tuesday she believes the district has been inadequate so far in providing a stable and sustainable path for students - and she has little faith that such a plan will come to fruition next month. Though teachers and principals have been "rising above," she said, e-learning has caused children to fall behind in several areas.

"A lot of children are struggling, and I think (the district's) approach to helping them is very disheartening," Persin said. "There's no recovery plan."

Recognizing the challenge of e-learning, educators have been monitoring student performance, providing social-emotional support, and refining and researching strategies to further engage students in the online environment, administrators said. Staff members have "robust plans" to ensure students' needs are met when they begin hybrid learning, they said.

Parents will be asked to confirm their selection of in-person or online-only learning in the coming weeks. Bridges said the hybrid model offers some flexibility for remote instruction should a student need to quarantine at any point.

Additional details on the "Return to Learn" plan and timeline are expected to be released during the Dec. 21 board meeting.