Huntington Beach high school district to begin in-person instruction Nov. 3
Huntington Beach High School math teacher Benji Medure knows about bringing people together to face a challenge.
He coaches the school’s successful baseball team that competes in Division 1 of the CIF Southern Section.
It’s with that spirit that Medure is embracing the reopening of classrooms in the Huntington Beach Union High School District amid the coronavirus pandemic. The district is scheduled to begin in-person instruction in its hybrid plan on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
“We’re all in this together,” Medure said on Friday, Oct. 30. “There’s no perfect solution to this. We have to just make the best of it.”
Medure will be among the teachers providing in-person instruction from his classroom as the district of about 16,000 students introduces its hybrid learning model, a combination of in-person and remote learning. Students may choose to remain in distance learning.
Huntington Beach Union also is allowing teachers to continue to provide instruction from home because of health reasons, its website says.
In this scenario, it’s possible some students could attend classes in-person but receive instruction from a teacher who is working remotely, Edison High Principal Jennifer Graves said.
The students will be supervised, she said. “There will be a partner teacher inside the classroom.”
The Huntington Beach Union website says officials are “working diligently to staff the classrooms” while “accommodating” teachers. The district adds that it has “hired partner teachers and support staff” to work with teachers providing instruction online.
The scenario has drawn some concern from parents, said Nicola Weiss, a parent of an Edison student who is headed back to school on Tuesday. Weiss said she understands the frustration, but doesn’t see a better alternative.
“It’s not a great situation,” Weiss said, “but at least you’re getting the instruction and curriculum from someone who knows what they’re talking about.”
District officials have said students can still switch between the hybrid and online models “seamlessly without a disruption to their learning.”
Cheryl McKenzie, the district’s public information coordinator, was asked Friday for specifics about the district’s hiring and staffing levels and the education model selections by families, but said she needed more time to respond. Graves also referred similar questions to the district.
The district’s hybrid plan calls for two days per week of in-person instruction on campus, an amount similar to what districts such as Capistrano Unified and Fullerton Joint Union offer their high school students.
“I’m excited to be back in-person,” Medure said. “I got into teaching to help kids.”
Superintendent Clint Harwick, McKenzie said, spent time Friday visiting school sites, which have been bolstered with safety precautions such as hand washing stations and desk shields.
The district’s high schools are: Edison, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Marina, Ocean View, Westminster and three alternative schools.
Huntington Beach Union began in-person instruction for select students with special needs on Oct. 6.
Medure said he expects his four math classes to each feature about 15 or 16 students in the classroom and about 15 to 16 following online. He said he will instruct both groups at the same time using Zoom and his upgraded resources.
He said the district has trained teachers on the technological demands and provided him equipment such as a Surface Pro laptop, iPad and webcam.
Medure said his classroom’s seating also has been reconfigured for social distancing and that his desk is protected by a Plexiglass shield. All district students and staff will be required to wear masks.
“Kids are going to be come back to a safe environment,” Medure said. “Parents need to know that.”
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