A true partnership propels us as we phase in 2020-21

​MUSD EducatEveryWhere Spring 2020: 3 days preparation prior to our launch into MUSD EducatEveryWhere; 59 days of distance learning and teaching; 95%  average engagement per week; weekly average of 277 unengaged learners; no learner without a chromebook or laptop; and some learners with unreliable WiFi.

​How do we improve those data points and reinvent MUSD EducatEveryWhere v.2.0?  Listening, collaboration, iteration, and partnership with our students and their parents and guardians fuels our drive to achieve our MUSD Strategic Goals, even in this new paradigm of teaching and learning. 
 
We are social beings, and that is how we learn best, and while it is difficult to do so virtually, we are doing it. We are learning how to leverage technology in a way that has engaged us in community conversations at an exceptional frequency and in some respects more personably than ever before. We held 62 cloud meetings from March through August where participants shared and discussed the pains, obstacles and triumphs that our learners faced, not just the youthful ones, but parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, principals -- all learners.  We are experiencing authentic engagement and partnership, and we can’t provide the best possible education for our students without each other. 
 
In her book, Turning to One Another, author Margaret Wheatley remarks, “Change always starts with confusion: cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for the new.” The unknowns around COVID19 create confusion, anxiety and questioning about how to best educate our students. Our students have led the way for creatively solving problems through common purpose and at a distance.  #SAMP, Maskify, Robotix, Girl Genius, Azen Seagulls, Coronacovery, and My Roots are Rich,  are all virtual non-profits enriching lives through real impact, and all are founded by MUSD students.  260 MUSD team members, parents, guardians, community members, and students form our COVID19 Task Force with 14 subcommittees focused on all aspects of developing MUSD EducatEveryWhere v. 2.0.  
 
MUSD is phasing in 2020-21 with the first day of school on August 13th. All will be teaching and learning from a distance until conditions are safe for us to move into Phase II.  Phase II will provide in-person support opportunities for small groups of students with targeted needs such as special education, English language development, homeless and foster youth, and those who are struggling or vulnerable. When Santa Clara County has not been on the California State Watchlist for more than 14 days, we will assess and move into phase III with larger groups of students receiving in-person support (for more details, please see our Special Board COVID19 Task Force Report on August 3, 2020 at 6:00pm).  This is MUSD, where a Culture of We propels us forward and strengthens who we are as a community.

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