LIHU‘E — For the upcoming second semester of school, the Kaua‘i Complex Area and Department of Education are revising distance learning models through the third quarter.
“Our priorities remain health and safety, reaching our most vulnerable students, and having a positive impact on our families, especially those in multi-generational households and students attending school in multiples schools throughout one complex area,” Paul Zina, Kaua‘i Complex Area Superintendent said Monday.
More in-person learning will be implemented through the third quarter, which runs from Jan. 5 to March 12 of next year.
That could include continued blending learning for elementary schools and the start for secondary schools. Masks and social distancing will remain in effect.
Distance learning will remain an option as well as continuing educational programs for students with special needs.
Changes are based on the current COVID-19 case counts and infection rate in the county.
“The Kaua‘i Complex Area pffice will continue to work closely with state, county and health officials to see when students can safely return to more in-person learning as the year continues,” Zina said.
School principals have the authority to develop plans for their schools based on community needs and facility requirements.
“This means that in-person learning may look different for different students in different schools, depending on each school’s capacity for their facility,” Zina said. “This means that schools may support an A/B, an A/B/C, or even an A/B/C/D schedule for their students.”
More information, as well as school-specific plans, will be uploaded to bit.ly/kauaipublicschools by Friday, Dec. 11.
Paul Zina is a former principal, but he seems utterly oblivious (or perhaps grossly negligent) to just how devastating distance/blended learning has been to our keiki.
In Kauai, public school student scores have plummeted since Covid, while depression and anxiety among children has increased to unprecedented heights. They also no longer have any outlet for physical activities, since all PE and sports programs have been canceled.
And yet, there’s no legitimate reason to keep our students at home. The island’s Covid case rate has been low enough that we could have kept our schools open had Zina and Kawakami really wanted to. A face mask, temp checks and hand sanitizer would have worked.
But they and Ige buckled under the threats by HSTA – because the teacher’s union wanted to give their teachers and HI DOE workers a paid staycation at home (in order to boost their union membership, and thus, their self-serving dues revenue).
It’s a farce and a tragedy that Kauai students are not back in school full time yet, and likely will not be next semester either. Shame on you Paul Zina!