A note from our administrator Kat Lange about distance learning

Hello 4J families:

As we get ready to embark on a new year, many families have questions about what school will look like for students with special needs and how Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) will be met.

All 4J schools will start the school year on September 14 with comprehensive distance learning (online learning) for the first trimester, through December 4. There will be some limited, targeted on-site supports for some individual students or small groups, but not regular classes or full grade levels attending school in person. On December 7 or later, depending on public health conditions, schools may resume in-person instruction in a hybrid of on-site and online learning. That decision will be made in November.

We want you to know that the district is working diligently to develop plans for all of our students and any information regarding what is happening with schools districtwide also applies to your student. This is the base. Students receiving special education services have a support layer added that is above and beyond what their general education peers receive.

We have workgroups meeting daily to develop more concrete plans for our students on IEPs. We learned a lot from the emergency distance learning last spring and there are silver linings that have come out of that work, including strong collaboration with our general education teachers.While we are continually working on districtwide plans, we also recognize that each child has individual needs that will need to be addressed in their IEP. Your child’s special education teacher or case manager will be contacting you within the first few weeks after they return to work in September to discuss your student’s IEP and a plan for what additional services we will be providing your student in the fall.

We know that the return to learning during the pandemic will be challenging for many, and every parent has concerns about how your child’s needs will be met and how they will engage in distance learning. Thank you for your patience as we work through this process, and please know we are working to prepare for the fall and to be ready to welcome your child into their classroom from a distance.

The district has posted answers to frequently asked questions on the website, including a section specific to students with IEPs. There are a lot of plans in the works and the FAQ is frequently updated, so please visit the page, www.4j.lane.edu/coronavirus/questions, to be updated on the progress we are making.