You got this!

Citrus C.A.R.E.S.!

This Monday, students, teachers, and families in Citrus County and much of Florida will perhaps be making the biggest commitment to helping fight the Coronavirus by not just staying home but by continuing their learning and classes remotely/virtually.  Close to home we are calling our plan “Citrus C.A.R.E.S.!” (Continues Academics Remotely to Every Student)

When Florida Governor DeSantis and Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran asked all schools to close in Florida for an extended Spring Break, they also charged school districts to immediately develop an Instructional Remote Learning Plan, now referred to as Citrus CARES.

This was no small tasked and was led by Citrus School Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Scott Hebert and his superior education service team, including educators from the district. To access the Citrus CARES plan, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/2xrBH8M, for an excellent FAQ on the plan and transition please visit: https://bit.ly/2JfAJ1V

From the moment it was announced about transiting to remote/virtual instruction our teachers, support staff and specialists have been planning, developing and learning how best to meet our students’ needs. District Education Technology Coaches Lisa Paprzycki, Brennan McNally and the other tech specialist began almost immediately offering multiple virtual professional development trainings daily, nearly every day while on break, on the essential digital tools our teachers and students will be using both now during this remote/virtual learning and afterward when our students return to face to face instruction. Another essential team at implementing this transition has been our District Network Specialist led by Supervisor of Technology Lance Fletcher. This team has been setting up one new system after another and adding additional services and network access for the near 20,000 different devices to be able to communicate with each other. I would be remised to not mention the vital school level technology specialist and administrators who have been ensuring that each student and family have access to a device and the network. These teams, along with our teachers are the frontline of this monumental transition.

Citrus County Schools has been committed and embraced digital learning for over seven years now and 100% of our students in middles and high school already had take-home iPads. In addition, third through fifth grades had classroom sets of iPads. Further digital integration of textbooks, gradebooks, classroom and take homework had already become a regular part of learning for our students in Citrus County Schools. This put Citrus in a far stronger position than many school districts in Florida and around our nation. In November 2014, the U.S. Department of Education said, “Citrus County is earning high marks from State officials, students, and teachers for ensuring that technology is actually transforming teaching and learning.” Then in August 2016, then Florida Educational Commissioner Pam Stewart speaking to all Citrus County Schools teachers on August 1st, 2016. Stewart shared that day, “What you’re going to do today (in Citrus County Schools), in regards to digital learning, is really incredible, and I can tell you, it’s probably not happening across the state in very many places.” This positive success doesn’t happen by accident, it takes commitment on behalf of our School Board, Superintendent and executive team, education leadership teams, our school administrators, and most especially our teachers and the hard work they are doing each and every school day.

This commitment, experience, and knowledge are never more important than now.  It is also what gives me confidence and comfort that while there will be challenges, I know our schools, teachers, and students will succeed.  The learning and lessons may look different, but the dedication, creative and educational commitment is as strong or stronger today than ever.

As we begin on Monday, I encourage us all to be patient with one another. Superintendent Himmel so appropriately asked this week from our educators, to have the “…highest level of patience, flexibility, and compassion”. I will be in the unique position of going through this with you as I will be both a parent of a student who will be receiving remote/virtual learning, as well as a husband of a teacher who will be delivering remote/virtual learning.  In addition, my son is home from college due to his University transition to remote learning until the end of this semester. All under the same roof—prayers are welcomed.

We can do this Citrus County Schools! You got this!

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