“We have a third of our kids in every day. But one hundred percent of our students are learning every single day”

In this episode of Season Four of The Education Trust’s podcast, ExtraOrdinary Districts, Nicholas Stirling, superintendent of Valley Stream 30 in Nassau County New York, is joined by assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction Jennifer Lewner and three principals, Christopher Colarossi, Erin Malone, and John Singleton in a wide-ranging discussion of hybrid learning with Karin Chenoweth (@karinchenoweth) and Tanji Reed Marshall (@Remarsh76) for a wide-ranging discussion of what teaching and running a school is like during a pandemic.

“We were working against time,” Dr. Stirling said about the work he and his team did over the summer to get ready to manage remote learning while providing in-person learning to some of the students. But a task force with representation from parents, students, teachers, staff members as well as administrators developed careful plans on instruction, facilities, and safety and health. “None of this happened overnight,” said Erin Malone.

The careful structures that Valley Stream 30 have had in place for years to monitor student learning, provide teachers with time and structures to work together, and for administrators to collaborate have meant that, they said, the transition to hybrid learning has been a bit less painful than it may have been in other districts. Still, Nicholas Stirling said, “It is a stressful time. We’re all stressed.”

To learn more about Valley Stream 30, listen to Episode 6 of Season 2 of ExtraOrdinary Districts.

Music and recording by Mike Petillo of Tonal Park.