Google Slides Initiative

Posted: 
Tuesday, October 20, 2020

After further discussions with Central Office Administration, here is a quick update for our elementary classroom teachers regarding the Google Slide initiative (I ask that all members read until the end):

  • Elementary PD hours have been reduced to 11 total hours and, five of those eleven remaining hours (grade level meetings) can be dedicated to this task.
  • Google ‘Experts’ are being identified in each building and will be compensated for Google Slide support to teachers.
  • Elementary Principals, and Assistant Principals will be further trained in this task in order to turn-key and provide more support within the buildings.
  • Each elementary classroom teacher on every grade level, district wide, will be provided with one ½ day to provide necessary training and time to work on this project.

Scheduling priority will be given to those teachers with more immediate due dates.

Our remote elementary teachers will be afforded all of the same opportunities for support, including the ½ day of training/worktime.

  • As part of these discussions, the District has also agreed that for secondary & elementary school Parent Teacher Conference Nights, teachers will have the option to work remotely from home.  Language on this will be included in the MOA.

On the elementary level, this pertains to the non-student day from 2:00pm-8:18pm.

As with any new initiative, there will always be some apprehension and uncertainty. I am sure your feelings right now are not limited to these emotions. Every day brings new challenges and ends with the satisfaction of just having survived to see, yet, another challenging day.  I assure you, that your Union Officers worked hard to have Central Office provide the appropriate amount of time and support to accomplish this project.  We are aware of the timing, and I know that it is difficult right now to see the long-term benefits of this endeavor, but, as a District wide collaboration, all teachers stand to benefit from this work.  It will allow teachers to maintain their Google Classrooms with more ease and will provide every elementary classroom teacher with a full year of math and ELA lessons on one platform for use in the years to come.  I anticipate these support protocols to start immediately.  We will be discussing this issue more with the Union Executive Board at our monthly meeting tomorrow.  As always, we are open to all suggestions, or ideas you have, to make this transition to Google as easy as possible for our teachers.