RRPS survey results reveal thoughts on new learning model

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) – A new survey reveals more about what parents and teachers like and don’t like about the current COVID-safe school model. Rio Rancho Public Schools sent out the survey hoping to find out how it can improve for both their staff and the students.

“As you can expect, there were a number very passionate, heartfelt responses,” said Happy Miller with the Rio Rancho School District.

About 10,000 people responded to Rio Rancho Public Schools’ survey, more than 4,000 responses being from parents. “A majority of parents and guardians who took the survey are satisfied with the guidelines that Rio Rancho Public Schools has in place for the safety of their child,” said Rio Rancho High School Assistant Principal Joy Morales.

The survey also asked how worried parents and students are that they’ll get sick while at school. The majority of them said they were “not worried.” Nearly half of the teachers, however, say they are, with the overwhelming majority of those teachers coming from middle schools.

“We’ve got only about 44% of our teachers that trust us to make decisions that will keep them and students safe,” said Morales.

The district wanted to know if students and teachers are getting the most out of their instruction time, asking parents how their kids learn best. “The highest respondents by a stretch was that their child learns best when teaching lessons online,” said LaJuana Coleman, the Executive Director of Learning and Curriculum with Rio Rancho Public Schools.

They asked the students about their engagement, and how much they’re enjoying the classes. Half of the students said they do enjoy what is going on in their classes. Only 26% of teachers feel their workload is sustainable, and only 29% say their stents are getting the help they need to complete their work.

While the district will go back to completely virtual learning on Monday, they plan on using the findings from this survey to make improvements before the spring semester begins. One of the things they’d like to address is helping teachers, students, and parents meet their social-emotional needs.