ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque Public Schools will remain online through the end of the semester. The school board approved the change to the re-entry plan Wednesday night with a vote of six to one.

APS recently conducted a survey sent out to all 59,000 parents with nearly 14,000 families responding. The results showed the majority were uncomfortable with students returning to school buildings as planned on September 8.

At Wednesday night’s APS board meeting, around 30 educators and parents weighed in on the issue. Some said it is time to return to class and raised concerns about special education students, overrun daycares, and lack of instruction at home. Others said the district needs to stay online through at least the end of the semester, if not the entire year.

Board members raised concerns about keeping students’ schedule consistent and the possibility of having to revert back to online-only learning if there is a spike after a hybrid model is implemented. Acting Superintendent Scott Elder said at least five APS schools or facilities have been closed due to positive coronavirus cases since the beginning of the month.

“No matter what we do, even if we were in yellow or red, it is going to be a strange year,” Elder said. “Even if we come back in green, it is going to be a strange year.” They also said a potential rise in cases following the upcoming Labor Day holiday is a concern.

There will be exceptions for special needs students who require in-person instruction. The board said they can always revisit their decision.

What Remote Learning Looks Like

Students will have a daily schedule which includes subject instruction, social-emotional learning, breaks and time for teachers to reach out to students and their families. During remote learning, students will complete assignments online, practice activities and seek extra help or guidance.

Attendance will be taken each day and is based on engagement. This could include logging into learning platforms like Google Meets, See Saw or Google Classroom. Students are also expected to attend their online classes daily and turn in assignments, just like they would during a traditional school year.

Assignments will be graded like normal this fall semester. Grading is not a pass or fail as it was during the spring semester when the coroanviurs outbreak began. According to APS, students grades will reflect “mastery of subject content and completion of coursework.” Grades will be posted to ParentVUE and StudentVUE.

Photos: APS Survey Results

  • APS School Reopening Parent Survey 2020. The survey was opened on August 15, 2020.
  • APS School Reopening Parent Survey 2020. The survey was opened on August 15, 2020.
  • APS School Reopening Parent Survey 2020. The survey was opened on August 15, 2020.
  • APS School Reopening Parent Survey 2020. The survey was opened on August 15, 2020.
  • APS School Reopening Parent Survey 2020. The survey was opened on August 15, 2020.
  • APS School Reopening Parent Survey 2020. The survey was opened on August 15, 2020.

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