SAN DIEGO — Monday marks the complete start of distance learning for most San Diego Unified Schools.
As of last week, the district says teachers have connected with nearly 90% of students at their traditional schools. That means they logged on during the district's soft launch and are ready to roll going forward Monday.
Since April 6, more than 47,000 laptops have been handed out to students and families to help get them connected. There have also been partnerships between the district and internet providers like Cox to provide free or discounted internet to students that may not have it.
The district's goal is to make sure that the opportunity for online learning during this time should be equally available to all students. For anyone that still does not have a laptop, they can still go to a designated distribution center to pick up one until May 1.
"While the majority of students have connected with their schools, we have more work to do," Marten said. "We want every single student to continue their education. This school year matters, and so do all of our students."
Superintendent Cindy Marten says they are still working to contact students that haven't connected with their class during the launch to see if they need this type of help.
"When the COVID-19 crisis forced us to close schools on March 13, even then, we were clear in our determination that this school year will count for our students. We will recognize the work they have completed, give them the opportunity to learn more, make this academic year count for all our students," said Superintendent Cindy Marten. "We have been equally clear that these opportunities must be available to all our students because equity is at the core of our work."
According to the district, teachers will be able to decide how the class is structured. They can mark student's online participation but not traditional attendance. Plus, for students that participated during the soft launch, their work will receive credit.
While fully graded online classes start Monday for traditional schools, year-round schools start their soft launch this week, as their spring break started later and ends Monday.
For information on how to pick up a Chromebook, families should call (619) 260-2460. For technical support on Chromebooks, call (619) 732-1400. Information is also available on the district website.