Perspectives in Online Learning
Monday's installment of Perspectives in Online Learning features a video from Edmund J. O'Neal Middle School of Excellence eighth-grader Esperanza Soto.
Perspectives in Online Learning is a forum we have created to allow teachers and students to share their experiences with virtual teaching and learning. We will highlight a new vignette or video each day while schools are closed due to COVID-19.
We hope you enjoy hearing the perspectives of your colleagues and our students!
Extension to May 29 for make-up work
The period for students to submit make-up work to improve their third-quarter average has been extended to Friday, May 29.
Additionally, Friday, May 22 has been declared a "check-in" day so that teachers, students and families can touch base to discuss student work, teacher feedback and a plan for the submission of any work that still is owed. Teachers, students and families can also discuss strategies to address areas for improvement that could occur over the summer.
AP exam updates
The following message is from Albany High School AP/IB Coordinator Leah Evans in regard to Monday’s administration of AP exams and problems some students encountered attempting to upload and submit exams.
College Board strongly encourages students to run through the demo that College Board sent out regarding test uploading and submission. If students have more than one device at home, they should try a demo on all devices to see which is easiest. If students do not try the demo in advance, they will not know if the technology works.
According to College Board, students that ran into an issue trying to submit their exams will have to retake the exam in June (see schedule). There is no alternative. College Board is not able to retrieve the answers, so students will have to submit a request to retake. If students get an error message when they are submitting a retake message, they will have to call College Board for help. The College Board phone number is 866-315-6068. Please be patient as there may be a high call volume.
Governor appoints Adams to statewide advisory council
Governor Cuomo has appointed Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams to serve on New York's Reimagine Education Advisory Council, which will help school districts statewide prepare to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Adams joins a group of 20 educators, education leaders, parents and students that will develop plans to help schools protect health and safety while evaluating how virtual learning can supplement face-to-face education when schools reopen.
“It is an honor to have been selected to participate on Governor Cuomo’s Reimagine Education Advisory Council,” said Adams, who also has convened a district reopening committee to plan for the 2020-21 school year. “The COVID-19 crisis has challenged us all and provided opportunities to think about teaching and learning differently. I look forward to joining together with my colleagues in this significant and serious work.”
Board budget meetings this week
The City School District of Albany Board of Education is scheduled to hold two meetings this week to continue working on the 2020-21 budget proposal. The district is trying to close a $15 million budget gap, which has been reduced to about $3.8 million.
This week’s budget meetings will be Tuesday and Thursday. Both meetings will once again be held online beginning at 6:30 p.m. The board will continue to review and refine the 2020-21 budget proposal, with a current goal of adopting a final budget proposal at the meeting on Tuesday, May 19.
Download the budget presentation from last Thursday night’s meeting. In addition to this week’s meeting, here are other key dates in the budget timeline:
- Tuesday, May 19 – Tentative date of final budget proposal adoption
- Thursday, May 28 – Board budget hearing
- Friday, May 29 – Budget newsletter mailing
- Tuesday, June 9 – Vote day; all ballots due by 5 p.m.
Following Governor Cuomo’s directive for all New York school districts, the budget vote and board election will be conducted entirely by mail this year. Absentee ballots will be mailed to all qualified voters in late May and will be due by June 9 at 5 p.m.
There is one seat available on the seven-member board this year. For more information about the board vote, please visit our Board of Education section.
Social distancing daily check-ins
The district's Pupil Personnel Services Department has shared this article from Mindful with helpful tips about daily check-ins you can do with yourself during this time of social distancing.
Please also keep in mind social distancing guidelines as we all try to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help our city, our region and our state work toward reopening in a way that is safe for all. Stay home whenever possible, maintain a minimum of six feet between yourself and other individuals if you must go out, and wear a mask if you cannot adhere to those social distancing guidelines. You can find helpful information about social distancing practices on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Funding for childcare costs
New York is using a portion of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds to provide free childcare to income-eligible essential workers.
To qualify for a scholarship to cover the cost of care, essential workers must work outside of the home and use a licensed and regulated childcare provider. This would include the YMCA partnership described below. Families also must have an adjusted gross income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four that equals an annual income of $78,600.
Parents and guardians are asked to complete this application for the CARES Child Care Scholarship. Applications will be considered complete once the online application is finished AND the required supplemental documentation is submitted to Brightside Up, the Childcare Resource and Referral Agency (CCRA) for Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties.
For parents and guardians that currently receive a subsidy from their local Department of Social Services to pay for childcare, this scholarship can cover the co-pay. Parents and guardians should apply for the CARES Act Scholarship, and then contact their local DSS to get a letter stating their current co-pay. Please address any questions to Tricia Howland at thowland@brightsideup.org.
Meal delivery update
The district has served about 190,000 meals to date during the school closure – currently more than 2,400 students daily – through both home delivery and our seven “grab and go” school locations. Meal pickup is available at these schools each weekday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.:
- Albany High School (Washington Avenue entrance), 700 Washington Ave.
- Albany School of Humanities (ASH), 108 Whitehall Road
- Arbor Hill Elementary School, 1 Arbor Drive
- Giffen Memorial Elementary School, 274 South Pearl St.
- Schuyler Achievement Academy, 676 Clinton Ave.
- Tony Clement Center for Education, 395 Elk St.
- William S. Hackett Middle School, 45 Delaware Ave.
Technical support for students and families
The City School District of Albany’s Technology Help Desk is available to assist students and families with issues related to connecting a Chromebook to wireless access points, or with student login to the Chromebooks or the Clever suite of applications.
You can reach the Technology Help Desk from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each weekday at (518) 475-6195.
Please note that the Help Desk cannot assist with matters related to use, content or activities within any of the district instructional applications or Google Classroom. Questions regarding the use of Google Classroom, instructional resources, learning tasks or expectations related to instructional content should be directed to each student’s teacher or principal.
You also can find instructions and other helpful Google Classroom guidance in our online instruction section.
Be counted for Albany in the 2020 Census – from home!
This is an important reminder that in spite of the closures and significant precautions in place due to COVID-19, the 2020 U.S. Census is underway. The Census Bureau is carefully monitoring the situation and follows the guidance of federal, state and local health authorities.
The most important thing you can do is respond online, by phone, or by mail when you receive your invitation. Responding now will minimize the need for Census Bureau workers to be out in communities following up. Help your community – and help the Census Bureau adhere to social-distancing guidelines – by responding online to the 2020 Census. Do your part. Stay home. Get counted.
OCFS childcare survey
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services is asking parents, guardians and caregivers who are in need of childcare to complete a Parent Need for Childcare survey.
Based on the information collected in this survey, OCFS may be able to help families find the childcare program to meet their needs. It may be a challenge to find childcare due to COVID-19-related closures. However, OCFS is trying its best to support families to find high-quality childcare programs.
The OCFS website also has several resources available.
YMCA childcare partnership
The district is partnering with the YMCA to offer childcare services for health and emergency-response personnel. The YMCA is administering and staffing the program, which operates from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily at the following six schools:
- Arbor Hill Elementary School, 1 Arbor Drive
- Eagle Point Elementary School, 1044 Western Ave.
- Giffen Memorial Elementary School, 274 South Pearl St.
- New Scotland Elementary School, 369 New Scotland Ave.
- Schuyler Achievement Academy, 676 Clinton Ave.
- Sheridan Preparatory Academy, 400 Sheridan Ave.
The program has a limited capacity, with a maximum of 30 children per school (three classrooms with 10 children). The YMCA is staffing each room with two employees.
Online registration is available. Health and emergency personnel needing childcare are also welcome to call the YMCA at (518) 869-3500.
Health insurance assistance
NY State of Health is committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality health insurance for all New Yorkers so they can get the care they need during the COVID-19 crisis.
Many New Yorkers are likely to be eligible for health coverage with financial assistance through NY State of Health due to their loss of coverage and income. NY State of Health opened a Special Enrollment Period in March to provide a safety net for people who are uninsured in difficult times like this.
You can apply for health insurance immediately through NY State of Health. If you lost employer coverage, you must apply within 60 days of losing that coverage.
Because of a loss of income, New Yorkers may also be eligible for Medicaid, the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus or subsidized Qualified Health Plan coverage.
Visit NY State of Health online for more information. You also can contact the Marketplace directly at (518) 486-9102 or NYSOH@health.ny.gov.
Mental health hotline
Along with the impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on physical health, we can't underestimate the impact this pandemic is having on mental health.
More than 6,000 mental health professionals have volunteered their time to help with New York’s response to COVID-19. For free emotional support, consultation and referral to a provider, call 1-844-863-9314.
Domestic violence resources
The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence has a message for victims during these challenging times: You are not alone.
Please call the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline at 800-942-6906 for information on domestic violence resources in our community. You also can access these resources online.
Expanded mobile crisis hours
Northern Rivers has extended its hours for mobile crisis services. The expanded hours are:
- Monday–Friday – 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
- Saturday–Sunday – 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
- For immediate crisis services, call (518) 292-5499
- For general information, call (518) 952-9032
Mobile crisis services provides telephone support for children, families and adults experiencing emotional and/or behavioral crisis, and for professionals working with these individuals. Northern Rivers also provides in-person crisis assessment and intervention for individuals experiencing emotional and/or behavioral crisis anywhere in the community.
For more information, visit Northern Rivers online.
