Learning Spaces Offer Virtual Option for Children of Joint 1

The HJT1 school district was shut down due to a lack of staff and forced all students to go virtual and in order to prevent the same thing from happening to HUHS, HUHS offered a “daycare” - like model to the kids of HUHS teachers to keep them from having to be home to take care of their children.

According to Hartford Joint 1 Superintendent Mark Smits, HJT1 were forced to shut down due to a lack of staff. They had 30 - 32 people quarantined or sick every day. In some instances the principals and deans of students had to teach some classes.

Several external issues contributed to this as well, one of them being surrounding daycares closing due to COVID-19. This forced some teachers to stay home to take care of their young children instead of teaching at the high school.

Smits also recognizes the toll that the shutdown takes on working parents, who now have to handle both their jobs and their children. Smits said that the shut down was the last resort caused by dire circumstances. He appreciates what the teachers and administrators are doing to accommodate for this situation.

After the two weeks of virtual schooling, Smits hopes “those individuals will get out of quarantine” and be able to return to work at HJT1. He has also authorized for additional staff. He hopes a combination of these, along with a new “daycare” model, will help deal with the staffing issue.

Smits hopes to adopt a similar “daycare” like model the high school has, which was proposed by HUHS Superintendent Jeff Walters. This model allows teachers to drop off their children and have auxiliary staff or teachers to help the kids learn in their virtual classrooms.

According to physical - education teacher Angie Hall, the new system works as follows: Hall’s kids arrive with her as she comes to work at 6:50 a.m. They play in the courtyard or south commons, the new area by the science rooms, with various play things such as card games or sports.

After their virtual school starts, the kids hop on their computers and start learning. They have many sporadic breaks throughout the day, which they utilize as play time with other students and to explore the high school.

One HJT1 student Hayden Hall said, “I don’t mind [being virtual].” Hall loves the high school lunches and the facility here.

Hayden’s mother Angie Hall is very thankful for this service. “If we didn't have access to daycare / learning facilities, I would have to stay home and teach virtually.” said Hall. Hall thinks she can teach virtually, but would experience continuous interruptions from her kids during their breaks or activities.

To sign up for this service, Hall had to fill out a google form regarding her children’s medical and other info. Besides the availability of the daycare, Hall is not concerned about the technological capabilities of any of her children. She has seen some of the other students helping each other out with technology issues.

“Our limited investment to make this happen is well worth the benefit of keeping our staff on [campus] and maintaining face to face instruction,” Walters said.