TPS Superintendent Recommends Careful Phasing To In-Person Learning

Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist has recommended that the district return to a hybrid model of in-person learning, as long as COVID-19 conditions remain stable or improve.

Dr. Gist said she has been consulting with health professions in the county and they said the numbers, as well as treatment for COVID-19, have been improving.

Dr. Gist gave three potential scenarios during the Monday Board of Education meeting, all dependent on the COVID-19 conditions. These recommendations will need to be approved by the Board of Education.

Dr. Gist recommended that if COVID-19 conditions remain stable, students grades Pre-K and Kindergarten will return two days in-person, 3 days distance learning on November 9. Then on November 19, grades 1-3 would return in hybrid, followed by grades 4-12 in hybrid on November 30.

If COVID-19 conditions improve, the district will still return with a hybrid learning model that brings students in grades Pre-k through 3rd back to a hybrid model, with the goal of shifting everyone back to in-person classes by November 30.

If COVID-19 conditions worsen, the district will remain in distance learning.

The superintendent has not yet said what the qualifications are for what would determine each option.

Image Provided By: Tulsa Public Schools

“We are very concerned about the health and safety of everyone in our community, and that includes the physical, mental, social, and emotional health of the children and families we serve,” said Gist. “These are incredibly difficult decisions, and we are listening to all of the perspectives we’re hearing, we’re reviewing the research, we’re engaging with health experts, and we are working to understand the full scope of the public health implications of this pandemic even as conditions change almost daily."

Parents said they understand this is a difficult decision for the board, but they are having trouble working full-time jobs and teaching their children at home. Other parents commended administrators for choosing the virtual start and hope to stay in distance learning.

The options are a recommendation from Superintendent Gist, the board still has to vote for this to take effect.

The Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education will make a decision about how the district will return to learning in quarter two on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m.