July 31, 2020
Dear Shaker Heights Schools Families, Staff and Community,
Today, we announce that all Shaker Heights Schools students will begin the school year remotely on Monday, August 31 and that all in-person athletic practices, events and conditioning are suspended immediately until further notice.
These decisions are being made in accordance with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health’s recommendation that all public schools within its health jurisdiction begin the school year remotely and that schools discontinue extracurriculars such as sports and other activities during the remote learning period.
We expect to be in a remote learning environment for at least a quarter. However, based on conversations with local and state health officials and from a realistic planning perspective, we understand that remote learning may continue for a longer period of time.
The goal of getting our students back into our schools has always been implicit in our plan to open remotely. As we have stated in the past, we will continue to follow local, state and national guidance and the state’s health advisory level for Cuyahoga County to determine when it is safe to do so. For example, if and when guidance changes and the Cuyahoga County health advisory level is downgraded, we will work to get students back in our buildings.
In a remote setting, all students will receive robust, high-quality and engaging remote instruction. In the coming weeks, our teachers, administrators, special education instructors, school psychologists and other staff will collaborate to ensure that we meet our students’ diverse learning needs. Additionally, our delayed start to August 31 also ensures that our faculty and staff can participate in District-provided professional development to help them prepare and plan for remote learning.
We will share more information on school schedules, support services for students who are on Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 accommodation plans, extracurricular activities and more in the coming days.
In the meantime, I invite you to review this list of Frequently Asked Questions or watch the July 31 Summer Update for additional information.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Glasner, Superintendent
Shaker Heights Schools