Parent Resources

My child has currently been coming to school face to face for Monday through Thursday for half a day.  Is this changing?

If your child has currently been attending school already on a shortened schedule, they will soon be able to attend Monday through Friday for a full day of school.  Check with your child’s teacher for verification if unsure.

My child is in special education in high school.  I am confused about what her schedule will look like for the next several weeks.  Can you explain it to me?

Some high school special education students in specialized classes will begin going back to school full time on Monday, September 28^th. The remainder of students will return to classes on the 28^th following the hybrid schedule, however, all special education students will be eligible to attend full-day instruction Monday through Friday beginning October 13^th.   You should have been contacted by one of your student’s teachers to confirm their return schedule, however, if you have questions you should contact your student’s teacher or Area Curriculum Coordinator for confirmation.  Of course, parents still have the option to continue with virtual instruction for their student if that is their choice.

 If my child and some of his classmates come back to school on September 28^th, but the rest of the class will continue to learn virtually how will the teacher be able to teach both groups at the same time?

All AISD teachers participated in training enabling them to provide instruction to their in-class and virtual students simultaneously. These lessons might be in the form of concurrent lessons, flipped learning or station rotations.  Teachers have been shown how to consciously guide all their students so that they are providing the same resources and assignments to their face to face students as their remote students in a more natural and deliberate flow.

I have decided I want my child to continue with virtual learning, but it has been a struggle for a variety of reasons.  Any suggestions?  If I decide to change my mind at some point, will that be a problem?

Parents should consult with their child’s teacher to discuss their specific concerns. If you decide that you would like to send your child back to school at any time, please contact your child’s special education teacher.  If your child is eligible for transportation, it will take about 5 days for the bus to begin.

What is the procedure for students and parents for the COVID-19 questionnaire? Will the parents have to fill it out every morning or just once a week?

All students or parents of students will answer the COVID-19 screening question daily prior to entry to the building. Temperature will be taken for all individuals as they enter the building and safety precautions will be followed to ensure that each child’s well-being is first and foremost a top priority on each and every AISD campus.

I have noticed that my child is not getting the same amount of minutes of instruction that we agreed to in their ARD.   Should we go back to ARD?

No, in the virtual setting, there are multiple opportunities to provide IEP support within either the face to face or virtual framework. Consider opportunities for office hours, asynchronous instruction, phone contact, synchronous individual work, or synchronous small groups.  The assistance of the teaching assistant to provide practice and remediation also exists, so there are multiple opportunities for minutes outside of the synchronous instruction.

Now that school is back in session, either virtually or for some face to face, will my upcoming ARD be face to face?  What if I want to meet my child’s teacher face to face?

At this time, district guidelines are not allowing us to hold face to face meetings. If parents are concerned about confidentiality, we can hold meetings using Microsoft Teams or Zoom which have been quite successful in many, many meetings since AISD went to virtual learning in March.  Parents can also opt to hold their ARD meetings by phone. 

Will my child still receive their accommodations even if they are learning in a virtual environment?

Yes, absolutely. Your child’s accommodations will be sent electronically to each of their teachers, and they will return a receipt acknowledging that they have received those accommodations.

Will attendance and grades be taken virtually?

Yes.  They will be taken according to District guidelines.

When will school start and when will my child go back to school?

School will begin on August 17^th for all students.  The majority of AISD students will attend school virtually and a very small population of special education students will begin face-to-face learning on August 17^th.  Parents of students who attend classes for Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), ABLE, Alt Curriculum and Deaf Education at Miller Elementary will be contacted and given the choice as to whether they would like to send their students for face to face classes on the 17^th or continue with virtual learning at this time.  They will attend Monday through Thursday for a period of 3-4 hours of core instruction depending on their grade level and will be required to complete fine arts, PE and electives virtually on Fridays. 

After 4 weeks, TEA has given school boards the opportunity to re-evaluate whether to offer a solely remote instructional setting if that is deemed needed for the health and safety of students, teachers, staff and parents or to expand the number of students attending in-person and in which capacity they will attend.

I would like to ask for an evaluation for my child for special education?  Can I still do that if we’re not in school?

Yes, you can.  That process has not changed.  You will need to contact your child’s school either by phone or by email and leave a message that you are requesting an evaluation for special education for your child.  Please be sure to leave your name and telephone number and the name of your child.  The message should be directed to the Assistant Principal, rather than your child’s teacher.

If we’re in school virtually, how can my child get his her related or instructional services such as Occupational/Physical or Speech Therapy?

Once school begins on the 17^th, we will begin setting up appointments with you to bring your child to his/her school so that they can meet with their therapist and receive services.  Some services, such as Speech Therapy may be delivered through Teletherapy. Your child’s provider will be in touch with you to get those appointments set.

What does my child do if they need assistance with their assignments or can’t keep up with their classwork?

Although your children will be receiving their lessons virtually as they did from March through the end of May, you will see some changes in the virtual instruction. Teachers will return to school in August and receive intensive instruction on how to provide teaching and learning opportunities for their students at the same time while not in the same place (synchronous learning).  Teachers will have the opportunity to record themselves and will be providing authentic lessons to their students. Students will have multiple opportunities to engage in new content, process new learning, and demonstrate their mastery of learning objectives. Your child will then be responsible for completing assignments at a later time in the day (asynchronous learning).  If your child needs assistance, the teacher should be notified immediately.  They will be holding office hours which you will be made aware of.  If your child receives support from the special education department, those teachers will be available with office hours as well.  Please do not hesitate to call.

Will my children get actual grades on their work?  Will attendance be taken every day? 

Students will have daily assignments and grading practices will align with district expectations.  There will also be attendance requirements.

I have more than one child and only one computer at home.  Will technology be available for this fall again?

Yes, you can request a technology device on the technology resources section of the AISD webpage.  Also, the week of Aug. 10-14 will be a collection and redistribution of technology at the campus level.

What if my child won’t wear a mask when we come back to school face to face?

The district will follow strict safety protocols.  Your child will be required to wear a mask.    If you are concerned that this will be a problem for your child, then please begin to start some daily practice now.

What safety measures will be in place once all students return to school?

Each campus will be equipped with a care kit including no-contact thermometers, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, gloves, face masks and face shields.  Visitors to the campus will be by appointment only beyond the office and signage will be in place on the campus.  Each student will be required to wear a face mask and social distancing will be in place.  The safety of all students, staff and parents is the number one priority of our district.