The Tempe Union High School District Governing Board voted 5-0 at their August 5, 2020, meeting to keep students in virtual mode for the duration of the first quarter, or until the metrics for reopening provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) can be met.
 
The full resolution passed by the Governing Board is available to view here. The resolution stems from the Governor’s most recent executive order regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the safe reopening of schools.
The reopening metrics from ADHS are available here.

Teachers will post weekly agendas for students. In this posted weekly agenda, teachers will notate what documents students can download each week so they are not impeded from completing the activity by inconsistent WI-FI access. Additionally, departments will have common syllabi that post key learning targets, academic expectations, and how students will apply their knowledge. Ongoing communication will be provided to support families, including time at the end of each school day in which both virtual or in-person students can clarify their understanding, get feedback and remediate learning as needed. Students are accountable for completing their weekly assignments prior to their in-person classes.

Departments meet weekly by subject to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of material covered and design instruction to enhance learning for the coming week. Based on the insights gained from evaluating students’ understanding, the departments design learning activities, assessments, and locate resources to support a range of learner needs.

Attendance will be reported based on guidelines provided from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) regarding student attendance, truancy, and credit earned.

Teachers have spent the month of June analyzing 4th and 1st quarter essential standards to plan and determine how skills will be taught at the beginning of the year. Teachers will also assess students in the fall to understand the specific student gaps in learning. Information from the assessments will be used to adjust instructions and allow for the necessary scaffolding and student support to help accelerate learning and minimize any pandemic learning loss.

A major difference is that the teaching and learning process will be delivered in real-time. Students will be engaging, virtually online with teachers following their master schedule with attendance taken for each course. Staff will teach from their classroom or home with the aid of additional technology and with the expectation that they will begin and end on time following their school’s daily bell schedule. This provides that sense of normalcy by establishing student accountability.

This is a different model from last spring and we have provided more staff training and support for our teachers. Teachers are also provided additional days at the beginning of the school year for teacher professional development and ongoing planning for the delivery of instruction.

Teachers will work collaboratively to design and utilize common agendas, learning tasks, and assessments. From these assessments, teachers will develop proficiency scales and/or rubrics which define levels of proficiency. Teachers will determine how grades will be calculated in accordance with district policy. Teachers will provide ongoing feedback to students regarding student acquisition of skills during their prep time, office hours, and if needed before/after school. To view your students’ progress, be sure to check your ParentVue account each week. If you have any questions or concerns, you can access your child’s teacher through that account.

Please RSVP by selecting your school at https://www.tempeunion.org/Food-Nutrition

All sites work with district and site staff as well as collaborative partnerships with local agencies to support the social and emotional needs of all students. In addition, counselors, Care 7 staff, academic interventionists, dean of students and dropout prevention staff will coordinate to provide social emotional support and deliver a social-emotional learning curriculum. Counselors will work with site intervention teams to determine what services will be provided in-person or remotely. Click here to learn more about our Social and Emotional Wellness program.

• Additional days dedicated for teacher professional development
• Increased access to technology for both teachers and students
• Hot spots to increase access to wifi at our school sites
• Removal of course fees to support families during this critical time while also ensuring that all students have access to high-quality electives 
• Elimination of activity and athletic fees (when those programs resume)

• All parents and educators are striving to provide a sense of normalcy for our students while ensuring they have access to meaningful educational opportunities. Services for Special Education students will be aligned to their IEP regardless of the learning model you have selected is online or in-person.  
• If you have selected the in-person learning model for your student, your student will receive all of their specially designed instructional minutes virtually for the first two weeks of the school year and then receive direct services when we return to campuses.
• If you have selected online learning for your student when the 2020-2021 school year opens, we will be contacting you when the staff returns to set up an immediate IEP meeting to first make sure this is an effective location of services for your student before school starts.   
• We will always ensure that all our students with IEPs have equal access comparable to their general education peers. All students will receive service minutes on their IEPs, accommodations, and modifications, regardless of the learning model selected.

Please see our Special Education webpage for detailed Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.tempeunion.org/Special-Education

Tempe Union is committed to providing devices for students who need access to technology. The District will distribute devices so that students with an internet connected device have access to Schoology, Google Hangouts, etc. Labs will be open at each school for students who do not have access to the internet during the day.

Several Internet providers are offering free and heavily discounted services at this time. Here are some options:

• From COX:
  
  • First two months free Connect2Compete service, $9.95/month thereafter
  • First two months free remote desktop and phone support through Cox Complete Care to provide peace of mind and ease for technology needs
  • Resources for discounted, refurbished equipment through our association with PCs for People
  • Organization and Educator toolkits are available to help families connect to the internet
  • Program eligibility and other restrictions apply. Learn more at www.cox.com/c2c or see this pdf flyer for more information.

• Internet access during the COVID-19 emergency is more important than ever before. A fast, reliable, and affordable internet connection can help each of us stay connected to healthcare services, school coursework, and each other. High-speed internet is not yet available everywhere in Arizona, but there are many special offers and options to help you find low-cost (or no-cost) internet solutions at the time you need them most.
  • To find every internet provider in Arizona please see: Tools to Access Broadband at Home - PDF.

Webinars will be created on how to use our learning management system, Schoology, for teachers, for students, and for parents. In addition, troubleshooting guides will be made available to help students/parents navigate online instructional tools.

Tempe Union will continue to transport students to EVIT and will support our EVIT partnership based on their District school opening plans. Students will need to follow the EVIT opening guidelines if attending. EVIT announcements are located on their website here.

Dual Enrollment programs will remain the same. Our dual enrollment partner will support our learning model and has confidence that we are ensuring that students receive the essential standards.

This website will be updated frequently, and other district communication will be circulated regularly. Principals and school administration will communicate with their families routinely to provide critical information and resources. ParentVUE is a good way to ensure regular communication is received from the school and district as information changes rapidly.

Site and District administration should be able to address any questions you might have. You can also check our website for regular updates. Communication regarding plan updates will be released via email, social media, and on our website.

In conjunction with Maricopa County and Cities, TUHSD will adhere to the use of masks/face coverings. We understand face coverings may be challenging for employees/students to wear in all-day settings such as school but this requirement is most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult. Individuals should be frequently reminded not to touch the face covering and to wash their hands frequently. Further information will be provided to staff/students on proper use, removal, and washing of cloth face coverings. If staff and students cannot provide their own, one will be available at the point of entry.

A face shield can be worn, but only in conjunction with a mask/face covering.

• Any areas used by a sick person will be closed off until it can be safely disinfected.

• School staff will wait at least 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting the area(s).

• School staff will ensure the safe and correct use and storage of cleaning and disinfectant products, including storing products securely away from students.

• In accordance with state and local laws and regulations, school administrators will notify local health officials, staff, and families immediately of any case of COVID-19 while also maintaining confidentiality in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

• Contact tracing will be performed, in order to identify anyone who came into contact with the sick person. 

• Anyone who has been exposed to a sick person will be informed and asked to stay home, self-monitor for symptoms, and follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

• Students and staff are required to wear face coverings (masks) to comply with current City and County regulations
• Reduced in-person class sizes and minimizing large groups, when feasible
• Revamped classroom layouts to allow as much physical distancing as possible
• Classroom touchpoint areas will be disinfected daily
• Bathroom touchpoint areas will be disinfected twice daily
• Signs will be posted in highly visible locations, reminding students and staff of everyday protective measures
• Floor signage will remind students and staff of the importance of physical distancing and directional routes
• Regular announcements will be made over the intercom on ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19
• Communications will be sent to families and posted online with information about ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19

Physical distancing means keeping a safe space between yourself and other people who are not from your household. To practice physical distancing, TUHSD will require employees to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between individuals at all times, unless this is not physically possible in both indoor and outdoor spaces. 

Classrooms will be designed with the greatest space possible between desks. Physical distancing in the bathroom will consist of the use of every other toilet and sink, with a maximum of 3-4 students. Hallways will require one-way routes marked with physically distancing markers and arrows. Indoor and outdoor areas for lunch will be designated and marked for physical distancing at each lunch area.

• Frequently touched surfaces (e.g. equipment, door handles, sink handles, drinking fountains) will be cleaned and sanitized daily
• Use of shared objects (e.g., gym or physical education equipment, art supplies, laptops, goggles) should be limited when possible or cleaned between uses
• Staff and students will be expected to clean and disinfect workspaces when they arrive and leave
• The District will provide supplies, including soap, hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol (for staff and students who can safely use hand sanitizer), paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, cloth face coverings, and trash cans
• Increased routine cleaning and disinfection throughout the day and after school
• Schedules will be assigned to janitorial staff for increased cleaning of surfaces and bathrooms throughout the day
• TUHSD will ensure the safe and correct use and storage of cleaning and disinfection products, including storing products securely. All products used to meet EPA disinfection criteria.

Decisions on partial or full closure of school sites will be made in consultation with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona Department of Education, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the TUHSD Emergency Management Team and Executive Team. Communication will be a priority at all times so that families will be prepared and informed. Given the constraints of this pandemic, our models were created to ensure students can engage with teachers in a safe environment, keep students on track for graduation, and protect all courses selected for the 2020 – 2021 school year. This provides needed flexibility to gradually or completely open high schools or allows us to retract in-person instruction should conditions worsen.

The desire of the district is to have students be able to return to a regular, five-days-per-week school day environment. Until then, partial or full closure of school decisions will be made in consultation with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona Department of Education, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TUHSD Emergency Management Team, and the Executive Team. Communication will be a priority at all times so that families are prepared and informed.

Please RSVP by selecting your school at https://www.tempeunion.org/Food-Nutrition

Scheduled transportation routes for each TUHSD campus and EVIT Campuses will be provided to and from school. Please review the route schedules located here on the TUHSD website. Special Education transportation will be provided in accordance with student IEPs. Transportation will contact all special education student families to confirm pick-up and drop-off times.

For the safety of students and staff, face masks/coverings will be required in order to board the school bus. Students will be required to show the bus driver that they have completed the daily symptom check on their mobile device, which will display a green check, at the time of boarding the school bus. Students without a mobile device may verbally confirm the symptom check, however, will be required to log-in and confirm the symptom check once they arrive at their campus. Students who present symptoms will be required to have a family member pick them up at the stop. Buses will run at a 50% capacity or no more than one student per seat.

Daily sanitization of school buses will be performed. In addition, in between runs, high-touch surfaces will be disinfected.

Athletics and Activities will be conducted in accordance with guidelines published by the Federal Government and CDC - website available here. Athletic modifications for spring sports have been mandated by the AIA and are available here on their website.

Currently, we are in Phase 3 of AIA’s guidelines (4 being no restrictions and back to “normal”):

Phase 3

• Prior to each training session, all students and staff will have a temperature screening completed and complete an online attestation (questionnaire) of symptoms. Students and staff with elevated temperatures or symptoms of possible Covid-19 like illness will be sent home and required to sit out 14 days. 
• Coaches/sponsors must wear masks at all times. 
• Students must wear masks during indoor activities, transitioning between facilities, and while entering/leaving campus. 
• Contact kept to a minimum although 1 on 1, 5 on 5, and 7 on 7 allowed.
• Game simulation activities allowed (scrimmages/practice games).
• Maximum 50 students per field  Teams need to be cohorted (Frosh, JV, Var) 
• Groups will remain the same for attendance purposes and, if needed, contact tracing (No cross-contamination). 
• No travel to events that would require overnight stay 
• No water will be provided. Students should bring enough water for a full training session (recommended 2 gallons). 
• Practice times should be coordinated with the site Assistant Principal of Athletics and Activities and coaches/sponsors to maximize social distancing capability.
• Students will be required to have a signed waiver by their parents to participate.

Yes. All programs at this time will be allowed to plan for summer conditioning. Further guidance will follow.

Fine and Performing Arts programs will continue during the 4th quarter. Teachers have been developing events and activities to engage their students. Modifications have been created that are tailored for that specific group event. See the appropriate coach/teacher/club sponsor at your student’s school site for more information.

Please contact the appropriate coach/teacher/club sponsor at your student’s school site. Contact information is available on each school’s website. If you have additional questions, please email parentinfo@tempeunion.org.