Hamilton County, TN (WDEF) – Learning from home has become the new normal-but as most school systems announce their plans to reopen in the fall, administrators and teachers are working hard all summer on how to close the skill gaps left behind from the Coronavirus shutdown.
Watch the segment from WDEF - News Channel 12 in Chattanooga, TN that highlights the Hamilton County Schools adoption of Open Up Resources + Kiddom for the 2020-21 school year. Watch the segment below and read the article here.
From the article:
Hamilton County Schools have invested in a new program that will address specific skills missed by students during the pandemic – It’s called Open Up and Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson is confident that it will get students caught up – and future ready.
“ A lot of times the system has gone about inquiring instructional resources but we have not provided the comprehensive pieces that are needed to teach the curriculum. It was really important for us to find high quality instructional material focused on the science of reading,” says Dr. Bryan Johnson, Superintendent of Hamilton Co. Schools.
Open Up is a California-based nonprofit company that helps increase equity in education.
Officials say resources like this are needed now more than ever, due to the possible impact that the school closure will have on student learning.
The CEO of Open Up says their curriculum is easily accessible by both the teacher and the student.
“All of our core math and english language arts curricula are openly accessible on our website. Any teacher in any classroom in this country can access these materials,” says Jessica Sliwerski, CEO of Open Up Resources.
Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools says the Pandemic has created challenges for them, but overall it has taught school officials about the value of time and resources.
“This isn’t about the practice of teaching. This is about the expertise in teaching and getting it right. We don’t have time to get it wrong. These kids’ futures count on it. We believe in deferring to expertise and we believe in ensuring we have the best resources,” says Dr. Johnson.
The new curriculum will be used by Hamilton County Schools, this fall.
School officials say that although they don’t know what the future holds-they do know that this new program will keep students learning-both inside and outside of the classroom.
Read the Full Article Here
About Open Up Resources:
Open Up Resources is a 501c3 that exists to increase equity in education by making the highest quality curriculum freely accessible to educators and providing implementation supports to the broadest number of teachers, empowering them to effectively and sustainably improve student outcomes in pre-K-12 English Language Arts and Mathematics. To learn more about Open Up Resources' mission and work, click here.
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