News Release
San Diego Unified, KPBS, San Diego County Schools Collaborate on Initiative to Offer At-Home Learning Opportunities
March 16, 2020
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Unified School District, KPBS and the San Diego County Office of Education have announced a plan to provide for continuity of learning for its students while schools are closed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Launched on Monday, March 16, the initiative, “At-Home Learning: Where Children Matter,” includes a broadcast component with standards-aligned programming in blocks by grade level and a digital component with access to an online library of free PBS educational resources. Students throughout San Diego County will have access to these educational resources via television and online amid school closures.
“This collaboration provides students in San Diego Unified and throughout the county opportunities to continue their learning during this crisis with equity and access in mind,” said San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten. “I am grateful for this partnership that provides high-quality programing to students and teachers.”
The programming has been developed to help schools and districts bridge the digital divide and provide equitable access to learning for all students at home, regardless of access to internet or computers.
“Public media television is a public service that has the importance of children’s education embedded in its DNA. For 60 years we have been America’s classroom across all geographic boundaries, races, and income levels. Answering the call to ensure our TK through 12th grade young people have access to learning while at-home during this unprecedented time is critical to our mission and we are honored to be of service because at KPBS children matter,” said Tom Karlo, KPBS General Manager.
Recognizing that teachers, schools and districts are juggling a multitude of needs during this crisis, the schedule has been built to support all students with educational programming.
“It’s critical that learning continues for all students in this time of uncertainty,” said Dr. Paul Gothold, San Diego County Superintendent of Schools. “Schools may be closed but our responsibility to our students’ future remains. We can’t let students who have worked so hard lose that hard-won progress away from the classroom.”
The initiative has two components:
· Broadcast - KPBS 2 will broadcast 12 hours of programming selected to meet the TK-12 California educational standards. The programming will preempt normal KPBS 2 programming from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. in blocks by grade level: From 6 to 8 a.m., grades TK through 3; from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., grades 4 through 8; and from 1 to 6 p.m., grades 9 through 12.
· Digital - California students and educators have immediate access to an online library of free educational resources from PBS LearningMedia, including videos, associated lesson plans, hosted training sessions and self-guided how-to resources for teachers, that accompany PBS’s trusted programs and align with current classroom standards. The URL is ca.PBSlearningmedia.org.
San Diego Unified serves more than 103,000 students. Approximately 504,000 students attend public school in 42 districts and charter schools throughout the county.
“I have heard from so many teachers across the district who are determined to make sure this time is productive for our students,” said Kisha Borden, President of the San Diego Education Association. “Teachers know their students and they’re sensitive to the fact that every family and every school will have unique challenges ahead. Our goal is to make sure each and every student gets what they need.”
“At-Home Learning: Where Children Matter” is patterned after similar partnerships between public media TV stations and schools that have been forged across California, including PBS SoCal and Los Angeles Unified School District.
San Diego Unified decided to close schools through April 6 in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. Please check the district’s COVID-19 website for daily updates: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19
Media Contact: Maureen Magee, Communications Director, (619) 381-7930, mmagee@sandi.net
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