Episode 10 - Return to School Elementary Student Information with Dr. Sean McCarty

SHOW TOPIC
Return to School Elementary Student Information

SPECIAL GUEST
Dr. Sean McCarty, Seneca Valley Assistant Superintendent for K-6 Instruction

Dr. Sean McCarty has held the position of assistant superintendent of elementary education, grades K-6, since 2012.
In his role he has expanded the elementary curriculum and added unique courses for the K-6 student. Dr. McCarty has overseen the development and expansion of an elementary foreign language program and is also credited for introducing and initiating the District's Creativity, Innovation & Research Center (CIRC), which serves as a model program for K-6 schools all across the State.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE WILL REVIEW
• Learning Models and Phases
• A typical day in the life for an elementary student in our schools
• Increased connectivity with their teacher
• Supporting students and parents through resources

USEFUL INFORMATION
www.svsd.net/ReturntoSchool
www.svsd.net/LearningModels

Transcript

 FULL TRANSCRIPT (with timecode)

Voices E10 Sean McCarty 

File Name: Voices E10 Sean McCarty.mp3

File Length: 00:13:12

SPEAKERS

Int - Introduction

JK - Jeff Krakoff

SM - Sean McCarty

00:00:02:24 - 00:00:07:24

Introduction: Welcome to Voices, a Podcast brought to you by the Seneca Valley School District.

00:00:10:12 - 00:00:17:15

Jeff Krakoff: I'm Jeff Krakoff. I'm here with Dr. Sean McCarty who is the assistant superintendent of elementary education.

00:00:17:17 - 00:01:00:26

Jeff Krakoff: Sean, thanks for being here. I know you've been with the district for quite a while. Almost a quarter of a century, starting out as a special education teacher, then assistant principal and principal. I also know that with your current role that you've really expanded the elementary curriculum. You've added a lot of unique courses for for students K-6. You've overseen an expansion of the foreign language program and also introduced CIRC, the district's creativity, innovation and research center which not only is it great for Seneca Valley, but it's served as a model program for school districts all across the state.

00:01:00:28 - 00:01:11:28

Jeff Krakoff: So thanks for taking the time to talk about elementary. Can you kind of walk us through the learning models and phases as part of the elementary program?

00:01:12:00 - 00:01:43:06

Sean McCarty: Sure, I'd be happy to. Thank you, Jeff. Yes, just to give you a kind of a brief overview. We have three learning models that parents can choose from. We have our traditional in-person model where children would come into our schools in front of their teachers much like what we've always had in the past. We also have a hybrid model which is a combination of our full-time cyber and our traditional model. So children would be able to take multiple classes in person and then maybe one or two cyber or vice versa.

00:01:43:08 - 00:02:14:09

Sean McCarty: They may take a number of cyber courses and come in just for math class. So we wanted to create some versatility and some options there as well. The full-time cyber program is a program that is an option as well. We've had for years now and that is a full asynchronous program. However, this year we've added some live sessions that children could attend every single day. So we had a lot of information from parents that spoke to that was a weakness that we've had is that we didn't have that interaction.

00:02:14:11 - 00:02:58:22

Sean McCarty: So we did create that option for parents this coming year. So those are our three models. Now, I will share that whatever phase we are in impacts each one of those models. So to explain that a little bit further if you're in a traditional model, in person, in front of the teachers in our green phase we would be five days a week, however, and just on August 10, this past board meeting we did move to the yellow phase. And what that means is that in our traditional model, we've moved to a cohort, so children with the last names A-L will go to school Mondays and Wednesdays and children with the last names M-Z

00:02:59:03 - 00:03:24:11

Sean McCarty: will go to school in person Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the remaining days being remote instruction. Of course, that would impact hybrid as well. And the one program though a choice that parents have if they go full cyber whatever phase we're in does not impact our cyber program, obviously because it's asynchronous and it is remote in nature. So that part would stay the same no matter what phase we're in.

00:03:24:22 - 00:03:37:19

Jeff Krakoff: Okay. Yeah it's a new world. So since you've seen it both as a teacher and administrator, what would a typical day in the life look like for an elementary teacher in our schools?

00:03:37:21 - 00:03:44:22

Jeff Krakoff: And the second part how does that change what does it look like with remote online learning as a component as well?

00:03:45:12 - 00:04:21:02

Sean McCarty: Sure. So again you know as I described to all the models every model has advantages and disadvantages, you know strengths and weaknesses, and really we want parents to make the choice that best fits their family, knowing full well that there's not a magical, perfect scenario out there during these very trying times. So I'm gonna give you kind of an overview of you know if you choose the traditional in-school version of what we're offering a kind of a typical day would look like depending on what transportation option you would like. We are providing transportation with the school bus like we always have.

00:04:21:04 - 00:04:53:00

Sean McCarty: However, now that we're in yellow you can imagine that those buses are going to kind of be cut in half with how many children will be on those based on your last name. The other option which we've always had is parents can choose to drive their children to school. And one thing knowing that we've had an increase of people who would like to drive their children, we have increased the amount of time in the morning and in the afternoon that parents can drop off and pick up. We're trying to make as many opportunities for convenience in these very difficult times as possible.

00:04:53:02 - 00:05:25:12

Sean McCarty: So we grew our areas as far as you know how you drop off the amount of time and how to get your kids into school appropriately. The nice piece with that as well, we are also doing a, what we call kind of a soft landing; as children this school they're now going to report directly to their classroom. In the past, they may have to wait in the hallway, or in the cafeteria based on timing and so forth. But we're arranging our schedules to make sure as children enter the building they can go directly to their classroom.

00:05:25:14 - 00:05:50:00

Sean McCarty: One of the goals we've been working on is trying to limit obviously the interactions and limit the exposure across multiple people in multiple areas. So as we're designing our instructional day, we really are trying to look at how do we limit those movement pieces yet still understanding that little kids need to get up and move around as well too. So we're trying to find that delicate balance.

00:05:50:03 - 00:06:00:05

Jeff Krakoff: Makes sense. So in the world we live in today with with remote learning online being a component.

00:06:00:09 - 00:06:05:29

Jeff Krakoff: Talk about how students and their families can be connected with their teachers.

00:06:06:01 - 00:06:49:27

Sean McCarty: Sure. You know in 2020 that definitely is one of the raging questions and you know thank goodness from the technical lot the technology as you we have in this district has really provided us an opportunity to do some pretty creative and amazing things. There's always room to grow. And we are continuing to evaluate what seems to be working well and what can we do a little bit better. The piece that we do need to continue to focus on how do we do a little better is that teacher connectivity with students. So whatever environment we're in we're really trying to look at how do we build relationships between the teachers and the students that there can be that comfort level that safety that security that feeling that you know for that learning process to occur.

00:06:49:29 - 00:07:33:10

Sean McCarty: We know children have to have a sense of security. So how do you do that in a remote environment -is extremely challenging. So as I mentioned earlier we've surveyed parents and we've asked, we've been on many many phone calls, I've talked to so many parents that have had you know very similar wants and needs and more than anything they want to be with their teachers and they want to be able to communicate and connect with them. So we're really driving towards using new technologies similar to what we're doing right now with FaceTime type of approach where we use Microsoft TEAMS and use other types of technology to put our faces together.

00:07:33:15 - 00:08:07:25

Sean McCarty: One kind of cool thing that just came out even a week ago through Microsoft TEAMS they've created different modes that you can actually view your classroom where as you're looking at your screen it almost puts people in somewhat of a virtual togetherness mode which is kind of a neat function and although it might seem as a little shift here and there, I think psychologically it helps kids and it helps teachers and hopefully will help parents as well. But overarching the big message that came loud and clear that we're really working aggressively to make even bigger strides in that area is

00:08:08:03 - 00:08:33:05

Sean McCarty: how do you connect daily with your teacher? Doesn't matter where you are if you're in person or if you're in that remote environment. How do we make those connections and allow children to really focus on their learning? That's what we've always been about. But it may look a little different now. And we're really challenging teachers and administrators to think outside the box and how do you make that work in this virtual environment?

00:08:33:07 - 00:08:45:09

Jeff Krakoff: All right. You mentioned something like TEAMS is a great tool and resource. What are some other specific resources that are being used or available to help support students and their parents through this time?

00:08:45:22 - 00:09:30:04

Sean McCarty: Sure. So I'll go back to another you know ask or area of reflection for our district was we were blessed with so many different resources. However, sometimes that can be overwhelming. And we understand that too from a parent's perspective, not only is there the technology obstacles of learning the technology just from the hardware perspective, but the number of resources that are all excellent, but at times can be overwhelming. So we've really tried to streamline with respect to you know all children will need to go to our Seneca Valley Portal to start their day if they're in a remote environment and the idea behind that is kind of like that one-stop shop to get you started.

00:09:30:06 - 00:10:04:12

Sean McCarty: So once I log into that one spot from there I can move in whatever direction I need to and teachers utilize that with their grade books. People are familiar with our Portal simply because when they register, they select courses we channel everything through that area. So it really creates an environment where, as I mentioned kind of at one-stop shop, that can project you into where you need to go with that teacher. So as I said Microsoft TEAMS is the platform we use to create the face-to-face interactions.

00:10:04:15 - 00:10:41:19

Sean McCarty: And there are so many different pieces with TEAMS that you can do with homework and you know interactive types of discussions where screen sharing can occur. So instead of the children looking at the SmartBoard possibly in person, all of a sudden their screen becomes their own personal SmartBoard and the teachers are kind of talking through a lesson. So there's some exciting opportunities that you know I try to look at the positives of what's occurring in all of this. You know these terrible times and you know battling against COVID, some of the technology and our teachers having to jump into an entirely new world for them.

00:10:41:21 - 00:11:00:12

Sean McCarty: I really do think that growth that everyone has had through this process is going to benefit us when this is over and it will be over, this too shall pass. We hopefully will get to a new normal. But when this is over I do think there will be new ways that we look at things that will benefit us in the end.

00:11:00:14 - 00:11:04:22

Jeff Krakoff: I like that kind of like forced growth, but growth all the same.

00:11:04:24 - 00:11:05:26

Sean McCarty: Absolutely.

00:11:05:28 - 00:11:15:24

Jeff Krakoff: So, do you have any parting thoughts? If I'm a parent in the district with a child K-6. What should I be thinking about as we get ready to go back to school?

00:11:15:26 - 00:11:49:18

Sean McCarty: Well I'll tell you as a parent of three children of my own, you know one of the pieces again my children go to public school as well. And the beauty I think as I said there's challenges and there's strengths of all of our options. But I can tell you that the biggest strength of all of the options a parent may choose, they're all facilitated with our Seneca Valley teachers. That's the part that lets me you know put my head on my pillow at night and go to sleep feeling good about the direction we're going.

00:11:49:22 - 00:12:44:09

Sean McCarty: It doesn't matter what program or what choice any parent chooses for their children. They're gonna get our highly-trained, our caring you know work. Tremendous amount of hours. You know these people there they take them as their own children. Our teachers care about children. That's why they're in this profession. And whatever choice that a parent makes I hope that they feel good at least from a standpoint of they're gonna get our Seneca Valley teachers. Cyber, hybrid, traditional; you're gonna have our people working with you and you know I I truly feel whatever obstacles we face whatever challenges, it seems cliche, but if we work together if we come together and be able to talk about our disagreements and the challenges and all of the emotion that is going through these times we'll get through it and we'll be stronger for it. But we have to do it together so knowing that our teachers are at the heart of this all.

00:12:44:11 - 00:12:44:26

Jeff Krakoff: Yeah.

00:12:44:29 - 00:12:49:20

Sean McCarty: I think is the strength of what we're offering our families in this community.

00:12:49:22 - 00:12:53:23

Jeff Krakoff: All right. Thanks so much Dr. McCarty. I know it's a busy time.

00:12:53:27 - 00:12:58:11

Jeff Krakoff: You're in the tail end of preparations getting ready for the school new school year.

00:12:58:13 - 00:13:02:13

Jeff Krakoff: I hope it's a great one for everybody. Thanks again for joining us.

00:13:02:15 - 00:13:03:24

Sean McCarty: My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

00:13:04:11 - 00:13:04:21

Jeff Krakoff: Take care.