In less than four weeks, school districts across the state have embarked on a massive shift to provide distance learning for their students, now that all campuses are physically closed. What is distance learning, really -- and what is it not? And what are the many different steps, including planning, logistics and behind the scenes activities that need to occur for districts to make this pivot quickly and successfully?
In this episode, special guest Ryan Altemeyer, Associate Superintendent of Business Services and Chief Business Official for Monterey Peninsula USD takes us on a journey to see how his district, which serves nearly 10,000 students, has approached the shift. Who all was engaged in the effort and how? What were some early challenges? And how is the district working to provide additional supports to its homeless students, and English Learners, among others?
In a state as large and diverse as California, with nearly 1,000 school districts, each district and community has its own story about making the transition to distance learning. And while we’ve seen headlines reflecting that the shift takes time and where the lack of access to internet, devices and more is a huge barrier, we also see districts and communities across the state stepping up in powerful ways to make the best of an unprecedented situation. MPUSD is just one of many such districts. Nestled near some of the most beautiful coastline and high wealth communities in the state, people may be surprised to learn that approximately 7 out of every 10 students in the district are from low-income families, and one in five are English Learners.
Ryan shares how the district engaged all of its departments to determine what resources they already possessed, and surveyed families to identify needs. He also describes some "nuts and bolts" that went into preparing and distributing devices to those who needed them. MPUSD was able to build on technology and learning approaches already set up at their middle and high schools, so expanding access to elementary students became their focal point. It's all very much still a work in progress. Ryan also explains the “asynchronous” model his district is utilizing that enables students to work at their own pace with educators providing direction, support and guidance.
Resources
About Ryan Altemeyer
Ryan Altemeyer was appointed to his current position in July 2018. He oversees and leads the district’s Business Services division. This includes: Budget and Fiscal Services, Purchasing, Maintenance/Operations/Facilities, Bond Programs, Risk/Safety/Liability, Transportation, Energy Management, Information Technology, and Nutrition Services. He previously led MPUSD’s IT department as Chief Technology Officer from 2015 to 2018. He also served as the district's director of IT and as the Salinas Union High School District’s Director of Technology, and as a network communications technician. Ryan has an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management at San Francisco, and a BS from Devry University in Fremont.
About CASBO
The California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) is the premier resource for professional development and business best practices for California's school business leaders. CASBO is dedicated to promoting excellence and professionalism in all aspects of school business.
About your series guide
Paul Richman is a public education advocate and consultant. Contact him at EdfundingCA@gmail.com