MEDIA STATEMENT
September 21, 2020
“Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools has been working diligently to create a model of learning for
our students that relies on our own teachers and curriculum and delivers the best possible
outcomes for our students. We recognize that the adjustments that must be made by our
teaching teams are not easy, and we firmly believe we have respectfully addressed a number of
their concerns and are committed to continuing the conversion.
“Our hybrid model replicates the in-classroom experience for our students as much as possible,
while maintaining strong health and safety protocols. Our planning began with our task force
work earlier this summer, with more than 70 teachers participating.
“Conversations with our teachers and the union are ongoing, as we help them understand the
benefits of our hybrid approach for students and families, which include:
●

Assuring our students are able to learn from Gahanna teachers, and from lessons
designed by our teachers, without the use of a third-party platform.

●

Providing more teacher contact time for students. Most hybrid learning models provide
only 50% contact time, which means it will be difficult for students to get through more
than 50% of a year’s material.

●

Enabling teachers to meet with students in small or large groups as they deem
appropriate, ​without ​the expectation that hybrid and distance learning students will be
online all day.

●

Reducing the number of teacher and student schedule changes that must be made at
the 6-12 grade level.

●

Providing teachers with additional planning, intervention and collaboration time.

●

Maintaining access to the district’s full course offerings.

“It is important to know that as negotiations with the union continue, the current contract with our
teachers remains in place, which means the same step raises and benefits also remain. Our
teachers are dedicated professionals, and we take their concerns seriously. We are working
hard to finalize an updated agreement.”