Evanston Township High School will continue its “Enhanced E-learning” program until further notice, according to a Friday release.

This decision comes after a board meeting where Evanston Township High School/District 202 Superintendent Eric Witherspoon said ETHS planned to offer a hybrid model for the fall.

The Fall 2020 Reopening Plan indicates e-learning will start August 17, after students spent much of the spring under e-learning guidelines. According to the plan, students will attend school every day remotely, taking synchronous and asynchronous classes. The plan emphasizes that the e-learning model has improved since “crisis learning” in the spring.

Students will use Google Classroom and each day of e-learning will count as a day of attendance, with students filling out a check-in form daily. The e-learning guidelines state that students are expected to “engage in daily learning experiences for each of their classes,” with classes having two 70-minute blocks of live learning sessions each week and 30 minutes of asynchronous work or homework. Timely completion of work and makeup work is required, according to the guidelines, and the school will be using letter grades.

ETHS’ website says the plan was developed based on guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Board of Education and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is a potential, if conditions permit, for ETHS to implement a hybrid model.

Staff will receive COVID-19 training, according to the plan, and participation in extracurriculars, including sports, are to be determined at a later date. The plan notes that the 2020-21 school year will not be “business as usual,” and states the school has increased access to mental health services for students and resources for staff and family.

“Our work is not done,” Witherspoon said in the release. “In light of continually shifting circumstances and guidance, ETHS must remain flexible and responsive.”

ETHS will host a virtual E-Town Hall on July 22 at 6:00 p.m., and some questions submitted by the ETHS community will be answered at that time.

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Twitter: @emmaeedmund

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