What School Will Look Like Tomorrow
Dear Markham community,
As we mentioned last week, the district’s central office is supporting Dr. Brown-Warrens and the Markham community as they transition to Capitol Hill, Rieke, Hayhurst, and Maplewood. While Dr. Brown-Warrens is your best source for logistical details, I wanted to address four overarching categories where we’ve heard questions.
Instruction
The district’s Office of Teaching and Learning has been working with the Markham leadership team to make sure that students and educators have access to any textbooks and digital resources they need for a smooth transition. All classes will continue with their usual curriculum and learning sequence. Supplies will be provided.
Staffing and Classrooms
With the exception of second grade, three class sections from each grade will be collapsed into two, with two main teachers and one floating teacher leading the sections. Additionally, Markham will receive up to seven substitute teachers who will be asked to co-teach in the combined classrooms. This effort will further reduce the student teacher ratio in each room and provide the added support for the teachers as well. Central Office staff will be on the four campuses throughout the week to provide additional supports.
As Dr. Brown-Warrens communicated in a previous message, some classes will be split, but we have made every effort to keep students with their teachers and classmates. Markham students will not be in class with students from their host school. Teachers will meet students and walk them to class.
Transportation
You have several options for getting your student to their temporary schools.
First, you may drop them directly at their temporary school. If you do so, please note a slight adjustment to the usual bell schedule: first bell is at 8:30 a.m. and dismissal is at 2:45 p.m.
You may also drop them at Jackson, where shuttle buses will transport them to their temporary school. Please use the North parking lot to park and get students to the buses.
If your student typically walks to Markham, they can walk to Jackson instead and catch a shuttle bus to their temporary school.
If your student typically rides the bus to Markham, buses will run slightly earlier. (See updates schedule here.) Instead of taking students to Markham, buses will take students to Jackson where they will then catch a shuttle bus to their temporary school.
Jackson shuttles will leave at 8:05 a.m. They will return at 3:05 p.m.
Special Transportation (ST) buses will transport students directly to Maplewood school. Please expect schedules to run 15 minutes earlier.
Repair Updates
We intend to share key repair updates as we have new information or updated timelines. Please expect news later this week.
I want to again express my gratitude to Dr. Traniece Brown-Warrens and the entire Markham community for your patience, cooperation, and grace. When we all work together for the good of our students, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jon Franco
Chief of Schools
