Francophone charter school advice for 2020-21
We recently got an offer from Francophone for K and while I am excited about the immersion aspect of the school I am concerned about the stability of the school atmosphere and future educational plans during the pandemic. Specifically, I was hoping some parents could share if the school has provided any guidance as to how the school plans to adhere to the recommendations from the Dept of Health and Dept of Education for the upcoming school year. I know that other charter schools in the county have had discussions about limiting class size and possibly balancing in-school and distance learning. Also, did the school decide where the underclass (tk-1) will be located? Is it at Howard, Brookfield, or elsewhere? Any insight or experiences current parents share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Parent Replies
I'd say Francophone has done a pretty good job with distance learning so far-- similar or better when I compare to the experience of our friends with kids in OUSD, BUSD, and private schools. Our kids have a few scheduled Zoom calls daily (whole class meeting, small group, and individual check ins) plus a mix of app-based and more traditional work. As far as next fall, I don't think that anyone knows for certain what will happen at any school at this point. It seems as if Francophone generally follows OUSD policy/guidance on these kinds of things, though it's nice to be a small charter with some more flexibility as well. They are still navigating the facility plans for next year and everything should be finalized by mid-June. Howard is definitely off the table. For the TK-1 kids, they will either be at Brookfield Elementary or at Toler Heights (if Francophone is able to move the upper grades to a private site they are still in negotiations over). I know that it must be challenging to be starting school during this uncertain time, so I wish you well no matter what you choose to do. We have had an outstanding academic experience with Francophone.