'A few glitches:' MPS students, teachers navigate first day of new school year
MILWAUKEE - Day one of virtual learning is now in the books for the Milwaukee Public School District as more than 40 schools started their school year.
The first-day fanfare was scaled down a bit, but the excitement was still grand as school leaders joined superintendent Dr. Keith Posley in kicking off the first official day of the 2020-21 school year.
MPS Superintendent Dr. Keith Posley
"This is a start to the road of readiness," Posley said.
This year, that road will take kids on a virtual journey as they start remotely because of the pandemic.
"Safety has to be a priority," Parent Valerie Lambrecht said.
While some staff worked from home, others were in their classrooms bellied up to their desks.
"Teachers will facilitate live home small group instruction as well as individual support online for students," Posley said.
But for some students at home...
"I tried to log in but it wouldn't go through because of my password," 8th grader Shaniya Kelly said.
The day didn't start so smoothly.
"There a few glitches but its getting better," Lambrecht said.
"It didn't even start it said to contact the administration," MPS parent Jeffrey Kelly said.
Parents looking for assistance got it right away, via a help desk that was just a window or phone call away.
8th grader Shaniya Kelly and her dad Jeffrey use the help window at Milwaukee School of Languages
"I think they are doing a really good job of trying to help people get them going and stuff," Kelly said.
Though the road to a successful year may have started off a little bumpy for 8th grader Shaniya Kelly, she remains in the lane of positivity.
"I feel I am prepared and ready for it," she said.
Dr. Posley says students and staff will be supported in every way possible.
"We will have a strong year. We are MPS proud," Posley said.
Right now, MPS families will be dealing with the virtual model for the foreseeable future. The district says it'll move on to the next phase when guidance from state and local health officials show that it's safe.
As far as the 6,800 students the district was not able to make contact with at the end of the school year, the superintendent says that is their top priority and they continue to try and locate a portion of those students to get them engaged in the education process.
To support our students, MPS is also inviting all district families to explore virtual learning through Zoom sessions that will take place Wednesday, August 19 and Wednesday, September 2. Virtual Family Engagement: Tools and Tips for Parents and Guardians will allow families to ask questions and give them a better understanding of the resources and technology being used to educate students during Phase One of the MPS Reopening Plan. Recordings of these Zoom sessions will be available at mymps.org
Families can still enroll their child by visiting the MPS website or by calling (414) 267-5100.