School Board Meeting Information
In compliance with the recommendations to maintain social distancing and following guidance regarding the amended Open Meetings Act parameters, we are prepared to facilitate the April Board meetings via video conference. We intend to follow the established parameters regarding public inclusion, communication and trustee voting. Information about how to access the meeting will be made available to the community prior to the meeting.
Teaching & Learning
  • Compiling a large set of resources in 3 categories: 1) Parents & Families, 2) Teachers & Instructional Leaders, and 3) Students, including free library resources and access to books
  • Continued development of the long-term distance learning plan
  • Progressed with the grading committee. Recommendations will be available in the coming days, contingent upon rapid changes coming from TEA, etc. 
  • Ongoing collaboration with A2E2 team for tech-free assignments and PBL work (tech and tech-free)
  • Generation of external communication to families is underway - format will be highly aligned, by school (PK-8) or department (High School) to ensure families have all of the information (including expectations, contact info for teachers, and Schoology/Google Classroom codes, e.g.) in one, readable place. These documents, once completed, will be posted to the district distance learning website. 
Student Support Services
  • Student Support Services (SSS) collaborated with district counselors to create Journaling activities for Weeks 3 and beyond.

  • SSS collaborated with middle school support teams: GEAR UP, ACE, CTE, and A2E2 in order to discuss 1:1 check-ins with middle school students and to create college and career and SEL facing activities for students in middle school.

  • Special Education held a principal call to review Weeks 3 and beyond support and will plan expectations to ensure students accessing Special Education services have appropriate support. ARD meetings have resumed and are running virtually. Additional services such as speech, occupational therapy, and other related services are in the process of being scheduled to be delivered virtually.

  • Post-Graduation team has finalized Week 3 and beyond support plan and has created a tracker for seniors to ensure that all students are regularly supported to graduation. 
RED/Technology
  • Device Distribution Update: Device distribution will commence for DeSoto ISD students in grades 6 - 12 on Friday, 3/27/20. All families who filled out the device request form received an email tonight regarding the status and, if they are prioritized for pick-up, directions on how to receive the device. The pick-up procedures communicated to the parents will include minimal person-to-person contact. Approved parents picking up the devices for their students will show the personalized code they received from their car and a device will be deposited into the trunk of their car.

  • Device Prioritization Criteria: Students prioritized to receive a device were identified through surveys that parents completed online and phone conversations that teachers had with parents or students. Priority was given to students who do not currently have access to a device at home and have access to the internet at home. At this time, we are only offering one device per family. The first round of device distribution will take place on Friday and is targeted at middle and high school students. Further communication will follow for students who were not able to be prioritized to receive a device at this time about availability. In the meantime, students who do not have consistent device access should continue to follow the ‘No Technology’ portion of the DeSoto ISD Distance Learning Plan.

  • Technology Help Desk: The DeSoto ISD Technology Department is operating a Technology Help Desk every weekday. If you have any technology issues and would like help, please email HelpDesk@desotoisd.org with a short description of the problem and a phone number to contact you.

  • A2E2/Advanced Academics: The A2E2 team is spearheading the development of the “No Tech” part of the curriculum in alignment with the district curriculum. This will enable families to choose between the Tech-enabled or No Tech option and ensure all students, regardless of internet or device access, are able to engage with the curriculum. Advanced Academics has spent time compiling resources to support the continued instruction of our GT and AP learners.
Communications
  • We are continuing to monitor and respond to inquiries on the Info@DeSotoISD.org account, social media and other means.

  • Please note the Attorney General has provided revised timelines for district response to Open Records Requests during school closures. Read more here.
Parent Resources
Information that has been distributed to date is stored on the district website.  Please bookmark www.desotoisd.org/coronavirus for regular review of programs and frequently asked questions.

Additional tips
Questions on assignments:  If you have questions about the content of the distance learning plan or require instructional support that is not technology hardware related, please reach out to your child’s teachers directly via email. The teacher’s email address is generally their first name, a period, then the last name followed by @desotoisd.org with no spaces. (Example: John.Smith@DeSotoISD.org). If you and your child’s teacher are unable to resolve the issue, you may forward your question and the communication thread to desotoisddistancelearning@gmail.com . We will do our best to respond to and resolve your issue within 24 hours.

Staying connected
During this time of fast-flowing information, we want to remind parents and students to follow us on our Social Media channels. To assist in making sure you see our posts, set your preferences to prioritize the DeSoto ISD Facebook page using the SEE FIRST feature:
To use SEE FIRST from a profile or Page:
1. If you're not already following the profile or Page, click Follow near our cover photo.
2. Hover over FOLLOWING or LIKED near our cover photo.
3. Select SEE FIRST.

General assistance  
As the Dallas County Shelter in Place order continues, some families may have a need for various forms of assistance.  2-1-1 is a vital resource that connects millions of people to get help every year. Simply call 211 or visit 211.org to request assistance.

Jobs
Dallas County Judge Jenkins announced an immediate need to fill jobs in the supply chain.  Interested parties should contact the Texas Workforce Commission at 1-800-939-6631.
DeSoto ISD | www.DeSotoISD.org