Green Dot Public Schools Tennessee Re-Entry Updates 12/13

The holiday season is upon us and we will soon celebrate the end of a year that seems like a lifetime. As promised last month, we agreed to have a decision about January’s return by December 11, 2020. Our leadership teams have continued to consult with experts and reflect on the current state of learning at our schools. After much deliberation, we agree on two realities: First, if each of us enacts safety measures with fidelity, schools will be safe for students and staff. With over 94% of districts in Tennessee offering In-Person Learning options, health department records indicate that there is little virus transmission inside schools. At GDPST, safety precautions have been carefully planned: school supervision plans have been reviewed and rehearsed; rooms are configured to ensure proper distancing; protective equipment is on site and ready for distribution; and, teams are receiving training and practice needed to execute daily expectations. Second, this is an equity issue for our students. We have always contended that students learn best in-person. Now that science deems it safe enough to provide that option, we must act to ensure our students get the best learning environment possible. We also recognize that, as a country, we are struggling to follow guidelines proven to reduce the spread of the virus. Our hope is that each of you will enjoy family but do so as safely as possible, using social distance and masks. To address the COVID spike that may result from the upcoming holidays, we have decided to postpone the student return to school until Tuesday, January 19, 2021. This decision is not contingent upon Shelby County School’s plan for return and should only change if the Shelby County Health Department deems it necessary to return to a county-wide lockdown. This adjustment will allow us 10 additional days on site to prepare for the return of students. Additionally, we will condense the student phased return as follows:

• January 19, 2021: 6th, 9th and 11th grade students return to school
• January 25, 2021: 7th, 8th, 10th and 12th grade students return to school

The Family Return Survey has closed. Below you will see a snapshot of the number of students who plan to return to In-Person Learning on January 19, 2021. This past year has challenged us in ways nobody could have predicted. Collectively, schools and parents have stepped up and out of our comfort zones to do right by our students. The shift to In-Person and Distance Learning will continue to be a challenge but we’re confident that we can make a successful transition if we hold ourselves and each other accountable for maintaining a safe learning environment. Please feel free to reach out to your school administrators if you have any questions.

Join Our Team

Green Dot Public Schools Tennessee is actively hiring full-time Bus Drivers to join our team! Bus Drivers are an integral part of District operations and are key to students accessing equitable education and educational services. Bus Drivers are responsible for maintaining safety during transit for all students and passengers, by conducting route operations as directed, enforcing bus rules, managing student behavior, preventing unnecessary risks at pick up and drop off locations, and addressing and reporting bus maintenance issues promptly. We also offer a comprehensive benefits plan as well as the opportunity to impact a growing, mission-driven organization that is committed to the success of all students. Interested? Apply Here!

Check out what’s happening with some of our partners!

United Parents and Students Committee Sign Ups UPAS is excited to be launching issue-based committees this spring! These committees will enable parents and students to learn more about and discuss our key platform issues (digital equity, supermarket quality/ food justice, housing, and violence prevention), while also planning campaigns together to organize for change. Committees will meet once a month for approximately 1 hour and will require a brief amount of time between meetings to work on the next steps. This could include meeting with, calling, or emailing public officials, planning an event, and/or spreading the word and asking others to take action. Interested in joining a committee? Sign up here. 

In Case You Missed It

Need WiFi at home?

Green Dot Public Schools TN understands the technology gap that exists for families in our communities. We are proud to be able to partner with Comcast to provide six months of free internet service to enrolled families who qualify. After the six months of free service, families will have the opportunity to continue, with a nominal fee.

We have extended this opportunity to all of our current students and have received an overwhelming response. Fortunately, we are able to extend this to newly enrolled students as well. So, if there are families contemplating enrollment but are afraid they will not have access to internet for their students to attend distance learning, we will work to get them enrolled, assign a laptop and set them up with Comcast for WiFi.

Please email your full name, your student’s full name, and your best contact number to tnops@greendot.org or call your student’s school to sign up today!

How to Guidelines

How to Log in to Your Chromebook

How to Log in to Google Classroom

How to Log in to Your Green Dot Student Email

How to Start Classes With Zoom and Nearpod

How to Join Advisory

Important Documents

We’re Still Enrolling

Reserve your computer for the 2020-2021 school year