SDE offers wide array of resources to educators, parents amid pandemic

BOISE - Although public school buildings are closed, Idaho educators continue instructing students through distance learning, and parents are helping children learn at home.

To support these efforts, the State Department of Education is providing a wide range of resources to maximize the continuity of education.

"This pandemic has plunged us all into uncharted territory, and my staff and I are committed to doing whatever we can to collect and share ideas, resources and useful information to help schools, students and families during this challenging time," Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said. "I am constantly impressed by the commitment and ingenuity of our schools and teachers, and by Idaho parents who are supporting their children's learning in new ways. We are all in this together."

Available resources are updated frequently and collected at two online sites maintained by the SDE: the school resources page of the governor's Idaho coronavirus website, and the Educational Resources for Parents & Educators page of the SDE website.

The School Resources page organizes resources by topic, from content areas to student safety, special education to child nutrition, and assessment to school finance. It features robust sections with online resources and information on technology services, including an Excel document of free and discounted Internet services for schools and students during the pandemic, searchable by zip code so people can find coverage in their areas. All resources are updated as new information becomes available.

Ybarra and SDE program directors also are keeping in close contact with school district and charter school leaders, sharing information and answering questions in webinars held each Wednesday during this crisis and compiling that information in a FAQ document for administrators.