CBE to continue online learning, but not through Hub

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) says it will continue to offer an online learning option for Grades 1 through 12 in the years to come, but it won't be the same model of online learning provided during the pandemic.

Superintendent of school improvement Joanne Pitman says the Hub online learning option was a temporary fix bornin response to the specific circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hub was about really remaining connected to your community school, because we knew that families were uncertain and may not have this as their long-term approach, but a short-termapproach," she said.

"We're building off of our experience to change and move from a pandemic response to a sustainable, more long-term response," she said.

• The kids are (mostly) alright: Lessons learned in Calgary public schools during the pandemic

Now, students who wish to continue their education online will be able to do that, but through the board's existing and expandingCBe-Learn program.

"Through CBe-Learn it's about creating a new community online with complete focus where all staff connected to those grades are really able to work together around the design of learning," said Pitman.

In years past, CBe-learn only offered online options for Grades 6 through 12, but in the fall it expanded itsofferings to grades 1 through 5.

"We had just over 800 students, full-time students, enrolled in CBe-Learn and I would expect that that number will increase as families have experienced different types of success and recognize the opportunity for their children," said Pitman.

The CBE's Hub program had 18,400 students when it launched last fall, and after a one-time transition back to community schools was allowed in February, roughly 14,000 students remained.

CBE families will get an email Thursday containing a survey asking them to indicate if their students are interested in learning online or in-person next year. The board said this is simply a way to gauge interest, and families are able to change their mind up until registration, which is a few months away.

"That's going to allow us to immediately analyze and allow us to restructure a whole bunch of positions and make sure that we've got it appropriately staffed based on not only on grade level, but also with the range of courses," said Pitman.

The survey will remain open until March 25.

Pitman said CBEhigh schools have done incredible work in creating well over 200 course offerings for students during the pandemic via the Hub model, and they hope to see a lot of those courses transferred to CBe-learn.

"We are continuing to see how and which courses students really excelled at online in this environment this year at the high school level, and see how we might leverage that differently in this context of CBe-learn."

The Calgary Catholic School District announced its intention in February to continue offering itsonline school,St. Isadore, post-pandemic.