Pali High Reveals Plan to Continue eLearning Model Through Spring Semester

The School Introduced an In-Person, After-School Activities Program

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Palisades Charter High School is planning to continue its eLearning model with the addition of an afternoon on-campus program for the remainder of the spring semester, Principal Dr. Pam Magee confirmed.

During a Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, March 16, parent and student concerns were discussed, as well as the school’s latest plans for reopening.

Parent representative of the board Jewlz Fahn communicated concerns of stress, excessive screen time, the need for social interaction and in-person learning during her report before Board Chair Brooke King suggested her time to present be shortened.

“People feel that they’re not being properly represented and that they’re not letting their voices be heard,” Fahn said. “I don’t see what the problem is for me to read off a few more of these comments that parents have confided to me.”

“I think we need to hear something different, we’ve heard the comments that you’ve made,” King responded.

A motion was moved to allow Fahn to continue with her report but parents expressed concern with the progression of the meeting, sharing feelings of being unaccounted for by the board in emails to the Palisadian-Post.

“I’m really desperate about this whole situation … this is our only opportunity to communicate that,” Kate Mackintosh, parent of a junior at Pali High, said to the Palisadian-Post. “At some point, a couple of the members of the board said, ‘We hear you, we understand,’ but it honestly didn’t feel that way.

“The harm has been done to the children, it’s not being weighed appropriately in the balance against the other health risks. The priority should be getting kids back in school, that just doesn’t seem to be happening.”

By the end of last week, Pali High announced a gradual plan to reopen sectors after Spring Break.

Magee told the Post virtual academic classes will continue through the remainder of spring semester, but teachers are currently developing programs to enhance academic learning.

Reporting that the school took into account feedback from faculty, parents and students, Pali High designed an in-person, after-school program for students “with a variety of opportunities to interact with parents, teachers and support providers.” The program is slated to run from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Students will have the opportunity to join a small group that meets one to two times per week and explore a number of enrichment activities, from theater and musical production to academic competitions, political discussions, community service projects, and more.

Pali High asked parents in an email sent Friday, March 19, to communicate their decisions for their child to return to campus by Tuesday, March 24. Magee addressed the short turnaround timeline by saying the school needed the data as soon as possible to ensure sufficient staffing and learning space for students who choose to participate.

Magee also said the school is moving forward with plans for a modified, in-person commencement ceremony for “the very deserving class of 2021.”

Pali High anticipates reopening for in-person classes in the fall, offering a hybrid learning model until health and safety conditions allow for a 100% return to campus, according to Magee.