TRLE Grant will Preserve Pandemic Instruction Best Practices
Last fall, the Western New York Regional Information Center (WNYRIC) was one of 14 organizations identified as a Level 1 Center for the Teaching Remote Hybrid Learning (TRLE) grant through the New York State Department of Education (NYSED).
To address the current COVID-19 impact on learning in New York State, the initial goal of the TRLE program is to rapidly infuse professional learning resources to the field. The grant seeks to support teachers and administrators across the region in six focus areas:
- Social Emotional Learning
- Culturally Responsive Teaching
- Remote and hybrid teaching
- Families as Partners
- Students with disabilities
- English Language Learners
For more than two years, the Western Joint Management Team (JMT) has focused on working more collaboratively through local and statewide professional learning opportunities. This made the Western JMT, consisting of Cattaraugus-Allegheny BOCES, Erie 1 BOCES, Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, and Orleans/Niagara BOCES, a valuable partner in executing this program. WNYRIC will also work with Buffalo Public Schools to meet the needs of public, private, parochial, and charter districts across the region.
In order to plan for continuous improvement and best serve professional learning needs, teachers throughout the state were asked complete an initial reflection on teaching in remote and hybrid settings. The survey closed March 12, 2021 and feedback will be assessed and used to inform professional development opportunities going forward.
“When the pandemic came about, education was forced to take something on that had never been done before,” Joseph Roaldi, CSLO/Model Schools Supervisor at WNYRIC said. “The basis of the grant is to provide best practices that have come from the shift to remote and hybrid learning. No matter what the future of instruction looks like, we don’t want educators to lose the best that came out of this terrible situation.”
For more information on the TRLE, check out the RethinkWNY website or the Rethink NYSED website.