Following the announcement of a new Texas Education Agency waiver that allows certain districts to schedule periodic asynchronous school days, McKinney ISD’s school board voted to opt in at a Jan. 19 meeting.

This means that for four days in spring 2021, all students will be at home, accessing their classwork and lessons virtually via Canvas or SeeSaw—potentially at whatever time students prefer. The independent learning days are scheduled for: Feb. 1, Feb. 16, March 15 and April 12.

MISD Chief Communications Officer Cody Cunningham and Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel said opting into the waiver will allow teachers to regroup, do professional development, or catch up on lesson planning or team planning. This move will alleviate some of the stress teachers have felt since fall 2020 with juggling both in-person and virtual teaching and lesson planning, district staff say.