Heroes: Woodland Hills principal helped students get technology for online learning – TribLIVE
Phillip Woods needs no alarm clock.
“I just automatically wake up at 4 a.m. every day, because I have so much on my mind,” said Woods, principal of Woodland Hills High School in Churchill. “I am continuously thinking about our students and their families and our teachers and our staff and our community. This is a time like we’ve never seen before.”
When Woods first heard the school would be shut down for two weeks because of covid-19, he formulated a plan. That quickly changed once Gov. Tom Wolf announced the closure until the end of the academic year.
“Everything’s been changing so quickly you have to be ready to adapt,” he said. “You have to make sure the students have all the tools they need to learn.”
Woods, an Aliquippa native, started an initiative to get laptops to all of his students.
“My initial concern was for the seniors, and I was worried they might not get enough days of instruction to graduate on time,” he said. “So we started issuing laptops from the library, but the supply got low.”
He devised a fundraiser for Chromebooks as schools transitioned to virtual instruction.
In addition to the fundraising campaign, Woods reached out to the nonprofit Woodland Hills Foundation which then became involved.
With financial assistance, the district purchased 650 Chromebooks.
Courtesy of Phillip Woods
Laptops are lined up to be tested so that every student in the Woodland Hills School District would have one for home schooling during covid-19. High School principal Phillip Woods helped raise money to buy the computers.
The next step was getting the laptops to all the students in the district as well as assisting them with internet access. There were opportunities for free and low cost WiFi options, Woods said.
He discovered families that needed multiple devices so that fueled a second stage of acquiring laptops.
“We have never had to prepare for this long of a closure,” said Woods, who is in his second year as the high school’s principal. “We are always prepared for things like snow days and water main breaks, temporary closures. Every school in the country is re-evaluating the virtual teaching and learning process.”
Courtesy of Phillip Woods
Every student in the Woodland Hills School District received a laptop for home schooling during covid-19. High School principal Phillip Woods helped raise money to buy the computers.
Woods has been hosting a lot of virtual meetings to keep staff and administration informed.
“We never wanted to panic,” he said. “We just wanted to stay focused on the goal of getting the laptops to the students so they can learn and finish the school year. I am so thankful for everyone in this community who has helped make this happen. And we will be prepared for whatever the future will bring. I will continue to wake up early to stay on top of all of it.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne at 724-853-5062, jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Editor’s Picks | Education | Heroes | Local | Allegheny
