The NTU has been active on Youtube and Facebook Live answering members COVID-19 and reopening questions. More to come!
School Reopening Updates
It is important to note that all information below and in the attached documents were accurate at the time they were created. Everything can and will continue to change rapidly. For example, included with this email is the PowerPoint the district gave to the Summer Pilot Program, which details the ingress procedures and sanitizing procedures schools will be using. But that document was created on July 1, 2020 before the pilot guided the process.
It has been important to get guidance from our Executive Board and members, especially when it comes to specialized populations like Pre-K and Special Ed. The NTU has made sure that all of our concerns have been and continue to be heard throughout the entire process.
Information from last week’s Reopening Task Force Meeting:
- President John Abeigon and Director of Research Mike Maillaro have been actively involved in the Reopening Task Force since it was formed back in early May. The Taskforce put together recommendations for the district reopening plans, and is currently reviewing the district’s reopening plan.
- Priority number one is the safety for students and staff. While we work towards the governor’s goal of having some form of in-person education , everyone acknowledges that if this can’t be done safely, we will continue to build the infrastructure and capability to immediately go to an entire virtual program.
- Testing, screening and sanitization protocols have been working exactly as they should at our pilot schools. See attached PowerPoint for more specifics.
- District is finalizing the specific details for their reopening plan. Until the plan is finalized and approved by the county, it cannot be released publicly. More specifics will be coming in the Superintendent’s August 7 “Welcome back” letter.
- Outside of the district plan, there will be a lot of flexibility at school level for their individual needs. The State requires that each school have their own Pandemic Response Team.
Start Dates
- Aug 3 - Principals
- Aug 12 - Vice Principals/Department Chairs
- Sept 1 - Teachers/instructional staff
- Sept 8 - Students
All staff must be able to produce negative tests taken within two weeks of their return date before they will be allowed to enter buildings. There will be required retesting through the year based on health department guidance.
The district is working with the city and other partners to see if we can arrange for regular testing of students and their parents.
Student and Staff Groups
There are three groups of students and staff to consider
- Group 1 - Identified by district as not safe to return to school (includes medically fragile, immune compromised, the 6000 students who need to take public transportation bus to get to school)
- Group 2 - Self-identified as not able/willing to return to school
- Group 3 - Able and willing to return to school
Dates:
- July 13-25 - District called parents if students in group 1
- August 7 – Superintendent will be sending “Welcome back letters” with a lot more specifics.
- August 17-28 - Distribution of learning at home plans for group 1 and 2
- Sept 1-7 - Give me 5 Campaign
- The district is currently planning for about 1/3 of students to physically be in school.
-All students and staff in school will be required to wear masks and pass screening each morning.
Distance Learning:
· Google classroom and Web Ex will be the primary online platforms. Will be expanding OTIS training
· Cisco is offering free training for teachers as well
Other Info shared:
· Lunch/breakfast will be in classroom.
· There will be no staff going from school to school
· Screening is currently taking 1.5- 3 minutes per student
· There will be flexibility in terms of instructional start times because of entry process. At summer school, instruction is typically starting at 9
Additional resources: