Read on Twitter
After some technical delays, we are into the FCPS special meeting... (thread)
Currently we are looking at Dr. White's presentation using the state's health department guidelines.
Going over procedures for what safe returns look like at school, on the bus, with facemasks.
"A case of COVID-19 doesn't have to shut down an entire school." Presenting on the importance of contact tracing.
This is great in theory...but trying to track all of the exposures in a large school is difficult...
"Right now we want local school boards to look at your data. One-size fits all doesn't work...but some rules stay the same." - Dr. Connie White
Q&A time: Daryl Love - Contact tracing concerns regarding timing (testing to letting people know). Are our health departments able to handle a high volume of cases? White - The state has hired 800 contact tracers across the state.
Dr. White - We do have surge teams to help districts. In some areas, it has taken 5-6 days to get results back. That hurts.
Dr. White - It is a 2 hour phone call to determine everyone that an infected person has been in contact with. We want to get that information. Speed is of the essence. If you think you are sick, you need to isolate until you get that result back.
Dr. White - You can be a live spreader 2 days before symptoms. (uh-oh).
Tyler Murphy - Question about Kindergarteners/medical waiver. If there is one student who is medically waived/not required to wear a mask, do we need everyone to be 6ft apart? White: Yes, that is my medical answer.
Murphy - How is the line drawn? How do we know when to send a student home? (referring the Grand Central Station element of an elementary school nurse's office) White - You will be sending a lot of students home if they have any of the symptoms of COVID 19.
Stephanie Spires: I have children and they will wear that mask because they see it as their freedom. They have been wearing it all day.
Spires: Try many different masks to find the best fit. It can be done. They (kids) might teach us a thing or too.
Christy Morris: I know a teacher who has symptoms but they can't get a test for 5 days. Do we think we will have enough tests?
Dr. White: Increased demand in other states is slowing test availability in KY.
Dr. White: Increased demand in other states is slowing test availability in KY.
Next up, Lisa Deffendall will go over survey data. Family and staff data.
Deffendall - Family survey open July 1-12. Available in multiple languages. 33,958 survey responses. 16k from elementary. 7.6k from middle. 10k from HS. Asked families to take it once for each student enrolled. 41k families were eligible to take it.
Deffendall - Measures were taken to ensure survey fraud was not committed. Including reviewing IP addresses and results analysis.
Returning to campus? Majority of families (69-72%) want to return to school (likely or somewhat likely to return). Virtual only if they were unlikely to send their children in person? 93% responded "Yes, please."
Question over the wording of questions. Given the school district following CDC guidelines, how likely would you be to have your student return on-campus this fall? If respondents said somewhat unlikely or unlikely, FCPS asked if they wanted a virtual only option. 93% said yes.
Preferred model? Option 3 - Each group would attend 2 days a week and learn virtually three days a week. Option 1 was second (all students physically return to school). Option 2 (students attend every other week, switching off) was last. Weighted scores were 100, 99, 91.
First in the model of choice: They were split. Those who were interested in hybrid, wanted students in school at least once a week. We had put an example in the survey. A number of people asked to consider a Mon, Tue/ Thur, Fri option.
Regardless of preference in return: a strong amount of support for students wearing masks. How will you make sure the rules are followed? Some anti-mask comments as well...
Families mentioned that NTI required a lot of attention, that working from home would be difficult. A lot of comments that said working from home is not an option. Child care would be a concern. Comments received on hybrid model: would there be accommodations for families?
A lot of feedback from NTI in the spring...Parents wanted it to be more like a regular school day. Asked for increased rigor and accountability. Difficulties of teachers using different platforms.
Parents of special education students were vastly in favor of in person learning. Spoke of the real challenges their children faced in the spring.
Parents also spoke of concern of virus spread and impacting other family members. Also concerns of substitute teacher shortages.
Murphy: What was the exact timing of the survey? Circumstances may have changed. Deffendall: Someone's opinion is only valid the day it is given. However, we see strong opinions that aren't knee-jerk.
Christy Morris: I entered my survey that I was comfortable sending my child back to school. Now, with the rise in cases, I am concerned about their safety.
Morris: With a life and death decision, I don't know how I would put my family back into the classroom. Spires: It's fair to assume that many took it the same day it was sent out and that opinions may have changed. Also, opinions changed based on surrounding counties.
Spires: How is it going to be done? Families are willing to work with their children on masks. But we are in agreement: Cases are increasing and testing is becoming more difficult. When we get in the classroom at some point, we need to overcome these barriers.
Deffendall: Staff survey now. July 8-19. 4,569 responses. 57% were teachers. 12% paraeducators. 11% student support staff.
Preferred model: Option 3 (100 weighted score), Option 2 (91 score), Option 1 (83 score). Options 3 and 2 were hybrid. Virtual only was not an option for teachers to select.
85% of employees would be interested in testing. What PD would be helpful? Strategies to engage students through distance learning + dedicated planning time. (Student engagement and planning time are biggest needs all the time in teaching!)
Of support employees, they wanted building and safety protocols training.
Comments from staff: Shared concerns of each of the re-opening models. If there was a rotating model, there was concern that their children would not have supervision. Concern about teaching online and in-person simultaneously. Mask enforcement concerns. How would it look?
Staff asked about logistics, how things would work, what about sick leave, protocols were someone exposed...
End of survey results. Next: plan?
Supt. Caulk: I want to thank all of our employees and our families for completing the survey. Your input is valued. That is part of the decision making that the 3R Team needed.
Option 1: Flexible Model - gives school and district leaders discretion to implement one of these instructional configurations (in-person, hybrid, NTI). Public health will determine the safest learning model.
Now going through the differences between in-person, hybrid, and NTI. Reasons for hybrid - lower class size, social distancing. Reasons for NTI - necessary for public health.
How do we choose? We got data from families/staff. In "Manny's Calculus" how do we get students back in the classroom? Now the video feed for LEX 18 is down...so we shall see.
And we're back...trying to catch up with the conversation.
The flow chart is referring to allowing different schools to follow different models. Some schools may follow different models (???). A virtual learning academy would continue uninterrupted. It doesn't change their instruction or model.
A virtual academy may be running side-by-side with in-person learning. If there is substantial spread, it may push everyone online.
**This is really confusing to follow, but I jumped in halfway because the stream broke...**
Current conditions: Substantial spread. Raymond Daniels: We have a capacity issue like anyone else. We measure our capacity differently.
Our case curve is much higher. Coupled with testing issues, that makes it difficult. With that, my recommendation is to start the year with NTI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The governor has issued the exec. order to wear a mask. We may need to see what other measures are necessary to lower the curve.
Murphy: We don't want our families to think of NTI like the spring. Caulk: We have considered that and will continue to grow.
Caulk: I heard about the economic relief that is being considered in DC. It focused on education/business/health care. It will provide money to schools. Part of that relief is dependent upon having students in person. We did not raise the tax rate (locally).
Caulk: Manny Caulk cannot be bought. The health of our students and families is not for sale. With that it is my recommendation to open with NTI. Love: I agree with your rec. However, we need to do our best to safely educate our students.
Love: Will we have any flexibility to serve families who have different needs.
Caulk: We are moving to NTI 2DL. It will be different. Education meets public health. As we look ahead, we will address needs case by case.
Caulk: We are moving to NTI 2DL. It will be different. Education meets public health. As we look ahead, we will address needs case by case.
Caulk: We have to think about community spread as well. We know our most vulnerable have learning loss (when not in-classroom). We must do things differently. If it reduces to moderate or minimal, we can return.
Love: We are committed to doing the best for our students in this difficult situation. We know we had some gaps in learning in the spring, but we said we want to make a decision early to better prepare.
Caulk: Option 2 - Virtual Learning Academy may be offered for interested families. Students enrolled will receive daily instruction and interact with teachers on a set schedule. This is NOT NTI!!!!!
