Read on Twitter
Good evening, @theSMSD is going to hear from public health officials about current #COVID19 conditions in Johnson County. The livestream is here:
I'll be tweeting. 1/
I'll be tweeting. 1/
Superintendent Mike Fulton opens meeting with an acknowledgment that it's really hard to implement personal learning plans when students aren't in class every day. Remember, that's a major goal of the district's right now. 2/
OK, we're going to hear from epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuh now. If you guys didn't already know, this is an @EpiElizJoCo fan account. She consistently provides good, accessible information, and that's so critical in these #COVID19 times. 3/
Holzschuh reminds us that @jocogov health department gating criteria for schools is from July. Here's what was known in July:
1) Masking & distancing together are very effective strategies for slowing spread.
2) Kids younger than 10 don't really spread the virus like adults. 4/
1) Masking & distancing together are very effective strategies for slowing spread.
2) Kids younger than 10 don't really spread the virus like adults. 4/
Holzschuh says that @theSMSD was more conservative than the other JoCo districts. But she's been impressed that schools have largely been able to control the spread IN SCHOOLS. Emphasis mine. 5/
Holzschuh says they're really not seeing staff-kid or kid-staff transmission. That said, she says that #COVID19 has changed DRASTICALLY in the JoCo community in last three weeks. "We started seeing a really dramatic increase."
Today, 400+ cases. 6/
Today, 400+ cases. 6/
Schools have created an incredibly safe environments, Holzschuh says. But community events like weddings are driving exponential growth. "It doesn't have to be a big party. It doesn't have to be a wedding of 150 people. It could be a football watch party." 7/
"Your schools are not in bubbles," Holzschuh says. JoCo Health is finding out the cases from schools as they report them.
"We're tired of the pandemic. We're tired of the isolation. We're tired of being alone." 8/
"We're tired of the pandemic. We're tired of the isolation. We're tired of being alone." 8/
Only 17% of ICU beds in Johnson County are available. Remember, folks, these aren't just for #COVID19 patients. These are beds need for car accidents, for aortic dissections, for other serious illness. 9/
Holzschuh says she know there are parts of the community frustrated that JoCo Health isn't telling schools to close now that the gating criteria is red. You can find #COVID19 dashboard here, click on the schools tab: https://maps.jocogov.org/covid19/ 10/
But again, she emphasizes that these positives are likely originating outside of school. So let's say that two kids in the same class attend the same party. (And @EpiElizJoCo, jump in here if I get this wrong, but I'm gonna try really hard not to.) 11/
In that case, the contact is definitely out of school, so the whole class wouldn't need to quarantine, just close contacts.
But if JoCo Health can't find the link between the two cases, then likely the whole class would be quarantined as a precaution. 12/
But if JoCo Health can't find the link between the two cases, then likely the whole class would be quarantined as a precaution. 12/
Holzschuh says other countries recognize the importance of keeping schools open. I swear guys, she said this. But I'm not going to miss an opportunity to plug @rpatrickdelaney reporting from Germany on THIS VERY SUBJECT: https://www.kcur.org/2020-11-03/german-kids-went-back-in-school-missouri-parents-whose-kids-are-still-at-home-fear-a-lost-year 13/
OK, here's @theSMSD #COVID19 dashboard: https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/health-services/coronavirus-or-covid-19-information/covid-19-data-dashboard
53 staff & 315 students in active isolation. A district logo means fewer than six. Can't share because potentially identifying. 14/
53 staff & 315 students in active isolation. A district logo means fewer than six. Can't share because potentially identifying. 14/
It sounds like @theSMSD is struggling with families refusing to cooperate with contact tracing. For instance, if your kid was exposed at a party, parents aren't disclosing who else was at the party. 15/
@thesmsd says that they are having staff leave due to #COVID19 concerns. More concerns about anxiety. And 127 staff having to isolate or quarantine. 16/
I've said this before, and I'll say this again: The science says schools should be open.
The problem that @theSMSD and every other district is grappling with is society has decided literally everything else should be, too. It makes keeping schools open much, much harder. 17/
The problem that @theSMSD and every other district is grappling with is society has decided literally everything else should be, too. It makes keeping schools open much, much harder. 17/
Kelly handles sub requests for SMSD and most districts in KC area. Fill rate pre-Kelly was 93%. It's 99% in normal years. It's 90% now, week 11. There's been a decline of fill rates since schools started bringing all students back for in-person learning. 18/
Yesterday (Monday 11/9) was the worst fill rate to date, 79%. SMSD is doing slightly better than peers, but rates across metro are really abysmal right now. 19/
