State has ‘fluid’ plan for schools

Days after announcing a plan to reopen school full time in the fall, state officials on Monday afternoon released a 50-page set of guidelines.

Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona called the plan a road map — guardrails to operate within — allowing districts some flexibility to create reopen plans that will most effectively serve their individual communities.

“I think in terms of implementation, they have an awful lot of discretion,” Gov. Ned Lamont said.

Among the specifics:

⏩ Before the first day of classes, schools must comply with Department of Public Health cleaning and ventilation guidelines. There must be signage in schools related to stopping the spread of the virus.

⏩ Where possible, districts should use no-touch doors, trash cans and restroom

fixtures. Where no-touch technologies aren’t available, the guide recommends propping doors open and removing trash lids. It also recommends the use of paper towels over hand dryers.

⏩ On riding school buses, the protection depends on the level of community transmission. If there is a low amount of cases, students can ride with masks. If there is moderate transmission, they must adopt seating and spacing restrictions.

⏩ The plan offers minimal guidance about how to pay for the reopening accommodations. It asks that budgets be developed for multiple scenarios. It also tells districts to consider tapping retired teachers or volunteers to help.

⏩ Districts will be asked to have a designated person to serve as a “COVID-19 Health and Safety Compliance Liaison” as well as an isolation room for a student exhibiting symptoms to wait until a parent arrives.

⏩ It tells districts to plan for athome instruction in case some parents and students may temporarily choose not to participate in the return to school.

⏩ As for what happens if COVID-19 makes a comeback, the guide requires districts to have written protocols for monitoring individuals with COVID-19 symptoms. Schools are not expected to daily screen students or staff. The state Department of Public Health is developing specific color-coded indicators to help school official make decisions about future school closures due to the virus.

⏩ All school districts must submit a plan by July 24, addressing how they will carry out the reopening requirements.

Lamont and Cardona announced last week their intention to make school an in-person, fulltime experience in the fall. Cardona promised that once in-person learning returns, things will look different than they did when schools were abruptly closed in March because of COVID-19. Instruction went remote and school buildings remained closed for the rest of the 2019-20 school year.

Last week they offered an outline that called for students and staff to wear masks and stick together with the the same group of students throughout the school day.

The promised guide, which didn’t hit the inboxes of school superintendents until after 2 p.m. Monday, includes both requirements and recommendations.

The guide calls for schools, when they open, to maximize social distancing between student workstations, achieving six feet “when feasible.” Desks should face in the same direction. Masks must be worn. Hands frequently washed. Other spaces such as gyms and cafeterias should be looked at as alternative instructional space.

Student/teacher ratios are left up to school districts.

The plan strongly encourages schools to group students in cohorts so they stick together throughout the school day. By doing that, Lamont said, it’s hoped an entire school would not have to shut down if an infection is found.

Schools must also plan to meet the needs of students with special needs or who are learning English. They must adapt learning plans for physical education, art, and music.

There also is guidance on hallway traffic and playground use. Districts are required to develop polices to address clubs and beforeand after-school programs. They are encouraged to limit nonessential volunteers and visitors.

Cardona used the word “fluid” to describe the guide and promised it will evolve based on public health data trends as well as any updated understanding of the best way to mitigate the virus’s spread.

The start of the 2020-21 school year is still two months off.

“As we proceed toward the fall, we will continue to receive input from our educational partners, students and families and will continue to work toward providing the best opportunities for our greatest resource — the students in the State of Connecticut,” Cardona said.

Late last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics called for kids to get back to school in the fall, something Lamont said reinforces the assumptions the state’s plan makes.

“Anything we can do to get kids safely back into the classroom ought to be a priority,” Lamont said. Last week, Lamont emphasized that full-time school was desired to ensure employers that parents could get back to work.

Cardona said his department engaged repeatedly with state and local educational and public health experts to craft the plan. Many, however, were upset last week when the plan was released with few details. Even U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a former Waterbury teacher and 2106 National Teacher of the Year, decried the lack of specifics.

“Am I missing something?” Hayes tweeted a day after the outline was announced. “I haven’t been out the classroom too long to know this is not realistic & doesn’t instill any confidence. I hope a more substantive plan is forthcoming b/c I have so many questions and this doesn’t provide adequate ans for parents or teachers.”

Cardona said Monday there will be a survey taken to find out how many parents want to keep their kids home in the fall for remote learning.