On Reopening US Schools
Photo by Deleece Cook
Selected views from California, Florida, Nevada, New York City, Texas and Virginia are shared - as the 2020-2021 school year approaches. (Note: Opening plans in some regions continue to change.) Joint Statement from Los Angeles, San Diego Unified School Districts (California)
"...much of the research is incomplete and many of the guidelines are vague and contradictory. One fact is clear: those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control.
"...we are announcing that the new school year will start online only. Instruction will resume on August 18 in Los Angeles Unified and August 31 in San Diego Unified, as previously scheduled. Both districts will continue planning for a return to in-person learning during the 2020-21 academic year, as soon as public health conditions allow."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
“If a school district has to delay the opening of school for a few weeks, have at it.
“No parent should be required to send their child to in-person instruction if they don’t want to ... I believe we owe every Florida parent a choice – to send your child to school or opt for at-home learning.”
Palm Beach County Public Schools (Florida)
"[We] will start the 2020-2021 school year with distance learning … [and will] keep students in a remote learning environment until health conditions improve
“The School Board voted unanimously on Wednesday, July 22 to delay the start date by three weeks, allowing more time to prepare for the start of school through distance learning."
Clark County School District (Nevada)
“Board of School Trustees unanimously approved the plan to start the 2020-2021 school year via a distance education model where students learn from home five days a week communicating with teachers daily.“
New York City Public Schools
“As we look ahead to September, we see the big picture: the continuing rise in cases across the country; current guidance from City, State, and Federal health authorities; and the knowledge that as the trajectory of the virus continues to evolve, the guidance we must follow will also evolve.
“...this picture demands we begin the 2020-21 school year in an unprecedented way—including new health protocols, physical distancing, and more. Make no mistake: New York City students will still be learning 5 days a week. A major difference is that we are preparing to deliver their education through a blended learning model. Blended learning means students will be taught on-site in school for part of the week, and will attend school remotely on the other days of the week."
Houston Independent School District (Texas)
“...all students will begin the 2020-2021 school year virtually on September 8, 2020.
“Virtual instruction for all students will continue for six weeks through Friday, October 16, 2020. On Monday, October 19, 2020, face-to-face instruction for all students will begin. However, this date is subject to change based on COVID-19 conditions across the City of Houston and recommendations from local, state, and federal health officials."
Fairfax County Public Schools (Virginia)
“We will begin the 2020-21 school year with virtual learning for all students. The online school year will begin, as scheduled, September 8.
"Should health conditions improve, we would first bring back students for intervention supports on a limited basis. Following that, we would work to bring students back to school as soon as possible starting with elementary school students, select PreK-12 special education students and English Learners."
OUR TAKE
School systems in the US are diverse, but many large public school systems will increasingly focus on how to open with remote and hybrid strategies.
If heightened COVID levels continue, long-term education approaches will have to adapt. This complex process will require an assessment of changes in 1) the needs of students, parents, educators and administrators, 2) economic constraints, 3) technology limitations, 4) healthcare protocols, and other considerations.
Recent events have weakened education infrastructures. Adapting school programs to the "new normal" could drive innovation in learning approaches.