The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has issued its Education Forward guidelines to safely reopen the schools, and given the public’s sense of urgency, it didn’t come a moment too soon. Even though we’re in the early stages of what would normally be summer vacation for their children, the COVID-19 environment has people thinking at least one step ahead, especially because what happens with school and work are closely intertwined.
To the extent possible, parents are just now starting to go back to the office, and they already are more than slightly curious about whether they will feel comfortable sending their children back to learn this fall. That concern is reflected in the results of an analysis by Talkwalker, an international social media analytics firm. It found that child care (with 42,000 mentions over a recent 30-day period) is the top concern people have about returning to the workplace, followed by employee safety (11,000), one-way corridors and staggered or flexible schedules (1,100 each), and office layouts (993).
Talking the talk
Talkwalker’s data also shows that “child care” was mentioned in 1,400% more headlines around employee work issues as businesses have reopened within the last month, so it’s clearly on people’s minds.
Witness President Trump, who used his first post-COVID rally, held last weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to note the stronger immune systems of children and practically beseech states and localities to open the schools this fall — ignoring their potential to infect others.
What school reopening looks like could vary from school district to school district. Some common features are likely to be even smaller class sizes and the continuation of remote learning to conform to social distancing guidelines. Strict screening measures, in which anyone with a fever or other symptoms will be send back home, and a prohibition on large gatherings whether it’s in the cafeteria, the auditorium, or at athletic events, are bound to be other common features.
The Wisconsin DPI’s Education Forward guidelines contain those elements while acknowledging that some schools or school districts might have to be shut down again. So, the usual social interaction that is part of a child’s development will take a back seat to safety.
Open to opening
In Wisconsin, schools have been closed since March 18, when the state Department of Health Services ordered them closed to stop the spread of COVID-19. The order impacted more than 1 million Wisconsin children in grades K–12 — comprising 421 public school districts, 26 independent charter schools, and 792 private schools — and the sheer size of that population is enough to give health officials pause, in part because some school children have pre-existing health conditions that could be complicated by COVID-19.
Hence, the need for some flexibility. Even before DPI issued its guidance, local school officials had been working with their local health departments and surveying parents. There are multiple scenarios under consideration because few people can predict where the state’s public health situation will be as the 2020–21 school year approaches.
Todd Grossman, CEO – Americas for Talkwalker, was not the least bit surprised by the social media findings. He notes that social media is telling us that employees will not be rushing back to the office anytime soon, and that their needs are not solely safety related. That’s a reference to the renewed emphasis on perks such as child care credits or on-site day care that were previously only the province of most forward-thinking — not to mention asset-rich — employers.
Grossman, a parent himself, can relate to the social media chatter. Even though school-age children have stronger immune systems, Grossman notes that they could cause the virus to spread. “These children are going back home and so they could potentially be spreaders and carrying the virus to loved ones and others,” he states. “What we’re also seeing, as well, is there are rising numbers of younger people in these states where there is an increased number of COVID. It’s among younger folks, not necessarily among young children, but more 20- to 30-year-olds than there were before. So, the age demographics are changing a little bit.”
Multiple scenarios
DPI specialists from various content areas developed Education Forward, which is characterized as a “guidance document,” in collaboration with officials from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and education stakeholders throughout Wisconsin. The document is considered a starting point as local school districts consider the decisions they need to make and the conversations they need to have with local health authorities and district residents.
Since the virus will remain in circulation until a vaccine is developed and widely used, and a safe and effective vaccine is not likely to be in broad use during the next 12–18 months, State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor concedes the 2020–21 school year will look very different from the learning environment students and teachers have grown accustomed to.
“Education Forward is meant to provide information for educators and school officials as they make decisions regarding their school operations to keep all students and staff safe while learning,” she states.
Under Education Forward, DPI recommends that school districts plan for multiple scenarios during what is likely to be a fluid situation. The assumptions that go into its recommendations are as follows:
- Schools should plan for change throughout the forthcoming school year and continually monitor guidance affecting their communities. They must be prepared to shift between in-person, physically distanced, and virtual learning throughout the school year.
- New health and safety protocols will impact many aspects of school operations, which may change during the school year as new best practices develop and might vary from one community to another. Guidance on physical distancing, surveillance measures, and disinfecting will include general recommendations to be adapted locally, and physical distancing guidance may lead to class size constraints best met by students attending school in staggered groups, in shifts, or in static groupings.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control, current data suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups.
- Schools should be mindful of the fact that they not only provide educational and social interactions, but they also ensure students are cared for when families work outside the home. Therefore, school closures and reduced time in the school building may put a strain on families needing to make additional child care arrangements.
- Some staff and students may not feel safe coming into school buildings and may need to work and study from home.
- Those over age 60 are in a higher-risk category due to COVID-19.
- Staff members may have underlying conditions putting them at high risk for infection, as well.
- Students may have underlying conditions or live with family members who are at high risk.
DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm notes that COVID-19 remains highly contagious and people in Wisconsin are still at risk. “This guidance is designed to be used in consultation with local and tribal health departments,” she notes, “and we encourage school districts to work with them closely to make the best decisions for their communities.”
Other comments about Education Forward:
“A safe return to school requires true partnership that considers all that educators are charged with developing in our students. That includes the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional well-being of the students we serve every day. This guidance was developed with educators at the table, giving students and staff the best shot at returning to school without intended negative consequences stemming from school closings and loss of learning time.” — Ron Duff Martin, president, Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC)
“DPI has been diligent in the preparation of this guidance document. Administrative teams now need to create and implement local procedures.” — Gary E. Myrah, executive director, Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services
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