Principal Bonnie Lower took the temperature May 7 of a student at Willow Creek School in Montana as the school reopened.
Photo: Ryan Berry/Associated PressStudents wearing masks, eating lunch in classrooms and attending school in person only two days a week are among the scenarios being looked at in school districts throughout the U.S. planning to reopen in the fall.
Children who are academically behind or without internet access would get preference for in-person learning under some proposals. Other plans prohibit sharing school supplies and desks closer than six feet apart, and limit parents and other visitors on campuses.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
What have schools near you said about their plans for the fall? Join the conversation below.
Most school districts won’t decide on their plan until the summer. Some haven’t yet shared their ideas publicly, others are surveying parents and staff for input. Schools are trying to end the largest remote-learning experiment ever—more than 50 million students at home—as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s tough. A school is not designed for social distancing, it’s designed for massive groups of people. We’ll have hand sanitizer all over the place. We’re exploring masks. Will a kindergartner keep a mask on all day at school?” said Gerald Hill, superintendent of the West Bloomfield School District in Michigan.
The pressure is on to reopen schools so parents can get back to work. Some school districts planning a mix of in-person and remote learning are working to offer full-day child care.
A Roosevelt Elementary School student picked up lunch in mid-March after the West Bloomfield School District in Michigan closed.
Photo: Ryan Garza/Associated PressSome districts are considering year-round schooling to allow students to catch up academically and have flexibility in case a second wave of the virus hits. Others are thinking about starting school early to help students catch up.
“It’s apparent to me that, because of the circumstances, year-round school is now more valuable than ever,” said Jonathan Young, a school board member in Richmond Public Schools in Virginia, where the method is being considered. “I’m really concerned about our students. Many of them arrived already unprepared. Now, because of Covid, that problem has been exacerbated.”
Dr. Hill in West Bloomfield plans to use a split schedule to educate his 5,700-student body. Classes would be divided into two groups, with each attending two different days a week. All students would learn remotely on Wednesday so schools can be deep-cleaned. Students struggling academically would attend school in person three days a week. Dr. Hill said the district is seeking community input and open to tweaks.
Some states are creating guidelines for reopening but leaving it up to local school districts to create their own plan.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has guidance for schools. It includes students and staff wearing face coverings when physical distancing is difficult, and spacing desks six feet apart and in the same direction rather than having students face-to-face. Closing shared spaces such as dining halls and playgrounds also should be considered, it says.
The American Federation of Teachers is requesting certain safety measures, including continued physical distancing, disinfecting schools regularly and more testing. The group also requests that staff age 65 and older and staff with underlying chronic health conditions be allowed to teach remotely while students are in the school building.
Dallas parent Nancy Rodriguez, who has two children ages 10 and 12, doesn’t plan to send her children to school on the first day.
“How many children per classroom?” she said. “What’s the protocol for cleaning classrooms and cafeterias? It has to be done regularly. You can’t tell me we’re going to clean once a week. That’s not going to make me feel good.”
A tiny public school, Willow Creek School in Montana, already reopened to wrap up the last three weeks in person. About 76% of students returned; the rest opted to continue learning at home.
Bonnie Lower, Willow Creek principal and superintendent, said having just 56 students made it feasible. The school can take students’ temperatures at the school door each morning, for example. Even so, it is challenging to keep students apart, mainly younger ones, she said.
The Willow Creek School in Montana is using hula hoops for student social distancing.
Photo: The Willow Creek SchoolAt Willow Creek, younger students do some activities sitting inside individual hula hoops and eat lunch in their classrooms. Desks are six feet apart. Two buses instead of one pick up students. And “air hugs” with outstretched arms are used as a greeting.
“They’d rather be here and with their friends,” Ms. Lower said of her students. “They weren’t loving the whole learning-at-home stuff.”
Teachers across the country are concerned with safety in the reopening. They support social distancing, but also fear students will fall behind without the interaction of in-person learning.
“Nothing replaces a real teacher in a real classroom,” said Diane Birdwell, a Dallas high-school teacher. “Online teaching may seem great, but it’s not the same.”
Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida is considering measures such as temperature checks, face masks, eating meals in classrooms, one-way hallways to reduce contact and no outdoor recess or gym. The district is surveying parents for their feedback.
Across California, each district is making its own plans, said Tony Thurmond, state superintendent. He expects they will try tactics such as social distancing, face masks, small class sizes and sanitizing schools at least daily.
New York, the state with the most Covid-19 deaths, says it is too early to decide on opening schools in the fall. The state plans to use remote learning for summer school.
Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering
Write to Tawnell D. Hobbs at Tawnell.Hobbs@wsj.com
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
"will" - Google News
May 25, 2020 at 04:37PM
https://ift.tt/3c4Z0U9
How Schools Will Be Reopening in the Fall - The Wall Street Journal
"will" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2xyU8J2
https://ift.tt/2zfWs7Z
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "How Schools Will Be Reopening in the Fall - The Wall Street Journal"
Post a Comment