Breaking down New York's school reopening guidelines

Breaking down New York's school reopening guidelines

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has released guidance to help schools and districts as they plan for a possible reopening.

BASED ON PRE-PANDEMIC INCOME.THIS MORNING--A QUESTION PARENTS,TEACHERS ANDSTUDENTS AREASKING ... CAN WEHEAD, SAFELY BACKTO SCHOOL?OVER THE COMINGWEEKS--7 EYEWITNESS NEWSWILL BE EQUIPPINGYOU--WITH "TIPS, TOOLSAND RESOURCES"--TO HELP YOU MAKETHIS CRUCIALDECISION.NEW YORK RECENTLYRELEASED"REOPENINGGUIDANCE"--FOR SCHOOLS.IT'S 144-PAGES--COVERINGEVERYTHING FROMHEALTH AND SAFETY--TO TRANSPORTATIONAND SPECIALEDUCATION.THIS MORNING, WE'REBREAKING DOWNTHOSE GUIDELINES--SO YOU KNOW--HOW YOUR CHILD'S"SCHOOLEXPERIENCE" COULDBE CHANGINGBECAUSE OF COVID-19.AT THE TOP OF THELIST -- HEALTH ANDSAFETY.SCHOOLS WILL BEREQUIRED TOPERFORM HEALTHCHECKS ANDSCREENINGS ON ALLSTUDENTS AND STAFF.A PLAN MUST BE INPLACE TO MANAGEAND ISOLATE PEOPLEWHO ARE SICK UNTILTHEY CAN BE SENTHOME.AND THESE GUYSWILL BECOME A PARTOF DAILY LIFE - WITHSTUDENTS AND STAFFREQUIRED TO HAVEONE AT ALL TIMES.PARENTS AREADVISED TO GETCHILDRENACCUSTOMED TOWEARING MAKS NOW.IF A KID COMES TOSCHOOL WITHOUT AMASK -- THE DISTRICTMUST PROVIDE ONE.THERE'S A LOT OFUNCERTAINTY AROUNDWHAT SCHOOLS ANDCLASSROOMS WILLLOOK LIKE MOVINGFORWARD.SOCIAL DISTANCINGWILL BE THE NAME OFTHE GAME -- WITHDISTRICTS BEING TOLDTO EXPAND THEIRPHYSICALFOOTPRINTS ORCHANGE THE WAYTHEY UTILIZE SPACE.THAT COULD MEANHAVING THE SAMEGROUP OF STUDENTSWITH THE SAMETEACHER EVERYDAY --HOLDING CLASSESLIKE MUSIC ANDPHYS-ED OUTDOORSAND MAINTAINING ADISTANCE OF TWELVEFEET WHEN SINGING,PLAYING A WINDINSTRUMENT, ORDOING AN AEROBICACTIVITY.WHEN IT COMES TOSPECIAL EDUCATION,DISTRICTS ARE BEINGTOLD TO CONSIDERIN-PERSON SERVICESA PRIORITY FOR HIGHNEEDS STUDENTS.THIS IS HUGELYIMPORTANT FORSTUDENTS ANDFAMILIES WHO RELYON FACTO-FACESERVICES LIKEOCCUPATIONAL ORSPEECH THERAPIES.DISTRICTS MUST ALSOCONSIDERCONTINGENCY PLANSTO ADDRESS REMOTELEARNING NEEDS INCASE THERE AREINTERMITTENT OREXTENDED SCHOOLCLOSURES.THE WAY YOUR CHILDGETS TO SCHOOL WILLALSO BE CHANGING.DISTRICTS ARE BEINGTOLD TO THINK OF THESCHOOL BUS AS ANEXTENSION OF THECLASSROOM.STUDENTS WILL NEEDTO PRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING BOTH ONTHE BUS AND AT BUSSTOPS.STUDENTS ANDDRIVERS MUST WEARMASKS AT ALL TIMESWHILE ON THE BUSAND ADOPT REGULARDISINFECTIONMEASURES TO CLEANBUSES.SO THAT BRINGS USTO SCHEDULING.DISTRICTS ARE BEINGINSTRUCTED TOCREATE ACOMPREHENSIVEPLAN THAT INCLUDESIN-PERSONINSTRUCTION -REMOTE INSTRUCTIONAND A HYBRID OFBOTH.THAT MEANS WECOULD BE SEEINGSCHEDULES THATSTAGGER ORALTERNATE ASTUDENTS' RETURNTO CAMPUS.IF A PARENT ORGUARDIAN DECIDESNOT TO SEND THEIRCHILD BACK TOSCHOOL, THE SCHOOLWILL NEED TOPROVIDEINSTRUCTIONREMOTELY.SPEAKING OFREMOTE LEARNING ...DISTRICTS MUSTDETERMINE THE LEVELOF ACCESS ALLSTUDENTS HAVEFROM THEIR HOMES --AND ADDRESS THENEED TO PROVIDEDEVICES ANDINTERNET CAPABILITYTO STUDENTS ANDTEACHERS WHO DONOT HAVE SUFFICIENTACCESS.AND MANY STUDENTSRELY ON THEIRSCHOOLS FORHEALTHY MEALS.THAT'S WHY THESTATE IS TELLINGDISTRICTS TO INCLUDEFOOD SERVICEDIRECTORS WHENCRAFTING SPECIFICREOPENING PLANS.THIS WILL ENSUREDISTRICTS ARE ABLETO MEETREQUIREMENTS TOPROVIDE ALLSTUDENTS WITHACCESS TO MEALSWHETHER CLASSESARE IN-PERSON ORREMOTE.REQUIREMENTS TOPROVIDE ALLSTUDENTS WITHACCESS TO MEALSWHETHER CLASSESARE IN-PERSON ORREMOTE.AND TO HELP YOUMAKE SENSE OFTHESE GUIDELINES--CLICK ON THIS STORYAT WKBW-DOT-COM.OUR BREAKDOWGOES EVEN MORE IN-DEPTH THERE.YOU'LL FIND THESTATE'S REOPENINGGUIDELINES,ALLOWING YOU TOREAD THROUGH ALL144 PAGES WORD FORWORD