Superintendent Smith Addresses School Closures and Online Learning Guidance Related to COVID-19
Colleagues and Stakeholders,
Below are a brief couple of updates in FAQ format regarding background information related to inquiries you may have and/or may receive over the coming days/weeks:
Q: I hear some schools are closing in King and Snohomish counties on the west side of the state. Is that advisable?
A: At this time, both county health departments have determined schools should not close based on their current circumstances. Public Health is not currently recommending that schools proactively close unless they have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a staff member or student. King County Health Department released the following guidance last week:
"School closures have significant negative impacts on our community. The considerations taken in our decision not to currently recommend routine closure at schools include:
-Children are not known to get seriously ill from COVID-19-Closing schools may not be effective because some children may congregate anyway, at other locations
-Many parents, such as healthcare workers, need to be at work. If these critical workers stay home with children it causes significant impacts on the healthcare system and other institutions that are essential for our community to function
-If schools close, some children might have to stay home with alternative caregivers, such as elders, who are more vulnerable
-We don't know how effective children are in spreading this disease"
Our Walla Walla Department of Health, who we are in contact with daily, concurs with this guidance and advises to keep our schools open at this time.
• Ensuring all students in the school or district will have equal access to the learning and required materials, including technology.
• Ensuring the online learning system can effectively support the district’s different learning and teaching needs, including the ability to provide differentiated instruction as well as one-on-one support for students who need it. Regardless of where the learning is happening, supports identified on a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be provided if the district is operating.
• Ensuring the requirements of full-day kindergarten are met.
• Ensuring students can access the assessments associated with dual credit coursework.
• Providing training to staff, students, and parents and guardians on how the system works and what expectations the district has.
• The ability to track the attendance of both students and staff.
• Ensuring the systems in use are secure and will not allow for the release of protected student or staff information.
• The ability to provide school meals.
Taking a traditional school environment online is not a simple task – nor is it one that should be attempted without serious consideration of the practicality and risk."
Q: I have heard that some districts who have or are considering canceling school plan on going to an online delivery model in the meantime. Is that advisable?
A: Twice in just a few days' time, OSPI has released guidance when transitioning to an online platform.
According to OSPI:
"Many districts have requested additional guidance regarding the feasibility and legality of providing online learning in the event of an extended school closure. OSPI does not recommend closed schools transition to an online distance model unless the district can ensure each of the considerations below can be met.
These include, but are not limited to:• Ensuring all students in the school or district will have equal access to the learning and required materials, including technology.
• Ensuring the online learning system can effectively support the district’s different learning and teaching needs, including the ability to provide differentiated instruction as well as one-on-one support for students who need it. Regardless of where the learning is happening, supports identified on a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be provided if the district is operating.
• Ensuring the requirements of full-day kindergarten are met.
• Ensuring students can access the assessments associated with dual credit coursework.
• Providing training to staff, students, and parents and guardians on how the system works and what expectations the district has.
• The ability to track the attendance of both students and staff.
• Ensuring the systems in use are secure and will not allow for the release of protected student or staff information.
• The ability to provide school meals.
Taking a traditional school environment online is not a simple task – nor is it one that should be attempted without serious consideration of the practicality and risk."
Districts who are taking such measures may still be required to make up days at the end of the year (below) due to their inability to comply with the litany of requirements noted above. At this time, based on current conditions, our student population, and ability to comply with OSPI criteria, converting to a digital delivery model is not advisable or prudent for WWPS. However, pursuant to our epidemic/pandemic response plan, converting to online learning and other supports would be implemented if it becomes necessary to close schools for any length of time.
Q: If WWPS is forced to close for some length of time, what will that do to our school calendar, make up days, or graduation?
A: If WWPS is forced to close for one or more days due to this matter, we will handle it like any other inclement weather make up day. Depending on the length of closure, one or more days may have to be made up. However, recent guidance from OSPI states that, regardless of the length of closure, districts would not be required to extend their school year past June 19th. Therefore, as a worst case scenario based on their review, we would be required to make up, at most, 5 additional days, even if more than 5 days are missed due to cancellation. Graduation dates would not be affected for current seniors.
Linked here is an easy-to-understand symptoms check that is on our website: https://www.wwps.org/images/Symptoms_Chart.jpg
As a reminder, wash your hands, stay home if you're sick, and stay informed with the facts.
Our wesbite continues to be a great source of information: https://www.wwps.org/resources/parents/coronavirus-information
Suggestion Box
School Closures
