Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities (2020) / Chapter Skim
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3 Schools and the Pandemic
3 Schools and the Pandemic
Pages 25-38
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From page 25... ...
Because of these ripple effects of school closures, communities are wrestling with the difficult question of how best to balance the public health risks involved in opening and operating schools against the consequences for students, families, and communities of keeping them closed. In this chapter we outline the risks of keeping buildings closed and describe aspects of education that are especially relevant to the question of opening and operating school buildings.
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From page 26... ...
INEQUITY IN AMERICAN EDUCATION Any discussion of public schools in the United States needs to begin with an acknowledgment of the profound inequities that have characterized the system since it was established. Research shows that schools in which a majority of students come from economically disadvantaged communities often lack the human, material, and curricular resources to meet their students' academic and socioemotional needs (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM]
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From page 27... ...
It is likely that if school buildings remain closed for the 2020–2021 school year, distance learning options will be made available. This means that, ultimately, the decision to reopen school buildings entails weighing the potential negative impact of long-term distance learning on children and youth against the health risks of reopening to the community.
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From page 28... ...
The same survey found significant gaps between rural districts and urban and suburban school districts. Only 27 percent of rural and smalltown districts expected teachers to provide instruction, compared with more than half of urban districts.
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From page 29... ...
However, even where community transmission is minimal and where the school buildings can accommodate all students in new configurations that allow for physical distancing, medically vulnerable students and staff will likely need to have a distance option. This raises the question of how districts should make decisions about how to prioritize which students will be most at risk from extended distance learning and how to ensure that access to distance learning options is equitable.
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From page 30... ...
recently released a statement that "strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school." Equity and Distance Learning As noted above, troubling differences exist in access to the Internet and devices that allow students to engage fully in virtual learning. Therefore, a major challenge of developing models for operating schools that include some form of distance learning will be ensuring that all students have equitable access to instruction.
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From page 31... ...
Economically disadvantaged children and their families rely on school meals to meet basic nutritional needs. During school closures, school districts were immediately compelled by state and local governments and local education agencies to provide breakfast and lunch to any student, regardless of family income.
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From page 32... ...
These efforts will need to include school counselors and other specialized staff as well as teachers. Finally, while the time that children and youth spend in school is about much more than child care, public schools do serve as the primary child care option for many working caregivers.
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From page 33... ...
In addition, the condition of school facilities poses practical constraints on how well strategies for maintaining the health of staff and students can be implemented. The School Workforce Reopening school buildings safely also means finding a way to ensure the safety of the professionals who work in schools.
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From page 34... ...
In order to reopen and operate in the COVID environment, school districts are being advised to monitor and improve their indoor air quality, increase the levels of cleaning, ensure frequent handwashing for students and staff, and employ space utilization to physically distance students and staff. Each of these mitigation measures poses unique operational challenges.
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From page 35... ...
These measures include taking steps to increase the amount of fresh air in classrooms and other occupied areas, installing HEPA filters in mechanical systems, and moving instruction outdoors. Schools with modern HVAC systems are able to implement the HVAC mitigation recommendations; as the GAO study shows, however, this is not the case for nearly half of the nation's public schools.
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From page 36... ...
. Studies also have found significant correlations between poor structural, conditional, and aesthetic attributes of school buildings and low student learning and achievement (Maxwell, 2016)
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From page 37... ...
Poor-quality school buildings (i.e., those that have bad indoor air quality, are not clean, or have inadequate bathroom facilities) complicate reopening while the COVID-19 pandemic continues and make it difficult for school districts to implement the recommended health and safety mea sures.
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