It is July 16, 2020, and
the debate over reopening schools in Ohio rages. Most schools in the
state are supposed to return to operations in August. However, in the
grips of the deadly COVID-19 virus, the safety of staff and students
is paramount in any decision to establish a new, safer version
of person-to-person learning. While everyone acknowledges that
attending classes is extremely important for students, new spikes in
infections pose risks to those in educational facilities across the
state.
On July 2, Governor DeWine
announced new guidance for resuming school in the fall. He said …
"We know that each
school system, and perhaps each school building, will likely look
different in the fall. We also know that Ohio has a long history of
local control and that school administrators and teachers know their
schools best.
"Working together
and consulting with educators and other health officials, we have
developed a set of guidelines, backed by science, that each school
should follow when developing their reopening plans."
(“COVID-19 Update:
School Guidelines, Public Health Advisory System.”
governor.ohio.gov.
July 02, 2020.)
DeWine and his team worked
with teachers, school staff, and medical workers experts to come up
with the guidelines to reopen while keeping children across Ohio safe
and providing them with a good education.
State officials are urging
schools to use social distancing, vigilantly assess symptoms, provide
hand sanitizer, and thoroughly clean school spaces, but the guidance
leaves many details up to the districts. Each school is asked to
follow the guidelines while creating their own reopening plans for
the fall. DeWine said …
"So balancing
local control, state interest in protecting our kids, and making sure
our kids get educated.”
(Jess Mador.
“Coronavirus In Ohio: DeWine Announces Guidelines For Reopening
Schools.” WOSU. July 02, 2020.)
The governor also said he
is working to provide funding for schools to obtain items they need
to purchase to follow guidelines, such as disinfectants, sanitizers,
and personal protective equipment.
The Ohio Department of
Education has two documents, one focusing on education and the other
focusing on health, to provide resources when planning the reopening.
Scott DiMauro, President
of the Ohio Education Association, said he was pleased there is
finally a statewide plan, but he said he was hoping it would contain
additional state mandates for social distancing, health checks and
require students in third grade and up to wear masks. DiMauro
said …
“We’re a little
disappointed that there aren’t more mandates in terms of what the
state is requiring. The fact that local school officials still have
discretion in terms of which requirements to follow and which ones
don’t, other than the mask requirement, is a disappointment.
“Students third grade
and above ought to be expected to wear masks, let’s not have that
as a suggestion, let’s have that as a requirement so that we’re
not leaving that up to local politics.”
(Camryn Justice and Joe
Pagonakis. “Gov. Mike DeWine announces guidelines for K-12 schools
in Ohio to reopen.” news5cleveland.com. July 02, 2020.)
DiMauro
added …
“While we appreciate
the consideration given to the importance of social distancing,
health checks, and sanitation protocols in the governor’s plan, it
lacks a means of enforcement, even when a county is in the highest
tier of the alert system.”
Dr. Claudia Hoyen,
Director of Infection Control at Rainbow Babies and Children’s
Hospital, told News 5 parents should attempt to get their children
comfortable with wearing a mask weeks before the start of the school
year, and keep a close watch for COVID-19 symptoms.
So, what are exactly the
Guidelines For Reopening of K-12 Schools in Ohio? This is what I
could find (with the understanding that things often change depending
upon circumstances and political wranglings). The guidelines include
the following:
* Vigilantly assess
symptoms – Students, caregivers and staff are asked to monitor
their health before departing for school. Those with temperatures
over 100 degrees are asked to stay home. Students and staff who
develop symptoms at school will be sent home. Schools will need to
work with their local health departments to trace cases and conduct
testing.
* Wash and sanitize
hands to prevent spread – Schools must provide time for
students and staff to regularly wash hands. Hand washing and
sanitation stations are to be set up around each school.
* Thoroughly clean and
sanitize school environment to limit spread on shared surfaces –
Schools will be required to regularly disinfect the school and high
touch areas to mitigate the spread of the virus.
* Practice social
distancing – Schools should strive to maintain 6-feet of
distance between students and staff in classrooms, lunchrooms, school
busses, and other school settings when possible to limit exposure to
COVID-19. Some schools may stagger lunch and class schedules
* Implement face
covering policy – Every school must develop a face-covering
policy. Staff, like other business sectors that have reopened in the
state, will be required to wear a mask or face covering. When face
coverings are not practical, staff may opt to use face shields.
The state also strongly
recommends, but is not mandating, that children in third grade or
higher should wear a mask. DeWine said that schools should do
everything they can to reduce the stigma for those students who are
unable to wear a mask. Some schools may suggest younger students also
wear masks, DeWine said.
On a national level,
President Donald Trump, a fierce advocate for a full fall reopening,
appeared to go to war with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, whose guidelines he deemed too strict. The CDC ultimately
did not significantly revise its stance.
The American Academy of
Pediatrics issued a statement reading …
"Returning to school
is important for the healthy development and well-being of children,
but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students,
teachers and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely
reopening schools."
The Ohio public must now
search its collective souls on the best course of action. Should
schools reopen next month with these proposed guidelines, or should
they even reopen at all at this uncertain time? Parents, teachers,
students, other school personnel – all of these people are directly
affected by the decision. It is a gut-wrenching commitment with real
consequences. Shut down or reopen? It seems impossible we have come
to this, yet the pandemic pays no mind in its deadly destruction.
The one certainty I know
is that a single child needlessly killed by COVID-19 during a
reopening is unforgivable. No amount of reasoning by the state
concerning the need for education would excuse such a tragedy. Any
risk of deadly infection in that case cannot be assumed to be the responsibility
of the parents or guardians. The risk lies squarely on the district
and the State of Ohio. Imagine that COVID fatality is your loved one.
Who would you blame?
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