SCHOOLS

The pandemic has had a devastating effect on learning in TK-12 schools. Nearly every school nationwide, including those in Marin, closed its doors in March 2020 for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year, replacing in-person instruction with online classes.

Through the end of the 2021 school year and continuing into 2021-22, closures, reopening, and guidance advisories to staff and students changed frequently based on the nature of the virus. One constant reminder was to wear a mask.

Marin Public Health and the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE), and all public, private, parochial, and independent school leaders worked closely to establish guidelines for the return to full-time site-based TK-12 in-person instruction. This collaboration created the Marin County SMARTER Schools Plan. The Plan targets seven areas to maintain a safe learning environment where students can succeed. They are shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing, education, and resilience.

Additionally, the collaboration created the MCOE Rethinking Schools Task Force, which developed documents, presentations, training seminars, and other resources. These materials are regularly updated with the guidance of public health. They are available to schools and districts to utilize as assistance to meet the needs of students, staff, families, and the community.

Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke said, “Dr. Willis and Dr. Santora were incredible partners for many years before COVID-19 arrived in Marin County. From the day that the shelter-in-place was announced, they have been relentless in their support of helping our schools navigate the risks of COVID-19 by maintaining a laser focus on doing what is best for students. Within a day or two, protocols and mitigation strategies were developed to open pop-up childcare for first responders, which became the framework for bringing back students with special needs, which led to the 30 Point and ultimately resulted in Marin County students being among the first to return to site based instruction in the state. We cannot express in words — on behalf of all the schools in Marin County — how grateful we are to Matt and Lisa and the entire team at public health for their ongoing support and partnership!”