EduLege Top news in school communications

EduLege Extra

Some of the timely issues that have been addressed in recent editions of EduLege

Father Knows Best…

Governor Greg Abbott says that only local school boards—not local health officials—can decide how to open schools this fall during the coronavirus pandemic.

"The bottom line is the people who know best ... about that are the local school officials," Governor Abbott said during a news conference in San Antonio.

Texas educators and parents have been frustrated and confused about the conflicting messages that have been issued by Governor Abbott and Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath in recent weeks.

Under the state's guidance—first issued by Attorney General Ken Paxton and then endorsed by Governor Abbott—local health officials can only intervene in school operations if there is an outbreak once students return to campus, at which point they can temporarily shut down a school.

However, the governor says local school boards are free to consult with health experts in making their decisions to return on-campus learning. “Nothing is stopping them from doing that, and they can fully adopt whatever strategy the local public health authority says," Abbott said.

The governor also says that in preparation for the new school year, the state has distributed to schools more than 59 million masks, more than 24,000 thermometers, more than 565,000 gallons of hand sanitizer, and more than 500,000 face shields. He promised schools “will have their (personal protective equipment) needs met at no cost” to them, with the state picking up the tab.

That’s a hollow boast, according to the Texas State Teachers Association.

“The governor’s optics today on PPE is a drop in the bucket, compared to what will be needed if schools are forced to reopen before it’s safe,” TSTA President, Ovidia Molina said. “59.4 million masks are roughly 11 masks per student. That might get students through the first week of school.”

If UT researchers are right, there are going to be lots of five-day school closings in Texas…

Millions of Texas families face an excruciating choice:

Should their children attend when local school districts reopen their classrooms and risk being exposed to the coronavirus? Or should they stay home and lose out on in-person instruction?

Texas districts must offer on-campus instruction if they want to continue receiving funding. Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton have decreed that local health authorities may close schools only if COVID-19 is spreading through their buildings, but not in advance.

Districts may also close campuses for up to five days to sanitize after a COVID-19 case is confirmed, and will be funded for providing remote instruction.

If a new study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin is correct, there will be a lot of school closings in the coming months.

Based on current infection rates, the UT study finds that more than 80 percent of Americans live in a county where at least one infected person will show up to a school of 500 students and staff in the first week of oncampus instruction. The student does not differentiate as to whether the infected persons are students or adults.

•In Cameron County, in the Rio Grande Valley, 13 students, teachers or staff are projected to show up at a campus with a 500-individual population, according to the UT study. •In Victoria, along the Coastal Bend, 10 individuals would be infected at 500-individual campus. •In campuses of the same size, the UT study also projects 17 confirmed cases in Val Verde schools at Del Rio; 11 confirmed cases in Ector County campuses; five cases in Dallas; and four cases at Lubbock campus.

“It’s meant to guide schools so they can anticipate when it might be safe, or easier, to open and bring kids in,” said Lauren Ancel Meyers, an epidemiologist at UTAustin, who led the research team.

The study also makes projections for campuses with a population of 1,000 students, teachers, and staff.

The projections are based on the estimated prevalence of the virus in each US county, which is drawn from a New York Times database of cases, and estimates that five people may be infected for each known case. Those estimates reflect current levels of infection around the country and are likely to change— improving or worsening—in individual communities over the next weeks and months.

The estimates assume that children are as likely to carry and transmit the virus as adults—“a large assumption, given the unknowns about children,” said Spencer Fox, a member of the research team. “This is meant to be a rough guide, a first step,” Dr. Fox said.

A major failure…

Israel now admits that it is a textbook example of how not to reopen schools in the midst of a global pandemic.

Confident it had beaten the coronavirus—and desperate to reboot a devastated economy—the Israeli government invited the entire student body back in late May.

Within days, infections were reported at a Jerusalem high school, which quickly mushroomed into the largest outbreak in a single school in Israel, possibly the world.

The virus rippled out to the students’ homes and then to other schools and neighborhoods, ultimately infecting hundreds of students, teachers and relatives.

Other outbreaks forced hundreds of schools to close. Across the country, tens of thousands of students and teachers were quarantined.

Israel’s advice for other countries?

“They definitely should not do what we have done,” said Eli Waxman, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science and chairman of the team advising Israel’s National Security Council on the pandemic. “It was a major failure.”

The lesson, experts say, is that even communities that have been able to control the spread of the virus need to take strict precautions when reopening schools. Smaller classes, mask wearing, keeping desks six feet apart and providing adequate continued on pg. 20