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8/11 mtg with Dr. Ponds – 24 questions

This a summary of the 8/11/20 PTAC meeting with Dr. Ponds and BOE member and PTA Liaison, Sergio Gonzalez. The call was attended by 50+ people, including officers of the PTA Council, the executive boards of our PTAs, PTAC committee members, and MPS staff including Director of Technology Chris Graber, Director of Operations/School Support Services Felice Harrison-Crawford and Supervisor of Nursing Betty Strauss.

Prior to the meeting, PTAC had sent Dr. Ponds a list of questions to guide the discussion, which was expanded to include suggested questions from PTAC members. Dr. Ponds opened his remarks by saying that he puts out weekly communications because he believes it’s important to codify everything in writing. He is also responding to parents and others who send him emails. He emphasized that they are getting continual (and sometimes changing) guidance from the NJ Department of Education that informs their decisions. He emphasized that he cannot talk about personnel matters and this might limit some of his responses. His priority is the safety of students and staff and making sure instruction has rigor – “first and foremost.” He wants that there be a lot of instruction during the day, focusing on core curriculum. He is also looking at how to integrate the magnet themes. Providing proper ventilation for our schools is also a high priority.

See below for responses to 25. Questions. All responses are from Dr. Ponds except for health-related questions (indicated) addressed by Betty Strauss, Supervisor of Nursing.

  • What hurdles need to be overcome to put the current plan for our schools in place?
      1. Dr. Pond’s  primary concern is safety for students and staff. He asked for an inspection of all facilities with respect to ventilation and is expecting a report “today” (the 11th).
      2. He is working with the schools’ physician on safety protocols.
      3. Instruction (both in person and remote) must demonstrate “rigor.” HIs “benchmark” is live instruction in the core* classes every day, which he defined as “someone talking to you directly”.  This will be in writing and codified in a future update. (Note it was unclear whether global language classes are considered “core” classes for this purpose.)
  • What does the most current data from parents/caregivers about choosing a plan show?
      1. Parents go back and forth in response to changing news. They want to know what the day to day schedule will look like. Future updates will have more information about this so parents can make their decisions.
  • How will every child have access, irrespective of their means, to remote learning if they choose to do so? The last survey had requests for 400 laptops.
      1. Dr. Ponds said he is working to address this. Ideally we would be a one-to-one district but that would cost $1.3 million. If anyone has ideas about how to find/raise this money, contact Dr. Ponds!
  • About Mounties and Bulldogs, will students in one family be assigned to the same group even if they are in different schools?
      1. Yes. But K-2 students will NOT be included in the Mounties/Bulldogs designations as they will have a different system. Parents will get a request through school messenger/genesis asking them to choose all remote or hybrid after which students will be assigned Mounties and Bulldogs.
    2. The hybrid model is four hours for in-person days. How late [in the day] will the last school begin? How much time is scheduled/anticipated for arrival, inclusive of temperature screening? 
      1. The priority is being able to get quality rigorous academic work done. Scheduling issues are still being worked out. The schedule may not follow the traditional times. For example, classes may be scheduled so that older (HS) students would be able to help pick up younger students in their families from school. Dr. Ponds is also working with the YMCA to provide morning care and afternoon care.
      2. Regarding arrival procedures and length of time that will take: Dr. Ponds has been working with Chris Graber, Director of Technology, to obtain mobile screeners. People will just walk through the screeners to cut down on time required. Children will be screened before boarding busses.
  • What is the average number of hours per day on-line students will be attending synchronous classes? K-5, 3 – 5, 6 – 8, 9 – 12? Will this be a mandate or a recommendation?
      1. Discussions are ongoing and there are currently some disagreements. When we have resolved it, the information will be sent out. One concern is screen fatigue– determining how much time students can/should spend online.
  • Is the district having a difficult time recruiting teachers for the hybrid model? For the all on-line model?
      1. This is a personnel issue. The district is collaborating with the MEA. Dr. Ponds wants to be a true collaborative partner with MEA – does not want to do or say anything to affect that goal. He said association members are part of the design teams and that they are working with us.
  • Will a given teacher be responsible for simultaneously teaching students in the classroom and connected remotely? Or will teachers be scheduled so that they’re teaching only in-person or only remote at a given time? Is this the same K-12?
    1. Dr. Ponds repeated that he wants to be a true collaborative partner with the MEA – it is still being worked out.
  • Many hybrid plans are designed so that students stay in the same classroom while in school, and the teachers rotate from class to class. Is this true of our plan? How will it work for high school students who have more complicated schedules?
    1. Dr. Ponds is working with his medical team, the department of health and reviewing CDC guidelines. He emphasized the importance of getting the right team in place.
    2. Betty Strauss, Supervisor of Nursing – with regard to screening children when they come into the schools, they will be using thermal scanners. Staff will also be eyeballing the students to make sure they look OK. Temperatures will be taken on busses. There will be social distancing in the classrooms. Schools will institute one-way hallways and social distancing in lines, for example, lines to the bathroom.
    3. Every student will need to wear a mask or a shield, according to the governor’s most recent ruling.
    4. Nurse Strauss is working on a rubric for symptoms – how do deal with every student and make a judgement specifically about that student when they are ill.
    5. Nurses will be wearing scrubs. There will be weekly health reminders for staff and students. In the event of illness, judgements will also take into account the difference between casual and close contact.
    6. Betty Strauss is also conferring with the Healthy Minds Committee.
    7. This is also a personnel matter
  • Are extracurriculars being included in the hybrid plan? In the remote plan?
        1. The importance of extracurriculars (“specials”) in our magnet system was acknowledged but is not yet clear how they will be handled.
        2. Dr. Ponds did add that he hopes to have live gym classes at home.
  • What happens when a teacher or child reports that he/she is sick? Or that he/she has tested positive for COVID? Does the entire school then have to quarantine/go remote, or the entire “Team” (Mounties or Bulldogs) at the school? Or just the class?
        1. Betty Strauss, Supervisor of Nursing: The NJ State DOE is putting out guidelines and the Department of Health recommends assessing each situation individually and using contact tracing, which is what the district will do. Investigations will rapidly determine if/whether the classroom needs to be closed, if a class needs to quarantine, close versus casual contact, etc. Everything will be handled on a case by case basis. Information will be relayed to the Public Health department, which will make recommendations as to how to respond.
        2. The latest guidance differentiates between close and casual contact. All families will be notified about a positive diagnosis, but it doesn’t necessarily require quarantining for other students/staff.  The classroom may need to be closed for a couple of days to clean. Whether others have to quarantine will depend on the social distancing in that situation.
        3. Anyone who walks into the building will be screened. Contact tracing will take place as indicated. There will be no differentiation between student and staff.
        4. Each school will have designated space/staffing close to the nurse’s office for isolation. If someone is sick/appears at risk for COVID, parents will be asked to pick students up ASAP, and staff will be asked to go home. A negative test will be required before returning.
        5. There will be no COVID testing onsite. If students are sick with other illnesses, they will need to present a doctor’s note to return to school. It may be difficult to draw lines as COVID presents so many different symptoms.
        6. All school nurses will be taking a Johns Hopkins class on contact tracing. District will follow directives of the Dept of Health. Guidelines for everything are changing twice a week.
        7. Example of moving the original graduation date – Dr. Ponds worked with a team of people to decide.
    • What is the procedure if a teacher reports that a particular child attending for live instruction has shown himself/herself unwilling or unable to comply with mask use, social distancing, etc?
        1. Mask-wearing is required. Maintaining a safe learning environment is first responsibility. Discipline for noncompliance will be handled in accordance with the child’s age and “intent.” If someone cannot wear a mask, they can wear a face shield instead.
    • As teachers call in sick, will hybrid students be taught by a substitute teacher, whether it’s a hybrid or a remote day? Are there enough substitutes willing and able to come in to provide live instruction? Might the teacher deliver instruction remotely from home to students who are physically at school in the classroom
      1. The district is working to make sure there is enough coverage for each building. Substitutes have to meet safe health/safety screening before coming into the buildings – temperature check and questionnaire.
  • Are there contingency plans in the event of a teacher strike or other job actions (e.g., sick-out, widespread FMLA or other leave requests)?
      1. Dr. Ponds did not answer as this is a personnel matter.
  • Do you expect the plan to change drastically from what has been described? Will we be prepared? Under what criteria will we switch to all remote learning?
      1. Dr. Ponds is planning right now to move forward with the current plan – if that changes, it will be communicated as soon as possible.
  • We had inquired about the possibility of our After-School Enrichment programs using school grounds for small, in-person enrichment classes to help ‘level the playing field’ – which is our model. What are the rules with regard to PTAs and other groups using school property in the fall?
      1. Normally he is in support of this, but using school property or anything related to schools would require the same safety protocols (screening, etc) as in person instruction.
      2. Dr. Ponds will address this issue in September as he needs to consult with the district attorney.
  • Can you explain why the conversations for high school parents/caregivers interested in creating a parent group were postponed?
      1. Dr. Ponds wants to have a conversation about this with our PTAs and PTAC group. He Is in favor of communication and conversation, but wants it to be fully collaborative and inclusive. (Note: PTAC officers have a meeting scheduled with Dr. Ponds and high school staff members for Friday 8/14 and will follow up.)
  • What about outdoor instruction?
      1. He is currently having conversations about this possibility and working to get it approved by the county. Also, working with the MEA to see if it can be done. There is an MEA representative on all of the design teams.
  •  What the plan is for contact tracing and notification if there is an outbreak. Will the district do it? Contract a company to do it? Rely on the county health department? (Which was overwhelmed in April and could not handle the volume.) 
    1. Mr. Santagato had conversations with the department of health and the school physician. It all depends on proximity. For example, everyone on the football field is not considered a close contact. If a student or teacher gets sick we would probably have to close down the classroom for a couple of days. The class would switch to virtual.
  • What exactly are the metrics for possible school closure? What is the trigger? Number of cases? (If so, how many?) Only an order from the health department or governor? And would any shutdown be district wide or done on a school by school basis? 
    1. State guidelines are changing everyday. We will do what’s safe and be conservative in our judgements.
  • What is the protocol for handouts and individual attention for students who arrive for hybrid learning? 
    1. We are looking at using on-line books. Passing paper could be a problem. We want to make sure we can do our work without much contact. But it may be different for young students who work with manipulatives.
  • For families with children in K-2 and in the older grades in elementary school (assuming the same school), pick up can be tricky during in-person days with K-2 being 2.5 hrs and the older grades being 4 hours. Can the younger students stay at school until their siblings are done? 
    1. Great questions – we are still reviewing K-2. And discussing morning and afternoon care with the  YMCA. Dr. Ponds thanked parents for responding to the survey about bussing. Aftercare can be tricky and hard – there will be more information about  this on Friday.
  • If a teacher is quarantined, how would we ensure that applicable Mountie and/or Bulldog sessions receive appropriate instruction – would all affected children join the remote learning group?  How will the district ensure that the online instructor isn’t overburdened with too many children, or that the students who join into the remote learning experience and those that were in-person learning are on the same level?
    1. There are HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations around reporting when personnel get sick. Same for when students get sick. This also influences what can be said about procedures.
  • Will children (and teachers) who fail the temperature check be administered a COVID test on site? How will they safely quarantine children if multiple fail the check (only a subset could actually be infected with COVID). 
    • There will be no COVID testing on sight. Every school has to have at least one isolation area. Carved out with plexiglass. Anyone with symptoms will be isolated. They do not have rapid tests.

 

8/12/20

Courtney Redfern

Debbie Villarreal-Hadley