Reopening MPCSDBoard Update and Direction

September 10, 2020

State & Local Updates

State & Local Updates● SMC remains in the “purple” or “widespread” tier of the new COVID categorization

system. The purple tier is basically the equivalent of being on the “watchlist” prior to the new categorization system.

● SMC data continues to trend downward, but at a slower pace than neighboring counties.

● Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz counties have all moved into the “red” or “substantial” tier, setting the stage for further businesses and schools to begin plans for reopening.

● Interestingly, the SM Daily Journal published an article today describing why SMC testing limitations are putting it at disadvantage compared to SCC & others.

Where is San Mateo County?

Adjusted case rate is statistically the same as last week.

Positivity rate is up slightly from last week, which can be due to increased testing.

Local School Reopening ProgressWaiver Application Submitted or Approved

Waiver Application Being Considered @ Board Level

Private ● Over 81 schools in SCC approved or awaiting approval

● 19 non-public or charter schools approved in SMC, including Synapse, Primary School, Alto International

● Phillips Brooks● Nativity

Public ● Campbell Elementary (approved: TK-6)

● Los Altos ● Moreland (approved: PreK-6)● Union

● Menlo Park City● Las Lomitas● Hillsborough ● Portola Valley● Woodside

Planning Update

It’s a DIAL not a SWITCH

The model can change as the conditions and directives change.

It’s not static; it’s dynamic.

MPCSD Planning Updates● This is our twelfth public Board meeting since June 1 of this year. Our next is

scheduled for October 8.

● Tonight the Board will hear a formal proposal from the COVID Testing Advisory Team and will be asked to vote on a testing plan and contract for the short term.

● At the August 27 Board meeting, the Board was presented with the two reopening options available to all CA school districts whose districts are in counties that are in the “PURPLE” Tier (formerly monitoring list). Those two options are:○ Targeted, Specialized Cohorts for our most vulnerable.○ Waiver for K-6

MPCSD Planning Updates● The Board greenlighted the Superintendent’s plan for Phases 1 & 2 at Aug 27 meeting.

● Phase 1, which includes students enrolled in our AIMs program (students with significant SpEd needs) and an at-risk 8th grade cohort, began two days ago on Tuesday, September 8. Phase 1 programs have been begun without disruption or challenge due to the hard work and proper planning of our teachers, support staff, nurses, and administration. We continue to closely monitor health and safety. We will adjust as needed.

● Phase 2 is scheduled to begin September 21. Phase 2 includes students with IEPs who are more fully included in the general education program, but who require significant support in order to achieve success. It also includes some small groups of English Learners in the first two levels who also qualify for low SES services.

MPCSD Planning Updates● A decision for Phase 3 implementation was tabled by the Board last week to

be discussed and reconsidered at tonight’s meeting. Phase 3 primarily includes kinder and first grade Hybrid classes returning in-person. It will also include additional intervention groups, as needed and determined by site and staff availability.

● Distance Learning satisfaction survey for parents, students, and staff closed last night. EdServices team putting results together and will provide to sites and Board shortly.

Recent Actions

Steps Considered/Taken on Aug 27Step 1: Board reviewed their consensus from August 13 Board meeting.

Step 2: Board discussed and came to consensus around a “risk standard,” which was:For which student groups is the risk of staying at home greater than the risk of coming to school?

Step 3: Board identified and prioritized groups according to risk standard, which were: Phase 1: Students with IEPs considered moderate/severe & an at-risk HV8 cohort.Phase 2: Students with IEPs receiving 40% or more of their day in SAI & Level 1 & 2 Low SES EL students.Phase 3: Kinder & First grade students.

Step 4: Board agreed on a plan, which was:Phase 1 & 2: Move forward with Superintendent direction under new cohorting guidelines. Phase 3: Return to discuss waiver application on Sept 3 and agendize for possible action.

Step 5: Superintendent provided overview of the additional health/safety risk abatements and planning procedures.

Survey Results● On Friday, August 28, MPCSD sent survey to all parents of K-1 students who chose

Hybrid learning.

● Three questions regarding possible return of K-1 students:

○ How comfortable do you feel about sending your child back in-person?

○ How supportive are you of the Board decision to apply for a waiver?

○ Will you send your child to school?

● 427 families responded, representing 442 students.

● NOTE: Prior to making their decisions for program, the District was very clear that selection of Hybrid meant that parents would send their child to school when reopened.

Question 1

39 27 42

128

206

Question 2

38 22 3173

274

Question 3

43

399

Steps taken since last week...● COVID 19 Response Team Meeting.

● Multiple meetings with union leadership.

● Site administration conversations with kinder and first grade teachers.

● Some initial scenario planning at site level with teacher consultation.

● Written response to 43 questions submitted by MPEA regarding reopening details.

● Informal in person Q&A between MPEA site reps and the Superintendent

● Two health & safety panels for teacher-generated questions to be answered.

Health & Safety Panels conducted this week.

Parent Feedback

Enthusiasm for School?

Connection with Peers?

Connection with Teachers?

Ability to Follow Schedules & Assignments

Reopening Options

Commitments & Additions

Current Commitments for WaiverCapcity

● Elementary schools will run at 30% capacity under waiver. 180 students vs. over 600.

● Classes will serve only as many students as can be separated by 6’ distancing.

● Kindergarten organized into a.m./p.m. schedule to accommodate for smaller groups; first grade staffing increased to provide smaller class sizes.

Current Commitments for WaiverFour Pillars

● All children and adults, regardless of age, are required to be masked. Masks are provided.

● A minimum distance of 6’ will separate all individuals on campus.

● All manner of PPE available to non-medical staff are available to MPCSD staff at their request.

● Regular hand washing will be supported, including the installation of additional outdoor hand washing stations.

● When one pillar needs to decrease for some reason, the others will increase.

Current Commitments for WaiverHealth Screening and Support

● An LVN or RN will staff each school site; district nurses will be available for support.

● Quarantine areas will exist for proper response to all COVID cases.

● Every staff and student will be provided and asked to use a daily health screening app.

● All students and staff will be required to have temperature taken upon arriving at school.

● Each teacher will receive a forehead thermometer for use in the classroom throughout the day, as the teacher sees fit.

Current Commitments for WaiverVentilation

● Outdoor spaces will be encouraged for learning purposes; furniture and other arrangements will be supported by MOT.

● MERV 13 (recommended) filters are now in all HVAC systems in the district.

● HEPA Filtration Systems have been delivered to each learning space.

● Windows and doors will be and should be open when every possible.

● Distance Learning will be implemented when air quality is unhealthy.

Current Commitments for WaiverCOVID Testing and Screening

● MPCSD commits to weekly COVID testing for all staff while open under a waiver. Contract will be approved Thursday, until then MPCSD has partnership with Stanford.

● Parents will be asked to consider having their child COVID tested with their health provider prior to returning to school.

● All staff will be tested 3-5 days prior to their first day of in-person teaching.

● MPCSD is working to provide student testing options for parents when options become available.

+ Superintendent SuggestionsBased on the additional recent input of teachers/staff and the learning experience in our medical panels, the Superintendent suggests the following be added to any waiver plans and application:

● Bathrooms, in addition to being assigned, should be cleaned at least 3x per day with materials for users to optionally wipe down sinks and toilets before and after use.

● To the extent possible, MPCSD should attempt to secure a supply of N95 masks for teacher and staff use when it is necessary to be in closer contact with a child, especially one who is crying or coughing.

● The waiver should include a plan to begin return to in-person for first grade students within a shorter day from 9:00 - 12:00. Day can be extended later after initial phase in and review from teachers about what is working and what needs adapted. Distance Learning, likely for smaller reading groups and specialists, would then be scheduled for the afternoon.

+ Superintendent Suggestions● Waiver application could state that should “adjusted case rate” and “positivity rate” begin

statistically increasing for a period of X days between now and the scheduled opening, that the Board will immediately meet to discuss whether to delay the scheduled opening.

● A scheduled start date of Oct 5 will go a long way to both decrease planning time concerns and to ensure that Labor Day weekend celebrations do not result in a similar rise in cases as was seen after Memorial Day.

● The District could set aside some more child care funds to support K-1 teachers/staff in accessing Newton or Growfit care while under a waiver. Since all other teachers/staff are able to work from home, if necessary, while under a waiver, providing this special provision for K-1 teachers during a waiver seems equitable.

+ Superintendent Suggestions● Encourage all K-1 teachers to teach DL from their rooms the week prior to return and provide

them with the last school day prior to return with no live-DL responsibilities in order to prep. Provide hourly pay for additional planning hours that needs to occur outside their regular work day.

● Engage K-1 parents in a comprehensive “education” campaign about what is expected of them when students return to school. Request they attend webinars with Superintendent, Nurses, and site administration prior to return. Set expectations for parents that school and learning will NOT look like it does during “normal” school. Manage expectations throughout.

● Testing Advisory Team is in negotiations with an “event” testing company to provide student, family, and non K-1 teachers COVID testing using health insurance. This will dramatically increase testing capacity and augment our weekly staff testing.

Decision Options

Options for Phase 3● The Board has made clear that the next phase of reopening would include

kinder and first grade.

● There is no deadline for when the Board needs to approve a waiver application.

● Application is pretty straight-forward and reflects the August Reopening Plan document, as well as the additional safety protocols presented at the August 27 meeting.

● The Board can take action tonight to approve a waiver application for K-1 or it can consider one of the following...

Alternate Options to Approval● Take no action tonight and indicate to the community and the Superintendent that the

Board is unwilling to consider a waiver, only returning students when SMC is no longer in PURPLE.

● Take no action tonight; defer action for future Board meeting. Next meeting is scheduled for October 8. Other meetings could be added between these two dates. Action would be agendized at subsequent Board meetings.

● Take no action tonight; defer action consideration for future Board meeting, but select a date before which the Board will not consider action on a waiver application.

NOTE: Should the Board approve the submittal of a waiver, the very earliest we could open is September 28; however, October 5 is preferable.

Union Perspective

Many parents have expressed interest in knowing how teachers and staff feel about returning. Joining us tonight to address that question, are…

MPEA President & 4th Grade Teacher, Grant Conour

CSEA President & MPCSD Network Administrator, Jarrod Coombes

Planning Timeline

Next Public Board MeetingThursday, Oct 8 @ 5 p.m.

In Closing...All communities that want children to return to school in-person and stay in school as long as possible must follow some simple guidelines, even and especially when it is hard to do. Everyone must wear a facemask outside of the home, maintain social distancing, and significantly limit social interaction personally and as a family. We are all in this together. There’s only one way to do this; we are all part of the solution.

And one last plug...

Join us for next Speaker Series, Oct 6Permission to Feel: A Conversation with Dr. Marc Brackett

A discussion between Dr. Marc Brackett and MPCSD Superintendent Erik Burmeister on emotional regulation, emotional intelligence, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in MPCSD schools

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a Professor in the Child Study Center of Yale University. He is the lead developer of RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by nearly 2,000 pre-K through high schools across the United States and in other countries. Listen to Dr. Brackett and Superintendent Burmeister as they discuss the importance of SEL learning in schools, and learn about how MPCSD schools are using Dr. Brackett’s framework.

VIA ZOOM: Tuesday, October 6, 2020 @ 6:30 pm

Interested in buying Permission to Feel? Click on this Kepler's link to read about and purchase the book.