Protecting Our Students nonprofit expands services in the face of the coronavirus pandemic
The Board of Directors at Protecting Our Students announces a temporary service expansion to keep children, staff, and families safe at school during the COVID-19 outbreak. Our mission statement, “to end school shootings” reflects a vision to create a unified, safe environment for our children. The rise of COVID-19 poses a new threat to the safety of our children. Although the risk of serious medical complications for children is low, they can easily spread the disease to their families and school employees.
As COVID-19 sweeps across the nation and threatens the health and safety of individuals, 46 states and the District of Columbia have announced school closures through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Reopening schools when the risk of spreading the coronavirus dissipates poses a number of questions and concerns for families and school administrators on fostering safe environment for our children. During this time, Protecting Our Students is committed to providing reliable information to the public.
As such, we aim to answer key questions regarding the reopening of K-12 schools here:
- When will schools reopen?
Unfortunately, this question has no clear answer. Public health experts explain that many unknowns still need to be answered before schools can safety plan to reopen in September. How will students be tested? How will schools be disinfected? How can students social distance at school? While many parents will not feel comfortable sending their kids at school until COVID-19 cases reach zero, long-term school closures are unsustainable. Some kids do not have equitable access to remote learning due to the digital divide, and some parents cannot work from home to watch their children. What we do know is that any school reopening will need to cautious and require extensive public safety measures.
- How do we keep kids, staff, and families safe when schools reopen?
“There is no such thing as a ‘safe’ reopening” until scientists develop an effective treatment or vaccine, Maria Litvinova, a researcher at the Institute for Scientific Interchange in Italy argues. Researchers estimate that the United States could be 18 months away from that date.
In the meantime, schools can take extensive precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The United Federation of Teachers, a union representing more than 140,000 school employees in New York City, created a petition demanding widespread testing, temperature checks upon entering school, rigorous cleaning protocols, personal protective equipment (PPE) for custodians, and contact tracing procedures.
Other possibilities include reducing class sizes to 12 or less students, staggering class schedules, implementing a new school calendar, adopting new attendance policies, prohibiting school gatherings, preparing for the possibility of additional remote learning, and offering social and emotional support to students.
- Where can I find more information and resources?
Many credible public and private agencies have created resources for the public on this topic. Be cautious about consuming information from unscientific or politically driven websites. Here are some of our recommendations for trustworthy information:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Visit the CDC’s Coronavirus webpage for reliable information about how to protect yourself, what to do if you are sick, and guidance for institutions. The CDC also issued recommendations for K-12 schools on planning, preparing, and responding to COVID-19.
State’s Department of Education
Visit your state’s Department of Education website for a variety of resources, policies, and guidance regarding school reopening. For instance, the Colorado Department of Education published a COVID-19 resource guide for families, educators, districts, and communities. The Texas School Safety Center also produced a valuable guide with resources on topics ranging from distance learning to draft reopening policies.
National School Safety Center
The National School Safety Center has a wealth of resources on K-12 reentry planning and preparedness. Visit their website for an interview with school safety expert Ken Trump regarding COVID-19 school reentry planning and a variety of articles on the topic from top experts in the field.
Protecting Our Students
Our organization will continue to issue resources, data, and information on school reopening. Follow us on social media and read our blog for the latest information.
You can be part of the solution to create bold, meaningful impact in the face of this global pandemic that threatens the safety of our children, teachers, school staff, and families. We need your help to prevent additional disruptions to our children’s education and well-being. Join the movement to protect our students by making a donation to Protecting Our Students today. Fear has no place in our schools.
