School Committee Meeting

March 16, 2021

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COVID-19 Response Update

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Today’s Agenda

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• Public Health Updates
• Update: CPS Expansion of In-Person Learning (launched March 1)
• DESE Requirements to Shift to Full-Time, In-Person Learning

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Public Health Updates

Lisa Dobberteen, MD

Pediatrician & Medical Director, School Health and Public Health Programs

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Tracy Rose-Tynes, MS, RN

Associate Chief, Clinical Services; Interim Nurse Manager, School Health Services

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CPS Expansion of In-Person Learning (March 1)

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• In collaboration with Cambridge Public Health Department, successful launch of student surveillance testing in every school

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• preK-12 staff eligible �for vaccines through pharmacy and state programs

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Thank you

to CPS school leaders, educators and staff �for your hard work and creativity in the midst of many changes to make the March 1 expansion �of in-person �learning possible

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DESE Required Shift to In-Person Learning

Key Takeaways

• DESE will only permit two learning model options �for families:
• Fully in-person: full day, 5 days per week
• Fully remote

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• All of CPS’s current in-person models are “hybrid models” which will no longer be permitted
• Elementary: 4 days in, Wed. remote
• Upper School: 2 cohorts in 2 days, dismiss at lunch
• High School: 2 cohorts, 4 days per week, every other week, dismiss at lunch

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• Physical distancing:
• 3 feet classroom setups
• 6 feet meals
• 6 feet between staff

SIGNIFICANT WORK AHEAD

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• Timing and rigidity of requirements will require significant work, particularly �by secondary schools
• Reconfiguration of schedules
• Full day on Wednesday likely means �loss of staff collaboration time

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• Schedules dependent on unknowns:
• Family choices (due Wednesday 3/17)
• Staff remote accommodations for child care may depend on “home district’s” waiver status
• Classrooms may have in-person and remote students, with “livestreaming” �or “simultaneous instruction”

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• CPS is likely not eligible for �the limited waivers DESE is considering

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State Required Timeline

Return to full-time, in-person school five days per week

Fall: Plan for a full return in-person across all grade levels*

* DESE has indicated a medical exemption may be available for special circumstances

Possible Waiver Requests – Very Limited Circumstances

• Anything other than providing students with access to five days of full, in-person learning requires a waiver
• Waivers will be approved for �a limited time only.
• Must include timeline �to phase in full-time, in-person instruction �this school year.
• Districts must make “compelling case that they need to take an incremental approach to implementation of requirements”

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• Requires consultation with DESE
• “Operational constraints do not include districts maintaining a physical distancing standard of greater than 3 feet”
• DESE does not anticipate granting waivers for reasons of high community prevalence of COVID-19

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Family Enrollment: April Expansion

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• COVID-19 Hardship process paused

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• Beginning April 12, families with remote learners may request a switch from remote to in-person model
• Response period: 7 days
• Transition period: �Up to six weeks

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PK-8 Enrollment for �April Expansion

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• Enrollment due �Wednesday, March 17

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CPS COVID-19 Mitigation Measures

Comprehensive COVID-19 testing program for students & staff

School-based Infection Control Teams

Robust contact tracing & quarantine protocols

Facilities improvements (ventilation, sinks, sanitation stations, traffic flow, & cleaning schedules)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Discussion

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