Preliminary guidance for Texas schools amid COVID offers suggestions, but few mandates
The Texas Education Agency would largely encourage school districts to take extra health and safety measures — like the use of face masks — but would not mandate them under a draft plan of its guidance on returning to schools in person this fall.
The draft documents detailing the agency’s plans amid the spread of the coronavirus were first reported Tuesday by the Texas Tribune, and appear to have been removed from the agency’s website as of 2:30 p.m. However, snapshots of the guidance were cached by Google before they had been taken down.
A TEA spokesperson confirmed that earlier documents were drafts that “were posted in the staging portion of the TEA website by mistake as part of an internal document review.”
A final version of the guidance on attendance and enrollment was later publicly released at 3 p.m., according to a TEA spokesperson. However, the document including public health guidance is still being finalized.
“As we continue to closely monitor the public health situation, we are, in fact, still soliciting feedback on the Public Health Guidance. Additional guidance will be provided soon,” a TEA spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We will continue to prioritize public health and safety above all else.”
The agency had been expected to share additional details Tuesday, after Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath told state lawmakers on a call last week that public school students will return to campuses this fall.
The Fort Worth school district announced last week that students would have the option of returning to the classroom or continuing their learning online in the fall. Meanwhile, many Tarrant County school districts had previously said that they were awaiting TEA’s guidance before finalizing and announcing their plans.
Northwest ISD Superintendent Ryder Warren said in a statement Wednesday that the district has been planning for multiple scenarios and will continue to hold Facebook Live updates every Wednesday to keep families informed.
“While I am disappointed that the state delayed the release of guidance for in-person learning another week, I completely understand Commissioner Morath and the agency must consider input from many experts and sources before releasing its final recommendations and requirements — it seems the COVID challenge becomes more complex every day,” Warren said.
In the TEA’s guidance on attendance, virtual instruction may count toward a student’s attendance, and be offered in real-time or through other forms, like pre-recorded lessons or virtual learning modules. The state will still fund districts teaching remotely, but districts must measure student engagement and progress and have plans approved by the state.
In a statement Tuesday after the agency’s call with district superintendents, Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent P. Scribner said the options for remote learning will empower educators “to teach with both rigor and maintain the highest standards of excellence,” and that the district looks forward to more details that will be shared next week on July 2.
Commissioner, “Morath today acknowledged we are dealing with a rapidly changing public health situation. However, as the Commissioner said, a public health crisis cannot become a public education crisis — and we could not agree more,” Scribner said.
According to the draft document of public health guidance, parents may request online classes if their child’s school is offering the option.
In the draft document, TEA also recommends districts establish many of the health and safety measures that experts have recommended. It also provides details on how to handle suspected and confirmed cases on campus.
Some of the recommendations include placing hand sanitizer or hand washing stations at each entrance and in every classroom, asking employees and students to wear face masks when in close proximity to others, and spacing desks at least six feet apart when possible — and planning for more frequent hand washing or increased airflow when not.
When it comes to monitoring symptoms, TEA outlined recommendations for districts to take and laid out requirements if an individual receives a lab-confirmed case, according to the draft document.
Districts should require teachers and staff to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms daily before coming onto campus, according to the draft. For students, districts should ask students’ families at the start of the school year and each week whether students have symptoms or have been in close contact with a confirmed case — and the same should be asked of parents if they will be picking up their children from inside the school.
“Regularly performing a forehead temperature check of otherwise asymptomatic students in school is not recommended, but the practice is also not prohibited by this guidance,” the draft document read.
If a student shows symptoms while at school, the school must immediately separate the student from others until they can be picked up. Areas the student was in should be cleaned as soon as feasible, according to the draft document. Students who are feeling feverish should have their temperatures checked immediately.
School systems are permitted to deny entry to campuses or buses until individuals meet the criteria.
If a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 was on campus, schools are required to notify their public health department, all teachers, staff, and families and close off areas that had been heavily used by the individual who tested positive until they can be disinfected, unless more than three days have passed since that person was on campus.
If a person has a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, they may only return to campus when they have met certain criteria outlined in the draft document. To return sooner, they must either have a medical professional’s clearance or receive two tests at least 24 hours apart that confirm they are COVID-19 free, according to the draft guidance.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 5:08 PM.
