Editor’s Note: In the following article, Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper explains the school system’s decision to resume in-class instruction in the fall. This article also highlights specific details about the school system’s reopening plan.
Deciding whether or not students and staff should return to school begins with two questions. 1) Does the current COVID-19 situation in Habersham County allow our students and staff to safely return to school? The answer to this question is “Yes” and the answer is detailed below. 2) Do the benefits of returning to school outweigh the risks or fears associated with COVID-19? Again, as system leaders we believe the answer is clearly “Yes”.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that schools should aim to reopen by the fall and have students physically present despite coronavirus fears. The AAP states: “The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020.” According to the AAP, “lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation. This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families.”
In the AAP’s release, the organization acknowledged that children rarely suffer severe symptoms of the coronavirus. According to the AAP, “evidence indicates that children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from COVID-19. In addition, children may be less likely to become infected and to spread infection.” (Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8468523/American-Academy-Pediatrics-says-schools-reopen-goal-students-present.html).
The science that is available to us right now is on the side of trying to return to school safely. The current science shows that school-age children are not getting sick from COVID-19. Those that do test positive often have no symptoms. Furthermore, it is now thought by many doctors that children are not spreading the virus.
As of this week, the COVID-19 situation has stabilized significantly here in Habersham County. It is important that we educate our parents and community about the facts surrounding COVID-19 in our county. Many people have a misunderstanding about the actual situation as things stand right now. It seems that most people are only looking at the cumulative number of cases in Habersham County since the pandemic began. The cumulative number for our county is 813 as of the writing of this press release. This means that there have been a total of 813 total positive cases in our county since February. This also means that since February less than 2 percent of our entire population has tested positive. This does not mean that 813 people in our county currently have an active case of COVID-19. It is our understanding that many of the 813 cases have now recovered, if they even had symptoms.
We certainly do not want to make light of those who have passed away or who did become very sick. Our intention is to put things in perspective as we prepare to bring our boys and girls back to school.
The bottom line is that the COVID-19 situation here in Habersham County is heading in the right direction for our students to be able to return to school. Having said this, we do plan to take the prevention of the virus seriously as can be seen in our “reopening plan”.
The significant benefits of students returning to classrooms:
- Academic Needs – Imagine the first grade child who has not had direct reading instruction since March. There is not much that is more important than our younger children learning how to read. Every month that goes by without in-person reading instruction can have life-long consequences for young children. While we did the best we could with the “learning from home” model, it simply was and is no substitute for direct reading instruction in a classroom. The same can be said for virtual learning in general for most students. We are also very concerned with learning regression. We believe it is paramount that we get our students back in classrooms and begin catching them up on essential skills like reading and math.
- Mental Health – Many of our students depend on the school system to meet their mental health needs. Continuing to be isolated at home away from their peers and teachers can be damaging the mental health of our students. Those students who may be suicidal need to be at school
- Physical Health – Our students need the physical activity that can be found at school. Because the current science says that the virus is not easily spread outdoors, our school system is doubling the amount of time students spend at recess this year.
- Child Abuse Prevention – Students are less likely to be mentally, physically or sexually abused when they are attending school.
- Nutrition – Many of our students depend on the school system for the best two meals of the day.
- Closing the Achievement Gap – When students remain at home the achievement gap grows significantly for those with special needs, English language learners, and those who are economically disadvantaged.
- Social Development – It is harmful for most students to be isolated at home. Social development is critical for students. The only way to develop is to thrive in a social environment like a school and classroom. Social isolation leads to depression and other mental health issues.
- Graduation – Our school system has placed a very high priority on students graduating from high school. The longer our high school students stay at home to more likely some are to consider quitting school. Many of our at-risk high school students need the structure of school and the guidance and support they receive there. Continuing to stay at home could have a life-long negative impact on some of our high school students.
- Career Guidance and Workforce Development – Our older students receive most of their career guidance and workforce development skills at school.
- Preparing for Post-Secondary Options – Our high school students need to be in school to remain competitive in their college and university pursuits. Learning from home is no substitute for being in a classroom where thought, discussion, and intellectual struggle happen and where interaction with a high-quality instructor and other students can take place.
As superintendent, I want our parents and community to know that we are not determined to send our students back to school for any reason other than we truly believe it is what is best for them. The decision to return to school has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with what our students need right now in their lives. If it is really about the students, then every adult in our community should be working hard to get our students back in school. The significant harm of continuing to keep our students at home outweighs the minimal risk associated with students returning to school. Likewise, the significant benefits of students returning to school far outweigh any fear or risks associated with COVID-19.
I also want everyone to understand that we plan to monitor the virus situation in our school and community on a daily basis. We plan to stay in constant contact with our local and state health officials. If it becomes necessary, our school system will be prepared to temporarily close a school or schools and use our high-quality “learning from home” plan.
As we get closer to August 21st, I am looking forward to seeing the smiling faces of our nearly 7000 students and I am excited to see our students have the opportunity to return to some sense of normalcy in their lives. Nothing can accomplish this better than being back in school.
Revised 2020-2021 School Calendar
On July 16, the Habersham County Board of Education approved a revised 2020/2021 school calendar. The new first day of school for students in Habersham County is now Friday, August 21st. The later start date is not tied to the current COVID-19 status of our county. In fact, we received very good news from the Georgia Department of Public Health this week. We met with a high-level DPH official and had them review our “reopening plan”. During the meeting we were informed that our hospital is in good shape and that cases are not spiking here in Habersham County like they are in other parts of the state and nation.
The need for a later start is based on three things: 1) The school system needs additional time to properly train its teachers and staff on the new guidelines being put into place in our schools. 2) Our teachers need more planning time to prepare for the return of students. It is important to remember that our teachers have not been in their classrooms or worked face to face with students since March. Our teachers and schools need ample time to transition from the online format to traditional instruction. 3) Our system is offering a virtual learning option to parents of students with serious health issues and to those parents who do not feel safe sending their children back to school. It is going to take considerable time to take inventory of how many parents want the virtual option and then to design a high-quality platform for delivering the virtual learning. A later start to the school year will allow the time needed to plan for the virtual learning option that we want to offer our families.
Habersham County Schools 2020-2021 “Reopening Plan”
On Monday, I participated in a conference call with every superintendent in Georgia, Governor Kemp, State Schools Superintendent Richard Woods, and Dr. Kathleen Toomey who is the Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner. The message from all three officials was that they supported students returning to classrooms safely. This summer our school system received two different guidance documents from the Georgia Department of Education/Georgia Department of Public Health. During the conference call Monday all three officials made it clear that they stood together behind the guidance that was provided to school systems in our state.
Our school system put together a COVID-19 Response Team made up of system leaders and healthcare experts. The membership of this team is now a part of our system safety plan. In accordance with the Department of Education/Department of Public Health guidelines, the team developed a “reopening plan” for our school system. This plan can be found on the homepage of our school system website at habershamschools.com. The plan lays out how our school system plans to safely reopen schools and provides guidance for our schools on how to prevent and respond to COVID-19. The plan also provides guidance to parents on whether or not their child is well enough to attend school and the role our parents play in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. Our system COVID-19 Response Team met with a key official from the Georgia Department of Public Health and sought their input on developing the plan.
The main question that is being debated and decided in communities and school systems all across our nation is, should students and staff be forced to wear a mask or face covering? In our reopening plan we have answered this question. We have made the decision to follow the guidance provided by the Department of Education and the Georgia Department of Public Health. These agencies through their guidance have indicated that they “strongly recommend” the wearing of face coverings by students and staff but that it “is not mandated”. As system leaders we believe our parents and staff should be allowed to make the decision for their children and themselves as to whether or not they will wear a face covering. To be sure, we believe that there clearly is a benefit to wearing a face covering. In fact, as superintendent, I plan to wear a face covering when I am in classrooms around students or in situations where it is difficult to socially distance. I will wear a face covering primarily to protect others. I try to live my life by the “golden rule”.
I believe our best chance at getting our parents and staff to support wearing a face covering is through education and respect for their personal decisions, not through a mandate or force. That approach simply would not work here in Habersham County. We must reach people’s hearts not try to change their minds.
Our school system has secured 8000 washable cloth face coverings that we can provide to students and staff. In our plan you can read that we will provide a face covering to every staff member and student, but it will be left up to the parents and staff whether or not they wear it. Face coverings offer some protection to the person wearing one but most importantly they protect others from the person wearing the covering. We believe that mandating face coverings will destroy the trust that we now have with our staff and parents. As we head into the coming school year we must have the trust of our parents and in return we must trust our parents to do what is best for their children and for their friends and neighbors. Throughout the school year will plan to follow the guidance of the Georgia Department of Education/Georgia Department of Public Health. If something changes in the face covering guidance provided by these agencies or by Governor Kemp, we will also have to adjust at that time.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW REOPENING PLAN
Virtual Option
As a school system, we believe instruction in the regular classroom is the absolute best option for most students. However, we are aware that some students have serious health issues and some parents are not comfortable sending their students back to school. For these families we are offering an at-home virtual learning option. Parents should weigh their options very carefully as choosing this option will place a student in the virtual format through at least Christmas. It will not be possible to allow back and forth between virtual and the regular classroom. Another important note for the virtual option is that students who choose the virtual option will no longer be enrolled at their home school, but will be enrolled at our newly established Habersham virtual school, which we call the “Habersham Technology Academy”. Furthermore, students who enroll in the virtual school will not be able to participate in athletics or extra-curricular activities, as these things are not offered in the virtual setting.
Any parent that decides they want the virtual option must call their Principal. Parents may call as early as 9:00 a.m. Monday, July 20 and no later than noon on Wednesday, July 29.
Virtual Option Facts:
- Virtual students – no longer enrolled at current school; for those who graduate this year, the diploma will read Habersham Technology Academy, not Habersham Central High School or Habersham Success Academy.
- Athletics and extra-curricular activities are not available in the virtual school
- The virtual option is not like the “Learning from Home” plan implemented in March. Students should not choose the virtual option because they believe it will be easier than regular school.
- More rigorous with much more accountability than the plan used last spring
- Grading procedures will be more stringent that the plan used last spring
- Students are expected to log on every day at certain times.
- Virtual students will have a certified teacher but it may not be a Habersham County teacher. Depending on the number of parents who request the virtual option, our system may have to use a 3rd party vendor to deliver virtual instruction.
- Secondary students who take this option will have a full class schedule with much less flexibility than is found in the regular school setting
- Only four core subjects can be offered (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies)
- A Chromebook will be provided if needed
- Reliable internet is a necessity – The only other option is to use a school as a hotspot after school hours. All 13 campuses will have free internet available in the parking lots.
More details will be available to those who choose the virtual option after we determine how many want it. Our first job is to make this determination.
Addressing the concerns that some staff members may have about returning to school
As system leaders we have used our minds, experience, and common sense to develop a sound plan for managing a virus. We have an exceptional plan that will help our schools prevent the spread of COVID-19 and will provide guidance to our schools and parents. However, we must now move from using our minds to using our hearts to be able to meet the needs of our students in Habersham County. It is the hearts of our teachers that our students need most right now. Getting our hearts right begins with embracing our school system’s mission of “Success for All Students”. It is the mission that must motivate and energize us. A teacher in 2020 is as essential to our children as a healthcare worker, law enforcement officer, EMT or fire fighter. Teachers have always been critical workers in our society and they do some of the most important work in our world. As a school system we are willing to do anything that is reasonable and practical to keep our staff members safe. As superintendent, I know that our Principals will be responsive to the needs of our teachers and staff when they return to our schools on August 3rd. I also believe it is important that we listen to our teachers and seek their input as we implement our “reopening plan” at the school level. Teachers and leaders must work together to decide how best to make the plan work in their individual schools. We have given our administrators the latitude to make sure this happens. Finally, we believe that returning to school will be good for the mental and emotional health of our teachers and staff. Our teachers understand that they have more than a job to do. They have a calling to fulfill and a mission to accomplish. We believe that getting back to school with students will bring happiness and joy to our teachers and staff. At the end of the day, we believe it is absolutely essential that our students return to school. The only way this can happen is for our adults to return to school as well.
