Students should be encouraged but not required to use face coverings when California schools reopen for classroom instruction, according to a draft of “interim guidance” from the state obtained by EdSource.
However, all staff should use face coverings, according to the document, which sources familiar with it say was drawn up by the California Dept. of Public Health in collaboration with the governor’s office.
That is only one of the numerous issues addressed in the document on what schools need to take into account when reopening. The guidelines, it says, are based on “the best available public health data at this time, international best practices and the practical realities of managing school operations.”
School administrators around the state have been grappling with the multi-dimensional complexities of reopening schools in a system that serves over 6 million students, by far the largest enrollment in the nation.
Students should be encouraged but not required to use face coverings when California schools reopen for classroom instruction, according to a draft of “interim guidance” from the state obtained by EdSource.
However, all staff should use face coverings, according to the document, which sources familiar with it say was drawn up by the California Dept. of Public Health in collaboration with the governor’s office.
That is only one of the numerous issues addressed in the document on what schools need to take into account when reopening. The guidelines, it says, are based on “the best available public health data at this time, international best practices and the practical realities of managing school operations.”
School administrators around the state have been grappling with the multi-dimensional complexities of reopening schools in a system that serves over 6 million students, by far the largest enrollment in the nation.
As for staff who become ill, schools should provide “flexible sick leave” — once again “to the extent practicable.”
The document seems to be responding to concerns raised by many school administrators about the difficulties of having younger children wear masks, or maintaining social distance at all times in large middle and high schools where students have to move from one classroom to another throughout the school day.
Nearly a dozen district superintendents in Los Angeles County last week send Newsom and other officials a strongly worded letter saying that keeping students six feet apart was “impractical” and “unrealistic” to expect students, especially those with disabilities or very young children, to wear face coverings for an entire school day.
Regarding the controversial issue of masks, the draft interim guidance says “students should be encouraged to use cloth face coverings, especially in circumstances when physical distancing cannot be maintained.”
That said, the guidance also outlines daunting procedures that it recommends schools adopt. Students’ temperatures would need to be taken on arrival with “no-touch” thermometers, along with “visual wellness checks.” Students and staff would need to be questioned about whether they have experienced Covid-19 symptoms, or if anyone in their household has and they would need to be monitored throughout the day for signs of illness. Schools would need to be cleaned and disinfected daily, including door handles, sink handles, bathroom surfaces, drinking foundations, playground equipment and shared objects like toys, games and art supplies.
It encourages schools to introduce “fresh outdoor air as much as possible — at the same time making sure that opening windows doesn’t pose a safety or health risk by, for example, allowing pollens in or exacerbating asthma symptoms. It advises school district to check water systems that have been shut down for a long time to minimize the risk of Legionnaires’ disease and other water-related diseases.
The guidance, at least in its draft form, ducks the issue of what to do about school sports and extracurricular activities. It does say that schools should limit gatherings to those where physical distancing is possible along with “proper hand hygiene. Further advice on those issues “is forthcoming,” according to the document.
