Return To School Plan Approved For Limited Fairfax Students

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — On Tuesday, the Fairfax County School Board approved a plan from Superintendent Scott Brabrand to bring limited students back for in-person learning in October.

According to Brabrand's presentation to the school board, Fairfax County Public Schools will bring back students in greatest need of additional support for in-person instruction in cohorts. These include students in select high school Career and Technical Education courses, preschool autism and preschool class-based students, students at Key Center and Kilmer Center, elementary students at Burke School, adapted curriculum programs, elementary comprehensive services sites, English learner newcomers and students with limited or interrupted formal education. In all, this would affect 6,707 students and 653 teachers, or 3.5 percent of FCPS students and teachers.

The return to school will happen in several groups:

Early October: Select high school Career and Technical Education classes, 62 students and five teachers at four locations

Mid-October: preschool Autism (four full days per week), preschool class-based students (four half days per week), select high school Career and Technical Education courses (one to two sessions per week), 1,734 students and 178 teachers at 127 schools

Mid to late October: Key Center and Kilmer Center students (four full days per week, secondary and elementary students that access adapted curriculum (four full days per week), elementary comprehensive services sites students (four full days per week) EL SLIFE in grades 3-12 (Monday a.m.) English learner newcomers (entered U.S. schools after July 1, 2019) (Monday a.m.) and select high school courses that require specialized equipment (one to two days per week), 3,922 students and 350 teachers in all schools

Late October: Burke School (elementary students only, four full days per week) and select high school courses that benefit strongly from in-person hands-on experiences (one to two days per week), 989 students and 63 teachers at 18 schools

The presentation to the school board said Fairfax County data for Virginia Department of Health metrics supports a return to school for cohorts of students. The school district also feels prepared in terms of staffing, safety precautions, and facility readiness. For teachers, officials will attempt to match teachers who prefer virtual learning as much as possible. ADA accommodations for personal health reasons will be reviewed, and leave of absence will be offered if an individual cannot be accommodated. Leave may also be an option for teachers with child care concerns under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Among the safety protocols for students and staff returning in-person will be screening. Parents or guardians will complete a one-time screening commitment form requiring them to screen their student's health daily before going to school. Staff will be asked to self-report having no COVID-19 symptoms or not having exposure to anyone with the virus. Daily and random temperature checks will be provided throughout the school day.

With select students coming in cohorts, desks will be separated six feet apart, and meals will be given in classrooms when possible. Schools may use additional space, including outdoor space, when needed. Face coverings are required for students and staff, and they will be provided to students without one.

Among the other protocols are sanitizing of high-touch areas; installation of plexiglass shields in offices, health rooms, special education locations for student assessment, and teacher desks; HVAC systems meeting standards for outside air ventilation-manufacturer specification and public health recommendations; HEPA filters for select areas that recirculate indoor air; reduced seating capacity on school buses; and more.

If health conditions worsen in FCPS, the district may pause the phasing of in-person instruction for cohorts of students, reverse progression, or suspend all in-person instruction in coordination with the health department. If there is a case in one classroom, the classroom will transition to 100 percent virtual learning for 14 days from the onset of the case. Decisions on entire schools would depend on the health department's contact tracing investigations.

The presentation to the school board identified four planned opening phases. The school district is currently in phase one, which features virtual learning for all students and limited or no staff reporting to school buildings. Under phase two, approved by the school board, select students will return in cohorts. The third and fourth phases, when FCPS decides to move forward with them, involve hybrid online and in-person learning and 100 percent in-person learning, respectively.

Leadership of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers expressed concern about Brabrand's proposal for staffing when FCPS moves beyond the second phase and brings back more students. Under the proposal, FCPS would honor staff's Tier 1 ADA accommodation requests, and staff in Tier 2, 3 or 4 would accept an in-person position when their cohort is called, take a leave of absence or resign. Staff in Tier 2, 3, 4 for ADA accommodation requests would request continuing virtual instruction due to vulnerable family members, child care needs or being uncomfortable returning to buildings. The school board delayed a decision on this staffing proposal until additional data on staffing and health conditions is available.

"We continue to urge FCPS to adopt our 11 Pillars of a Safe Reopening and give all staff an option to work in the environment that they feel most safe," said Fairfax County Federation of Teachers president Tina Williams in a statement. "We urge the FCPS School Board and Dr. Brabrand to honor staff Tier 2, 3, and 4 requests. If these requests are not honored, staff will be forced to choose between their jobs or the health and safety of themselves and their families."

This article originally appeared on the Kingstowne-Rose Hill Patch