Derek Wilson
Marinscope
A return to a classroom setting could be just weeks away for students and educators in Marin County, although everyone can expect significant changes when the 2020-21 school year begins in August.
On June 18, Marin Public Health and Marin County Office of Education issued A Public Health Guided Return to Site-Based Classroom Instruction. Although the document provides some answers, there are still many questions as to how guidelines will be successfully implemented on campuses in order to minimize any health risks.
“The goal is to see children and staff return to the classroom, and to do that as safely as possible” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer. “We’re partnering with our leaders in education to think creatively, following these guidelines. Classrooms will look different than they did last year, but they’ll be open.”
In elementary schools, students will likely have the same classmates for most, if not all, of their classes and in recess and lunch breaks. The bygone days of crowded classrooms with 30 or more desks might be over for good, as plans are being drawn up to maintain distances of 4-6 feet between students.
The guidelines also include protocols for COVID-19 related scenarios and enforcing health and safety practices of hand washing, physical distancing, appropriate face coverings, and health screenings. The full guidelines are available on the Marin County Office of Education website.
The Mill Valley School District oversees six schools, which include Old Mill, Edna Maguire, Strawberry Point, Park School, Tam Valley and Mill Valley Middle School. A statement from the office of MVSD Superintendent Berman reads: “There are many important steps we are taking to ensure safety protocols and procedures are in place including the use of essential protective equipment such as face masks, face shields, and disposable gloves, frequent cleaning procedures, hand washing stations, hand sanitizer dispensers in every classroom, minimizing student contact in hallways or common spaces, plexiglass barriers in front offices and some special education spaces, and more.”
In addition, “We understand our students need a personalized approach, and we know that we will have many students with varying needs that we plan to support as we enter the 2020-21 school year. Remote learning was a challenging experience. We are grateful for the efforts of our school community, and we are learning from this experience through our Transition Task Force. We appreciate this new guidance from the county health officer, Dr. Willis which we will be looking at in the coming days and months with our staff and Task Force.”
Public Health and the Office of Education may modify these guidelines as any new science and data come to light, including any changes in the status of the pandemic during the school year.
“Even with the amazing work of schools and parents, we know that remote learning was not working for all and that many students were being left behind,” said Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools.
“We also know that the social emotional needs of our children are best met through the special relationships that are developed with their peers, their teachers, and school staff. The best place for students is in their schools. Using the extensive guidance provided by our Public Health partners, we know our schools have the commitment and creativity to do this, and to do it well.”
Marin’s guidelines follow recommendations for safe school reopenings issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and the California Department of Education.
The guidelines apply to all Marin County educational institutions, including public, private, independent and parochial TK-12 schools.
Meanwhile, athletics programs at high schools are still waiting for the green light to begin organizing for the fall season. It is up to student-athletes to organize off-campus conditioning programs by themselves. Coaches are on the sidelines, not allowed yet to contact their players or organize practices.
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