This Wednesday, #busdmtg is a community town hall, not a board meeting. It starts now on Zoom - info here: berkeleyschools.net/2020/05/may-13…
Tonight's topic: reopening schools. What will school look like in the fall if students are allowed to return? Here's the "planning outline" staff will walk through: docs.google.com/document/d/1lU…. There will opportunities to submit live questions/comments #busdmtg
This is the clearest the superintendent has been about this publicly: "We do believe school will not be back to normal in the fall." Social-distancing measure will almost definitely be in place if kids can go back. #busdmtg
The district is asking questions like, "Literally how many students can fit in a classroom, hallway, playground or cafeteria while maintaining social distancing?" says superintendent #busdmtg
Here are several ways BUSD might mitigate the risk in the fall, like "keeping kids in bubbles," and cleaning classrooms between those groups. #busdmtg 
No waiting inside bathrooms for stalls. One third the size of regular high school classes. Five kids instead of 16 at cafeteria tables. What social distancing could look like at schools: #busdmtg
Facilities Director John Calise: "The only way to control the hallways would be single-file one way, up the sides." This is very, very, very, very hard to imagine at Berkeley High. #busdmtg
Wow. For a district famous for its busing program, this is significant. Morning school buses usually carry 852 students, staff says, but they could only safely take 174 on one socially distant run. #busdmtg
One commenter notes that some kids live with high-risk family members and others don't. "Not all students should have the same plan," they say. Superintendent agrees families, staff should be surveyed about this #busdmtg
The superintendent says social distancing will be hardest for the youngest kids, but also for high schoolers, "many of whom love a good hug in between classes." Reminds us of this classic 2009 New York Times trend story... nytimes.com/2009/05/28/sty… #busdmtg
While general distance-learning participation rates have risen some, there are still concerning participation rates among homeless, African American and special-ed students in distance learning. (From late April.) #busdmtg
Now they're soliciting feedback on distance learning. Someone pitches an on-call tech support crew for families; Stephens says volunteers are checking in with fams using BUSD Chromebooks. Someone else says nature ed should play a bigger role; Stephens agrees #busdmtg
#busdmtg is over. Here's how to donate to a volunteer-run book drive for BUSD families. All books will "be quarantined" before they're distributed, staff says.
