Betsy Devos: "The rule should be that kids go back to school this fall." Here comes a thread on schools, the pandemic, and taking action. @betsydevosed
Devos and others in the WH circle say -- quite simply -- children should be going (via mass transport) to local full-time, in-person instruction this fall. businessinsider.com/devos-the-rule…
The immediate response so this should be "Yes, and..." BTW, the response so all these pronouncement-style non-actionable platitudes is almost _always_ "Yes, and..." Don't get fooled into playing the _opposition_. That's a losing gambit.
The follow up question is also the same: "So what are you going to do about it?" IOW, what is your detailed, action plan for facing this situation and ensuring the best possible outcome?
In the case of Devos and company, the answer to the follow up question is clear. It is, basically: "We have no plan and will do nothing."
Trump's version of this response has been clearly stated: "I don't take responsibility at all." politico.com/news/2020/03/1…
A viable workable plan for educating our children (including daytime child care) will always have the same key components: 1) Safety, 2) Effectiveness, 3) Cost, 4) Convenience. And each must be addressed *in that order*.
#Safety first. It is essential to do all that is possible to ensure the safety of the community. Not just the children. This includes school teachers and staff, parents, and extended family. Any attempts to skip this step is a non-starter.
#Safety means stating monitors and measures as proxies for success. Pence's response is the *wrong* one: "'The Science Should Not Stand in the Way' of Reopening US Schools" commondreams.org/news/2020/07/1…
#Effective instruction/day-time care is step two. Simply puytting butts in seats or dropping kids at day care is not effective. This is the hard one. Your plan needs to rethink effective instruction/care "during a pandemic."
When faced with challenges in life, smart people sharpen their principles, adjust their trajectory, and modify their near-term goals. trying to "go back to the way is was" is not what smart people do.
Your #Effective education plan will clearly state your principles, set new context-aware, trackable milestones, and offer a range of options for getting there. If your school doesn't have this published: stop, backup, and get down to business.
Of course, your #Effective plan will have a built-in response trajectory when the situation fails the #safety measures. typically, this is a "kill-switch" that reverts the system to a previous state -- the #Safety first state.
#Cost mangement comes after #safety and #effectiveness. When we're at war, cost is not a hindrance -- we do what we need to defend ourselves and defeat the enemy.
If your plan attempts to reduce cost or "save money" along the way, you've got a bad plan. For example: "Trump budget chief holds firm on CDC cuts amid virus outbreak" thehill.com/policy/finance…
Trying to save money on ammunition when fighting a war is not only a bad idea, it is a losing game. If your school board tries to cut funds, the plan is a non starter. go back and try again.
Finally, we can talk about #Convenience. This is the least important of any set of goals. Good soldiers don't complain that the bunk beds are uncomfortable. If your plan tries to optimize the experience for anyone other than those immediately affected, you're doing it wrong.
Yes, remote instruction is hard, transportation in a pandemic is a challenge, & preschool care is more time-consuming. These are features to be faced, not bugs to be eimlinated.
There are lots of examples of people working to clarify that message: "12 inconvenient truths about schools and kids that should be considered before reopening — from a teacher" washingtonpost.com/education/2020…
You solve these challenges w/ more money (#cost) and a renewed focus on your principles/goals (#effectiveness) while measuring outcomes against your bottom-line (#safety). If your plan doesn't recognize these truths, go back and change it.
So... If you are a part of school board or school admin, lead your group with these four pillars. Be relentless on these pillars while continuing to be supportive of people's anxieties. Don't let up.
If you are a parent/guardian community member with a vested interest, press your leaders for this kind of plan. Don't burden them w/ your fears or your politics. They don't matter now.
And remember, whenever the discussion of school and pandemic comes up, be one of the people in the room that steers the conversation towards the four pillars of #Safety, #Effectiveness, #Cost, and #Convenience. Always say "Yes, and what do you plan to do about it."
We can have a safe and successful school year "duing a pandemic" when we stay focused on what matters. That means each of us need to "Be the change you want to see in the world." josephranseth.com/gandhi-didnt-s…
@threadreaderapp unroll this please
