Thread by @ellemoxley

Good evening, tonight I'm tuned into @ParkHillSchools board meeting by special request. I can't always do this (I cover 30 districts), but I'm trying to provide as comprehensive coverage as I can right now.

You, too, can watch the livestream here: youtube.com/channel/UCg419… 1/

@ParkHillSchools First public comment is from a mother of an AP student who hasn't heard if AP classes will be offered online. She's worried he won't get the classes he needs ... and unable to switch back to in-person. 2/

@ParkHillSchools Next comment being read is from a parent who wants in-person classes right now. She says she'd rather have them at school and contract #COVID19 than stay home for another semester, as she feels virtual learning wasn't great and her kids' mental health is suffering. 3/

@ParkHillSchools "It makes no sense to keep quarantining those of us comfortable with exposing ourselves to minimal risk," this mother writes, citing that there have been "only 6 deaths" in Platte County. 4/

@ParkHillSchools Third comment being read is also from a parent who is concerned about AP classes.

Next comment is from a school employee and mother of 5 students who doesn't think it's safe to return. Also concerned about online course availability. 5/

@ParkHillSchools Mother says she feels like she is being penalized for wanting to keep her kids safe at home. She says the response can't be "I don't know" when parents ask about AP class availability online. 6/

@ParkHillSchools Two parents have submitted the same public comment, that students can learn virtually on campus in consistent, safe pods to minimize exposure risk. 7/

@ParkHillSchools Seventh comment is from a teacher who says that it is not safe to return until more is known about #COVID19 and its long-term impact. "There are simple measures we can take to slow the spread of the virus," including handwashing, mask wearing and maintaining 6-foot distance. 8/

@ParkHillSchools "We are downright terrified to return to buildings that are not set up to meet the aforementioned CDC requirements," the teacher writes. (I'm sorry, this is going so fast I didn't catch a name.) 9/

@ParkHillSchools Many Park Hill teachers want to teach online next year. This teacher says that's not because they love online teaching, but because they are worried about getting sick. 10/

@ParkHillSchools "I do not feel safe returning to a building with 1,500 people," another teacher says. This teacher is worried about HVAC systems.

FWIW, I've been told by multiple engineers that old HVAC systems in schools can't be converted to be safe(r) for #COVID19. 11/

@ParkHillSchools Park Hill limits public comment to 15 minutes. It sounds like they have more comments than can fit into the time allotted.

The letter being read is concerned that it took 8 lunch shifts, pre-COVID, to feed all kids ... how to get them through with social distancing now? 12/

@ParkHillSchools The rest of this parents' comment got cut off, but it was also about AP kids. If I heard it right over the timer, it was not penalizing them for attendance if they miss school because of #COVID19.

12 more people submitted public comment not being read at tonight's meeting. 13/

@ParkHillSchools Some good news for Park Hill staff: extra duty pay will be paid for 2020-21 school year, REGARDLESS of whether the activity can be held because of the pandemic. 14/

@ParkHillSchools Superintendent Jeanette Cowherd explains that why folks have probably heard about the delay on the KS side (though ultimately, the state board did NOT give Gov. Kelly what she wanted, to start school after Labor Day), Missouri is a local control state. 15/

Which basically means we could have 555 different school plans in Missouri. 😕 16/

I tweeted that last tweet from my phone JUST so I could include that emoji, btw.

We're talking now about the diff. between online learning and in-person instruction. Park Hill is asking folks who opt into online to remain the whole semester. 17/

So are most Missouri school districts. Mike Kimbrel, Park Hill's director for quality and evaluation, says that's because of how @MOEducation is counting attendance next year. 18/

@MOEducation Kimbrel says the reason families are getting unsatisfactory answers about what courses will be offered online is they need to see what enrollment will be to see if they can assign a Park Hill teacher that section (of an AP course, for example). 19/

@MOEducation Supt. Cowherd says she knows parents are frustrated they have to make a decision without all the info (like what classes will be offered online) but says the district needs that info to build a schedule of teachers to oversee classes both online and in-person. 20/

@MOEducation "If the deadline is tomorrow, I have 20 work days to do that work," Cowherd says. Extending the deadline means less time to build those schedules. 21/

@MOEducation Cowherd says the questions she's getting most often are about AP classes, and she's pretty certain the most common AP classes WILL make because students in those classes have families opting for online. 22/

@MOEducation "Park Hill Online, this school that we've created, is 14 days old," Kimbrel says.

Cowherd says there needs to be a clear communication with parents around course offerings and the likelihood many classes will "make." 23/

@MOEducation Cowherd says that the state is allowing districts to put together "alternative proposals" for what they'll do for remote learning if an outbreak closes a classroom (or a school) down.

But she says those plans won't even be accepted until next week. 24/

@MOEducation Cowherd says outbreaks (and snow days!) won't affect Park Hill Online. After all, it's fully online.

She says while Park Hill is trying to go 5 days a week face-to-face, blending learning IS allowed, per DESE. 25/

@MOEducation Scott Monsee says he is "very upset" that the district would even consider a hybrid or blended learning model. He says the time to consider it was months ago. 26/

@MOEducation *Monsees, my apologies.

He says discussing a hybrid option isn't fair to families who may not have weighed in until now because they were satisfied with the options of online or fully in-person. 27/

@MOEducation Monsee says 20 comments about A/B scheduling doesn't merit discussion because of number of students in the district.

Janice Bolin says she'd like to hear from other board members because the district is on a tight timeline. 28/

@MOEducation Yamada asks whether hybrid would be a third option. Cowherd says no. It would only be an option if needed as part of a distance learning plan. 29/

@MOEducation Cowherd also apologies for providing this information, late (though the state board only approved those rules recently) "at such an emotional time." 30/

@MOEducation Monsees walks back his comments when it is explained that this would only be an option within a remote learning situation when schools had to close or otherwise reduce capacity in an outbreak.

"We're not committed to a year long of anything with that choice," Kimbrel says. 31/

@MOEducation Bart Klein says he doesn't want to create confusion with families, so he's fine moving forward with the plan Park Hill has (5 days a week in-person, or fully online).

Susan Newburger asks about MSHSAA and online learning. 32/

@MOEducation Newburger worries that if kids have to be in school to participate in sports and activities, they'll pick face-to-face even if they would be better served through Park Hill Online.

If school is closed due to pandemic, no activities. 33/

@MOEducation Monsees asks who triggers distance learning. Is it the health department?

Cowherd says they're working on those data points. "Unfortunately, they're lagging indicators," she says of #COVID19 testing. 34/

@MOEducation Newburger asks whether district is following Kansas City's recommendations (where many schools are located) or Platte County's.

Cowherd says yes, which is my favorite answer to an either/or question, so props to her. 35/

@MOEducation Superintendent Cowherd goes on to say that the counties and KC are trying to coordinate.

Monsees asks whether they're only following orders or all recommendations. Remember, @QuintonLucasKC has recommended all KC area schools delay opening until Labor Day. 36/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Cowherd says, "We're going to require the use of masks. ... Wearing a mask is critical to stemming what's happening with this virus." 37/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Tammy Saylor says even if everyone wears masks, if someone tests positive, it will still be necessary to quarantine unless six feet of social distance were also maintained. 38/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Saylor is the health coordinator for Park Hill. She says a small group of students will not be able to wear masks, and they won't be penalized for it.

Kimberlee Reid asks whether it will be treated as discipline issue. 39/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Cowherd says students have not been the problem in summer school. She's more concerned about adults (school staff) consistently modeling good behavior.

"This is not a political statement. Our health officials say this is the best thing we can do," she says. 40/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Cowherd is lamenting the loss of flexible seating and return to learning at desks in rows "like the 1950s." She says plexiglass shields have been ordered for tables and large desks where social distancing isn't possible. 41/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC "There's just a fatigue factor. We're all tired. We all want our lives back," Cowherd says. She says she used to think a month wasn't very long. "A lot changes in a week or two weeks as we move forward."

What gives her hope is the district & the community around it. 42/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Cowherd talks about how the plan will probably have to change, which frustrates her.

Literally, folks, I cannot write stories fast enough before the information in them feels dated. 43/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC WE ARE 42 TWEETS IN AND BLESS SUSAN NEWBURGER FOR ASKING THE QUESTION I TUNED IN FOR.

Q: How will parents know if there's an outbreak? 44/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC A: FERPA & HIPPA prevent the district from releasing much info. Anytime there's a presumed positive, the district sends the kid whom and initiates contract tracing.

Kids and staff who've had direct contact will be sent home to quarantine for 14 days. 45/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Students who have two negative tests 24 hours apart can come back.

An email/letter will go out to families letting know there's been a positive. 46/

@MOEducation @QuintonLucasKC Cowherd says that bronchitis and strep also look like COVID. "If someone is sent home, it looks like they must have #COVID19, but it isn't always." 47/

OK, that concludes the school reopening talk, and we're onto the rest of the agenda. I need to write spots for tomorrow, so I'm gonna log out of Twitter. Happy Thursday, make good choices, stay safe. 48/48