Thread by @mamund

"Florida Gov. DeSantis says schools can open if Walmart and Home Depot are open". Here comes a thread on Location, Ventilation, and Duration and why The hardware store is safe and schools are not. And how we can have a successful in-person school year.

cnn.com/2020/07/10/pol…

As school season approaches in the US, parents, teachers, administrators, and politicians are lining up to take a stand on in-classroom instruction for this fall. And, sadly, most of the talk is posturing and platitudes.

There is no doubt that school administrators have a tough job on their hands. One AZ school superintendent summed it up like this: ‘I’m sorry, but it’s a fantasy’

washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08…

Teachers unions have been giving local teachers the green light to consider "safety strikes" as a way to influence the way the classroom looks this fall, too.

usnews.com/news/education…

But politicians se it differently. A few weeks ago, national leaders where threatening to cut off school funding to any school that doesn't re-open.

nytimes.com/2020/07/08/us/…

Now that reality is setting in, there's more talk of a "delayed opening" and options for at-home instruction.

whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…

But all this bantering about open/not-open side-steps the important issue. What can we do to make things as safe as possible for everyone involved?

We all need to consider three things when judging the safety of our activities during the pandemic": Location, Ventilation, and Duration.

First, when planning to leave the safety of your own home, you need to consider your intended location. Simply put, "Outdoors is better than Indoors". If you go out, stick to open-air venues.

patient.info/news-and-featu…

This is a clue to how schools can improve the safety of staff and students. Spend as much time as possible outside. This is especially important for younger children where distancing will be much harder.

Second, where ever you go, make sure it is well ventilated. Moving air disrupts the spread of the virus and stagnant air makes it easier to spread. It is also important to avoid "recirculated" air.

rehva.eu/fileadmin/user…

For schools this means spending more time cleaning the air filters than wiping down desks after each class. Keep the windows open as much often as possible, too. And pay attention to airflow. Don't place students near direct air vents or intakes.

Third, always consider the amount of time you spend in any one location. Duration is a key factor in COVID transmission. CDC guidlines define a "close contact" as anyone within six feet for a duration of 15mins.

cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…

That means schools need to rethink classroom arrangements and interactions. Limiting direct contact with "COVID strangers" is a key to limiting transmission. Students not only should keep apart, they should limit time together.

This last one is going to be very tough, esp. for younger children. But we need to work out ways to engage in meaningful instruction w/o requiring extended close contact.

When considering Location, Ventilation, and Duration, you can see why comparing a short visit in your local hardware store to a full day of in-person instruction is not at all helpful. They are in to different categories.

But, within this mistaken comparison, there is insight. The more you can make in-person instruction like a visit to the grocery, the safer it will be for students. Short lessons, outside, while six feet apart can work.

But there is much more to the challenge.

Transport to/from school needs to follow the same rules. Location (small vehicles), Ventilation (open windows), and Duration (short trips) should be the goal.

Teachers and staff are at particularly high risk for in-person teaching. Normally, they spend long days in the same building with hundreds of students. This goes against all the recommended guidance. So what's the answer?

For upper grades, teachers can implement "distance learning" in the classroom. One teacher showed me how they plan to lecture from the front of the room, recording each lesson and sharing them along with all homework online for in-home students.

For lower grades, classrooms need to be arranged into smaller "pods". There has been press about "the rich" doing this but that misses the point. We can get a safer school by harking back to the "one room" schoolhouse approach.

fee.org/articles/the-c…

Arranging small-count classrooms w/ a single teacher following the Location, Ventilation, Duration model can provide increased safety for teachers, esp. for younger children. And, if there are infections, fewer ppl are impacted.

vox.com/2020/7/28/2134…

This means we need more teachers and more locations! We need to devise basic learning materials that can be delivered by a wide range of adults to a small group of mixed age students.

We need to bring in teaching trailers, tents, and other structures -- right onto the school campus where clusters to students can attend in-person teaching, w/ lunches brought to the pods each day.

thejournal.com/articles/2017/…

All on a reduced schedule (3-4 hours in-person is enough) that reduces the crowding on buses and other transportation.

edweek.org/ew/issues/reop…

This will take time, planning, commitment, and money. Local communities can do this w/ the support of governors and national leaders. Parents need to get involved at the local level. Support your teachers & staff as well as your students.

When leadership ignores the Location, Ventilation, Duration guidance, call them out. When the short-change teachers' safety w/ bad classroom design, stop them. When they create unsafe busing policies, make them change.

Above all, make sure everyone follows the "safety-first" model discussed in a previous thread. We don't have to wait for national leaders to do this right. We DO need local leaders, teachers/staff, and parents.

https://twitter.com/mamund/status/1284899461181976576

hey, @threader_app , unroll, please.

um, @threadreaderapp , please unroll.