Thread by @SpencerJCox

Hey friends, this week many of our kids will be heading back to school—including my own kids—and I want to share a few thoughts about what to expect. Like everything pandemic related, school reponenings have become controversial. But we will always be better working together. 1/

Please know that we have been working closely with administrators, teachers, boards, parents, kids and medical experts since March on how to make the best of a bunch of bad options. Experts agree that there is risk in going back to school and risk in NOT going back to school. 2/

We agree w the American Academy of Pediatrics, which “strongly advocates that all policy for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school,” w the goal of mitigating, not eliminating risks of contagion. 3/aappublications.org/news/2020/06/2…

Getting pulled out of school has real social/emotional impacts on our kids. In a survey of 3,300 high school students who went all-online this Spring, about 1/3 said they felt more unhappy/depressed than normal, and were worried about basic needs too. 4/
americaspromise.org/resource/state…

In younger kids, in-person learning is crucial to social/emotional learning. They also have access to mental health support and other important services like nutrition for low-income students. 5/
(healthychildren.org/English/health…)

That means the risks of keeping schools closed are REAL, especially for younger and more vulnerable kids, as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine pointed out in a July report. 6/ npr.org/sections/coron…

So why are we doing this when we know getting kids back in schools is going to be messy? Because most experts and teachers agree it’s worth it — even if, in the worst case scenario, some schools have to go back to all remote learning in just a few weeks. 7/

But what about the virus risk? While no one completely understands the role kids or teenagers play in the spread of COVID-19, it looks like kids younger than 10 don’t transmit the virus as much, but that doesn’t mean we’re dealing with zero risk. 8/ wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26…

And when they do get sick with SARS-COV2, kids generally have much less severe cases than adults. Again, this doesn’t mean there is zero risk. 9/

The same report suggests viral spread between teenagers looks a lot like adults. This could mean more closures in high schools and junior highs than in elementary. The good news is older kids are better equipped to handle distance learning, even though it isn’t ideal. 10/

Because every school is different, each district has come up with their own plans (after weeks of input) that give families and teachers—especially those at high risk—an option to stay home and use remote learning. 11/

And since we know outbreaks are inevitable, @UtahDepofHealth has created a game plan for when they happen. If three kids in a classroom test positive, plan on having your child at home for two weeks. Check out the full plan here coronavirus.utah.gov/education/ 12/

Our goal is to catch outbreaks while they are small — and keep them small with aggressive testing and quarantines. Everyone knows it’s going to be messy. But most agree that messy is worth it. 13/

Even @UtahDepofHealth’s guidance is just a start. These will change as local health/schools work together to figure out a what’s best for our kids. The plan also has suggestions for limiting close contacts, including alternate/hybrid schedules, creating class cohorts, etc. 14/

If we do this right, we’ll get kids home, quarantined and distance learning as quickly as possible when an outbreak starts. And we just might have a shot at making in-person learning work, with some bumps along the way. 15/

A HUGE part of that is contact tracing. All Utah schools have a point of contact who will work with @UtahDepofHealth on contacting students those with close exposures to a positive case. Remember, close contact = within six feet for 15 minutes or more. 16/

We’re going to figure this out. Some districts might have more success than others (Utah’s structure gives districts power over day-to-day operations, which is why you see some districts with all-online plans, others with hybrid options, and others going all in-person.) 17/

But what about teachers? We are deeply worried about them. They want to get back too and I’m grateful to local districts that have worked hard—and listened!—to make accommodations for those that are vulnerable. They are working their guts out and deserve our respect. 18/

Our supply team under Unified Command has found resources to send teachers PPE push packs, which include 5 KN95 masks, and two face shields for every teacher. We know it’s just a drop in the bucket, but we hope it helps keep them safe. 19/

We can’t understate the importance masks will play in keeping everyone, including teachers, healthy. Cloth masks can stop about 90% of viral infection, according to a BYU study you’ve probably heard the governor and I reference numerous times by now. pws.byu.edu/covid-19-and-m… 21/

Oh, and while we’re at it, the same research also shows that mask wearers have more mild symptoms when they do get sick — likely because they experience a smaller viral load than people who don’t wear masks. PLEASE MASK UP! 22/ sltrib.com/news/2020/08/1…

Of course, underlying conditions and age are huge factors in severe cases of COVID-19. My own brother—with high risk factors—will be teaching from behind a glass wall. Teachers and administrators who are high-risk should also have the option of teaching and working remotely. 23/

There’s still much uncertainty about school reopenings. Uncertainty often leads to fear, and fear can turn to anger and division. There are no easy answers. More than ever we need kindness, patience and grace in our interactions with each other, our schools, and teachers. 24/

The next couple of months are going to test our better angels. It will take a lot of patience, readjustments, and innovation. Audacity is important here. Our kids need us to get this right, even if we have to try again and again. But we can do this together! #OneUtah end/