Thread by @emwest22

I will start a new thread here with what the board is talking about on the agenda.

Golden said that after their vote, the governor had an opt out to requiring it at the elementary level is overlaid with the opt-out. As of Friday, said they created some more mitigation strategies.

Golden: We have included letters to parents of close contact. Last year, we could shift grade levels to remote learning on a limited basis through continuous learning plans. We learned last week we may have that need again.

Golden: We are working on clarification but not sure districts can go remote w/o it counting an inclement weather day. We used one stockpile day for one school. We had 17 staff members out for COVID. We hit a point we couldn't do it.

Golden: I want to emphasize to all of you this is a tool we use after careful consideration. What we have learned that with the strategies we had in place last year, it was about 97% usage rate w/ social distancing and we sometimes had to make that change.

Golden: Stay home if you're sick. We ask for continued support from our families. We take care of students when they are out sick. Over time schools have gotten better at that. Schoology gives them their assignment straight. We make sure they can complete their work.

Golden: We had convos w/ teachers and community with WCEA leadership that some teachers were afraid for their sick days. Asking that you vote for a policy for COVID.

Golden: We have a proposal for teachers and staff to get COVID days with regular sick days still available to them. I wanted to let you all know we have done some work on that request. We have those two specific requests that will help us do a better job.

Jay Galbreath now has the floor: As we talked, I wanted to get your opinion for the potential changes I would like to make. My concern is that this is an open policy. I know it's just a resolution to request for the state.

Galbreath asking for the resolution to be read into the record.

The resolution is asking for the state remote instruction when needed is more valuable than no instruction. It urges the governor to include schools in the state of emergency.

Golden: There were a few times that the volume of student absences that students as a whole for a short window of time should be remote. If you have a mix of remote/on campus, it could be v different. By far what we have seen these weeks is staffing.

Golden: We are likely to fluctuate from location to location.

Galbreath: There's been conflicting statements from state officials, it's my understanding that any student at home with COVID related absence is available to get remote instruction?

Golden: They can participate remotely and have it counted as a present day. The state rule for this year is that the student could be counted as present.

Dana Ausbrooks: It has to be a 6 1/2 hour instruction. There are additional examples of confirming attendance. Board members, you will see this in policy Sept. 7 for those in quarantine and isolation. We will get into more detail at policy meeting.

Rick Wimberly: What we are trying to do is by school class or grade or school to remote instruction?

Dan Cash: The continuous learning plan, are we going back to the one last year?

Golden: We will honor any board votes. This resolution is for clarification. The item we are talking about those times where we have such a struggle with staffing we can't staff a school and we reach a point where we can't be on campus.

Cash: There's nothing in the resolution that states as guidelines. I understand staffing is an issue. But I would like to see more guidelines in this where we have if one child has COVID-19 and 40 kids go out with them.

Cash: There were too many kids especially high schoolers who were missing out on quarantining the way we were doing it.

Golden: What we are asking for in the moments of inclement weather days, so students can learn that day whether it being a full shut down. This is an ask. If he gives the authority, I am open to parameters which we use this.

Golden: My request is ask the governor to give us the authority to shift to remote versus send students home without instruction.

Golden: There's no proposal to return to asynchronous days.

Golden: The FMS day was a closed day. What we were able to do last year if we could go remote we maximized student support services. If we go remote, there are still a small number of kids getting services based on their IEPs.

Golden: What I can tell you is what drove this is staffing. It looks like quarantines aren't as extensive as last year. There are some families beyond our knowledge we can't quantify.

Golden: Sometimes the parent will tell us about the quarantines and sometimes they will not.

Aprea: This is for staffing issues. Instead of sending them to do nothing, we can continue their learning in a timely manner. I support the resolution.

Angela Durham: My interpretation of our current authority is we can shut down the schools on an individual basis and do what we are asking already?