Fairfax County School Board to consider three ‘return to school’ scenarios

Families celebrate Annandale High School graduates. [FCPS]

Fairfax County Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand presented three potential scenarios for reopening schools – virtual education only, opening buildings with health guidelines, and a hybrid model – at a school board work session June 15. 

The school board is holding a virtual public hearing on the “return to school” on Thursday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m. It will be livestreamed here. People can sign up to speak here. 

The proposals for the 2020-21 school year will also be discussed in a virtual town hall this evening, July 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., featuring Brabrand, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and Transportation Services Jeff Platenberg, and manager of School Health Services Lorraine Trouton. 

View the livestream online or on Channel 99 (or Channel 11 on Verizon). Submit questions to [email protected] or call 1-800-231-6359 during the forum. 

The plan submitted by Brabrand complies with the guidance on reopening schools issued by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the Centers for Disease Control.

A virtual start 

• Students would not be allowed in school buildings, and all instruction would be delivered via enhanced distance learning, including expanded digital access and digital curriculum resources. 
• Staff would have access to buildings for instructional purposes following health department guidelines

Reopening with health and social distance protocols 

• Students would be allowed in school buildings at 50 percent or 25 percent capacity and new health and safety protocols would be implemented. 
• There could be new instructional bell schedules to serve students on alternating days or a.m.-p.m. shifts. 
• In-school instruction may be prioritized for high-needs populations, such as special education students, English language learners, or students in grades K-2, while the majority of students would be served virtually. 
• Fridays would be set aside as in-person support days for students with individualized education plans, English language learners, or other selected students in need of additional support. 

Online learning by need

• This option could play out within either of the other scenarios, as well as in a “routine” return structure.
• Students opting out of in-school instruction – due to health risks, for example – would be given alternative virtual instructional delivery, possibly through Online Campus or Virtual Virginia.
• Monitoring and intervention support could be provided to students when they eventually return. 
• Full-time online enrollment would be offered to students with documented medical needs. 

Brabrand said the goal is to have an agreed-upon reopening plan by June 26. 

A decision on when to reopen school buildings would be based on the need to protect students and staff members at higher risk and the ability to screen students and staff members. Schools would promote healthy hygiene, intensify cleaning and disinfection, encourage social distancing, and perform ongoing monitoring for signs of infection.

Related story: Northam reveals guidelines for opening schools

There would be contingency plans in case there is a resurgence of the virus in the fall at the onset of flu season or if ongoing waves of infection occur. In those cases, there could be a return to distance learning for all students or blended learning.

The school reopening proposal was developed by a 55-person task force that includes teachers; principals; administrators; school board members; students; and representatives of employee organizations, FCPS partners, and the county’s health department.

Sloan Presidio, assistant superintendent for instructional services, said FCPS learned the following lessons from its experience with distance learning this spring: 

• It’s important to have consistency among all schools.
• Increased access to synchronous learning reduces families’ burdens.
• Technology and connectivity need to be provided to everyone to ensure equity across the system.
• The disproportionate health and economic burden strained students’ ability to participate equitably in distance learning.
• There needs to be a focus on social/emotional issues.
• FCPS needs to provide frequent and consistent messages, including translations, to reach all families.
• Teachers need dedicated time to plan and work with collaborative teams. 
• Teachers need more professional development on online teaching strategies.
• There needs to be a greater focus on digital citizenship.  
• Students need a secure way to access synchronous learning.