‘That’s far too many kids’: Tacoma Schools alters plans for which grades will return
The Tacoma Public Schools has changed its plans for who will return to in-person instruction next week.
Preschool, kindergarten and special education students will return to class, but first- and second-graders will not attend school in person on Sept. 28 as previously planned.
Shannon Ergun, President of the Tacoma Education Association, said the union pushed back on including those grades because it was too much too soon.
“Adding first and second grade, that’s far too many kids to start with,” she said.
The 30,000-student district estimates that more than 1,600 Kindergarten students will return on Sept. 28.
It’s unclear when first and second grade will return, but it must be at least three weeks after Sept. 28.
The union also asked for more personal protective equipment for staff, plastic dividers and disinfectants before agreeing to return to the classroom.
Ergun worries that teachers will struggle because of the number of young students and new restrictions.
“For five-year-olds and their first experiences of schooling, it has to go through processes and procedures and talk about how we behave at school,” she said.
“When we add the social distancing, and the masks and all the safety protocols and handwashing, asking one adult to supervise that many five-year-olds in an uncomfortable and new environment without the parents just seems like a problem.”
District spokesperson Dan Voelpel said they are continuing to analyze options and provide updates on when more students can return for in-person instruction.
The union president said she thinks the district is trying to do what they can, but the timeline is too quick.
Part of the union and district negotiations include remaining in each stage of returning to the classroom for three weeks.
The bell schedule
9:45 a.m. School starts
9:45 to 11:35 a.m. Instructional time
11:35 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Lunch and recess.
12:15 to 3:20 p.m. - Instructional time
3:20 p.m. Dismissal
In-person learning
Kindergarten and K-5 special education students will return to the classrooms four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.) On Wednesday, the students will work remotely on independent assignments from the teacher.
Small-group instruction and class meetings on social-emotional learning might be included on Wednesdays, the district said.
Preschool children will return one or two days a week depending on the school, Voelpel said.
Special education students in middle and high school who are in self-contained classes will return in small groups and cohorts one day a week, Voelpel said.
Masks
Students are required to wear a cloth face covering. Neck gators are not acceptable, the district said in a statement. The mask must comply with school dress code, prohibiting obscene or vulgar material and language.
If a student cannot wear a cloth face covering due to a documented health condition, they may wear a clear face covering or face shield with a drap. Children without a mask will be provided one, the district said.
Meals
Students can remove masks during meals. There will be a “grab-and-go” breakfast available for all students to eat in their classroom.
At lunch, some schools have cafeterias that can provide seating for students to practice social distancing while others will have students eat in the classroom.
The menu will include a meal-of-the-day with no choices, the district said.
Social distancing
Classroom desks and tables have been marked six feet between students, the district said. School hallways are taped with direction arrows to limit contact. Restrooms have 6-feet markers and some stalls have been closed off.
Recess
During recess, masks are not required.
Schools will stagger recess times to reduce the amount of students, and assign classes to specific playground “zones.”
Voelpel said students will be placed into small groups and the playground will be divided into groups, not necessarily by classroom.
“The schools are working it out,” he said.
Daily forms
Parents are required to submit a daily COVID-19 survey for each student returning to the classroom. The “attestation form” asks whether the student has COVID-19 symptoms, been told to isolate or quarantine within the last 14 days or has a close contact who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. The district said parents can access the survey through the TPS Family app or online.
Transmission
There will be a designated “isolation space” for students at school who have COVID-19 symptoms while they wait to be picked-up.
Voelpel said students can return when they are symptom-free, and that a negative COVID-19 is not required for a students’ return.
“We’re entering the flu and cold season. If they are showing symptoms, it may or may not be COVID-19,” he said.
Students must be up-to-date on immunizations to return to the classroom.
Buses
Students must wear a mask on the bus and are encouraged to keep as far apart from others possible. Siblings will be asked to sit together.
Buses will be cleaned after every route is completed, TPS said. Drivers will spray and wipe down high-touch areas before picking up other students.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 5:50 PM.
