The Kansas State Board of Education has signed off on the Department of Education’s massive missive on helping schools get through the coronavirus pandemic this upcoming fall.
The board approved “Navigating Change 2020,” a nearly 1,100-page document with instructional guidance based on so-called grade bands and operational guidance on common spaces, overall facilities, food service, health, transportation, extracurricular and co-curricular activities and other matters.
On instructional matters, “Navigating Change” highlights three different kinds of learning environments — on-site, hybrid and remote. It says hybrid models should be used when there are “moderate” community restrictions for COVID-19 and schools are alternating between on-site and remote learning. Under hybrid models, spectator events are not allowed, social distancing is enforced and group sizes will meet local guidelines. Remote models should be used when COVID-19 community restrictions are at high levels and school activities are restricted to essential staff and activities. Like hybrid models, social distancing should be enforced, group sizes will meet local standards and spectator events will be disallowed.
“Navigating Change” says temperature checks should happen daily for staff members and employees with fevers should be sent home immediately. Schools need to monitor students daily for signs and symptoms of illness and send students home promptly if they are ill.
Better than 1,000 people with education ties helped to craft the document, which KSDE says was created around two guiding questions: how the state keeps students, educators and community members as safe as possible and how the state ensures every student is learning and getting needed supports regardless of the learning environment.
