Arizona Department of Education Releases Roadmap To Reopening Schools

PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA – A Roadmap to Reopening Schools was released Monday by the Arizona Department of Education under four scenarios for the coming academic year.

The guide includes targeted resources for school leaders, educators, and families in the face of the challenges faced by the Covid-19 pandemic and the protocols that must be followed.

More than 100 people participated in the development of the roadmap, including experts in public health and educational leaders.

The guide also provides questionnaires and recommendations on how schools can approach the 2020-2021 school year and offers adaptive considerations to meet the unique needs of each community.

The guide indicated that “Given the fluidity of the public health situation, this will be a living document that will be updated based on the most up-to-date information.”

Temperature checking, physical distance, hygiene protocols, classes with fewer members, and not using communal spaces when possible, among others, are part of the proposed strategies.

The four scenarios are:

• “All the students physically attending buildings from the beginning of the year”

• “Some students in buildings and others attending the school remotely from the beginning of the year.”

• “All students from the beginning of the year with distance classes, with the option of returning to school when appropriate.”

• “Intermittent distance learning throughout the school year based on closings and emergencies by state and local authorities.”

Roadmap Extract

• Impose security protocols from home, transportation, and school.
• Examine students and employees for disease.
• Deep cleaning and disinfection procedures.
• Modification of designs in classrooms seeking a healthy distance of two meters between desks.
• Limit physical interaction between students.
• Vulnerable students with distance education options.
• Stagger entry and exit times to avoid high concentrations of people.
• Separate children on buses.
• Find virtual options for large meetings and assemblies. 
• Mitigate risks in sports events.
• Maintain static groups.
• Designate a staff member to be the point of contact for Covid-19 related concerns.
• Individual belongings must be separated by child.
• Officials must develop disinfection protocols in schools and buses.
• Students and staff should wear face-mask when possible, particularly when physical distancing is difficult.
• Common spaces, including cafes and playgrounds with shared equipment, should be closed if possible, or if it is not possible to close, then stagger visits with enough time to clean between uses.

To view the full guide click here: https://files.constantcontact.com/cbebfe4e101/c74d6758-a584-4aeb-af41-72e111346f9f.pdf