IN
IN THE
IN THE MOUNTAINS. WELL, TECHNICALLY THEY WERE.
BUT HOOFING IT ON THE
HIGHWAY...CAUSED QUITE
THE KODAK MOMENT.
IN
IN JUST
IN JUST ABOUT SIX WEEKS -- A NEW SCHOOL YEAR SHOULD BE UNDERWAY --
WITH OUR KIDS,
PRESUMABLY, BACK IN
CLASS.
BUT WITH COVID-19
CASES SPIKING IN OUR
STATE -- HOW IS THAT
GOING TO BE SAFELY
POSSIBLE?
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
AN OPINION ON IT.
ON MONDAY HE
TWEETED -- "SCHOOLS
MUST OPEN IN THE FALL."
AND THEN TODAY HE
FOLLOWED UP WITH --
"MAY CUT OFF FUNDING
IF NOT OPEN."
TOMORROW, WE'LL HEAR
FROM GOVERNOR LITTLE
ABOUT REOPENING
SCHOOLS.
HE'S EXPECTED TO
SUGGEST THEY REOPEN ---
WITH CERTAIN
GUIDELINES.
GUIDELINES. NOT
MANDATES.
KEEP IN MIND -- WHEN IT
COMES TO EDUCATION IN
THIS STATE -- MOST
DECISIONS ARE MADE
FROM THE BOTTOM-UP,
RATHER THAN TOP-
DOWN.
MEANING, IDAHO PRIDES
ITSELF ON LOCAL
CONTROL OVER
EDUCATION.
STILL, THOSE GUIDELINES
HAVE TO COME FROM
SOMEWHERE -- AND THAT
SOMEWHERE IS THE STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
KIM FIELDS TALKED WITH
THE BOARD'S PRESIDENT
TODAY ABOUT WHAT
THOSE GUIDELINES MIGHT
LOOK LIKE...
LOOK LIKE...
KIM
KIM ASKS,
KIM ASKS, "DEBBIE, HONESTLY, I THINK WE'RE ASKING OURSELVES, AND
YOU'VE GOT TO BE ASKING
YOURSELF, HOW CAN WE
EVEN MAKE THIS HAPPEN,
HOW CAN KIDS GO TO
SCHOOL AND SAFELY
SOCIAL DISTANCE AND
NOT HAVE THE POTENTIAL
OF BECOMING INFECTED
FROM
FROM ONE
FROM ONE ANOTHER?" "WELL, I THINK THAT QUESTION. THERE'S
REALLY TWO PARTS TO IT.
ONE IS, I DO BELIEVE OUR
SCHOOLS CAN SAFELY GET
KIDS BACK INTO A
CLASSROOM SETTING. AS
FAR AS THE TRANSMISSION
AND INFECTION, I'LL LEAVE
THAT UP TO THE SCIENCE,
BUT SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN
THINKING THROUGH
THESE TYPES OF ISSUES,"
DEBBIE CRITCHFIELD,
PRESIDENT, IDAHO STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION
SAID.
"WE KNOW THAT WE
DON'T HAVE EVERY
ANSWER OUT THERE.
CERTAINLY THIS
FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE
PUTTING OUT THERE ISN'T
EXHAUSTIVE AND IT'S NOT
A LEGAL OPINION FOR
THAT MATTER. BUT WHAT
IT DOES IS HELP NAVIGATE
SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
AND WE'RE HEARING
FROM AROUND THE STATE,
FAMILIES WANT TO GET
BACK, TEACHERS WANT TO
GET BACK WITH
STUDENTS. AND MOST OF
THE OPERATIONAL
ASPECTS OF DAY-TO-DAY
SCHOOL LIFE CAN BE
SATISFIED IN A WAY THAT
DOES PROTECT THE
SAFETY OF STUDENTS AND
STAFF," SAID CRITCHFIELD.
KIM ASKS, "SO WHAT
DOES HAPPEN, DEBBIE,
WHEN A STUDENT TESTS
POSITIVE, OR A TEACHER
OR A JANITOR OR A BUS
DRIVER? DOES IT LOOK
LIKE SCHOOL WOULD
THEN BE CANCELED FOR
14 DAYS? WHAT ARE YOUR
GUIDELINES SUGGESTING
WHEN IT COMES TO
THAT?" "WELL, WE'RE
CERTAINLY NOT
RECOMMENDING ANY
TYPE OF BLANKET
DECISION MAKING WHERE
YOU'VE GOT A SECOND
GRADE TEACHER IN ONE
OF YOUR SCHOOLS IN
ONE PART OF YOUR
DISTRICT, THEREFORE
THAT MEANS ALL, EVERY
STUDENT AND EVERY
EMPLOYEE IS OUT FOR THE
NEXT TWO WEEKS.
WORKING WITH CENTRAL
AND LOCAL HEALTH
DISTRICTS, WE KNOW
THAT THESE DECISIONS
NEED TO BE MADE
SITUATIONAL, THAT
APPROPRIATE DECISIONS
ARE MADE FOR THAT
PARTICULAR CASE," SAID
CRITCHFIELD.
KIM ASKS, "OKAY, SO YOU
GUYS CAN'T SAY RIGHT
NOW BECAUSE I THINK
THAT'S A BURNING
QUESTION WITH A LOT OF
PARENTS HAVE - WHAT
HAPPENS IF I SEND MY KID
BACK AND SOMEONE
TESTS POSITIVE? WHAT
HAPPENS THEN?" "THE
'WHAT'S NEXT', THERE'S
SOME DIRECTION IN THE
FRAMEWORK
FRAMEWORK THAT THE GOVERNOR IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT AND IT GIVES
CATEGORIES AND
DIRECTIONS OF "IF THIS,
THEN THAT", CRITCHFIELD
SAID.
KIM ASKS, "SO I'M TRYING
TO THINK OF A TYPICAL
CLASSROOM, 25 TO 30
CHILDREN. SO HOW DO
WE SOCIALLY DISTANCE
WITHIN THE CLASSROOM?
ARE PLANS IN PLACE FOR
THAT,
THAT, I
THAT, I WOULD IMAGINE?" "SPREADING OUT DESKS IN A ROOM, IF YOU'VE GOT
A SMALLER CLASSROOM,
MOVING IT TO A LARGER
SPACE, LIMITING THE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
WHO GO TO RECESS AT
THE SAME TIME OR GO TO
LUNCH," CRITCHFIELD
SAID.
"ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT YOU ARE NOT
GOING TO SEE IN THERE IS
ANY MANDATE OR
DIRECTIVE ON THE
WEARING OF MASKS.
WE'VE BEEN ASKED THAT A
LOT WILL OUR STUDENTS,
OUR FACULTY, WILL THEY
BE FORCED OR REQUIRED
TO WEAR MASKS? YOU
WILL NOT SEE ANY
INDICATION OF THAT IN
THE STATE FRAMEWORK.
THAT IS 100% LOCALLY
DECIDED," SAID
CRITCHFIELD
KIM ASKS, "HAVE YOU
GOTTEN ANY PUSH BACK
FROM TEACHERS, FROM
DISTRICTS SAYING, 'HEY
HOLD THE PHONE, I
DON'T WANT TO
JEOPARDIZE MYSELF, I
DON'T WANT TO PUT
MYSELF IN THAT
POSITION?'"
"ABSOLUTELY, I THINK THE
CONTRACT ISSUE WITH
EMPLOYEES
EMPLOYEES IS ONE OF OUR MOST CRITICAL AND ELUSIVE QUESTIONS
THAT'S OUT THERE.
CLEARLY MORE
VULNERABLE STAFF ARE
MORE ANXIOUS AND
MORE CONCERNED ABOUT
HOW THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT IS GOING TO
PROTECT THEM AND
THOSE THAT THEY RETURN
HOME TO. AND THERE
ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS
ON HOW TO DO THAT,"
CRITCHFIELD SAID.
KIM ASKS, "SHOULD I
EXPECT TO HAVE MY
CHILDREN'S TEMPERATURE
BEFORE ENTERING A
SCHOOL, OR HAND
SANITIZER OR HAND
WASHING?
WASHING? WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE?" "I'M GLAD THAT YOU
BROUGHT
BROUGHT UP THE TAKING OF TEMPERATURES. SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE A
VARIETY OF OPINIONS ON
HOW AND IF THEY WANT
TO DO THAT AND
FRANKLY A LOT OF THAT
HAS TO DO WITH THE
SUPPLY OF
THERMOMETERS AND THE
AMOUNT OF TIME. IT
WOULD BE VERY TIME
INTENSIVE TO BE ABLE TO
DO THAT. THE CRITICAL
PARTNER IN ALL OF THIS,
SCHOOLS THEY CAN DO A
LOT, BUT THEY CANNOT
DO EVERYTHING.
PARENTS, GUARDIANS,
GRANDPARENTS, THEY ARE
GOING TO BE A PRIORITY
PARTNER IN ALL OF THIS.
AND THE
RECOMMENDATION IS FOR
PARENTS TO TAKE THEIR
TEMPERATURES PRIOR TO
GETTING ON THE BUS OR
LEAVING HOME AND IF IT'S
100.1, YOU STAY HOME.
YOU LEAVE YOUR CHILD
HOME UNTIL THAT
TEMPERATURE GOES
DOWN," CRITCHFIELD
SAID.
KIM ASKS, "WHAT ABOUT
TRANSPORTATION? WHAT
IS THAT GOING TO LOOK
LIKE, AGAIN SOCIAL
DISTANCING ON BUSSES,
DEBBIE?"
"IF PHYSICAL DISTANCING
WAS A REQUIREMENT,
WHICH IT IS NOT, AGAIN
WE'RE LEAVING THAT TO
DISTRICTS TO FIGURE OUT,
THEY WOULD BE RUNNING
THEIR BUS ROUTES 8
HOURS A DAY,"
CRITCHFIELD SAID.
"AND SO I THINK THAT IS
GOING TO BE ONE OF
THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU,
THE DISTRICTS ARE GOING
TO DO THEIR DUE
DILIGENCE, THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE A GOOD
FAITH EFFORT AND
THEY'RE GOING TO BE
VERY REASONABLE ABOUT
HOW THEY GET STUDENTS
TO SCHOOL," CRITCHFIELD
SAID.
KIM ASKS, "SO BOTTOM
LINE, IT SOUNDS LIKE,
DEBBIE, FOR PARENTS JUST
LIKE ME, WE HAVE A LOT
OF BURNING QUESTIONS
STILL, BUT JUST HOLD
TIGHT AND WAIT FOR
GUIDANCE FROM YOUR
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT?"
"THE MOST RELIABLE
SOURCE OF WHAT
SCHOOL'S GOING TO
LOOK LIKE IN YOUR
DISTRICT IS COMING
RIGHT FROM YOUR OWN
SCHOOL,"
SCHOOL," CRITCHFIELD SAID. "I THINK A WORD FOR ALL
OF US, WE'RE ALL GOING
TO NEED TO BE A LITTLE
PATIENT WITH EACH
OTHER. WE'RE BUILDING
THIS AS WE GO AND
THERE ARE SOME THINGS
THAT WE'RE NOT GOING
TO GET RIGHT AND OTHER
THINGS THAT WE'RE
GOING TO DO VERY WELL
BUT FINDING THAT PLACE
IN THE MIDDLE, TO JUST
HAVE SOME PATIENCE I
THINK IS GOING TO PAY
OFF FOR ALL OF US,"
CRITCHFIELD SAID.
CRITCHFIELD SAID.
ANOTHER
ANOTHER GUIDELINE FROM THE BOARD -- DISTRICTS SHOULD MAKE
ONLINE LEARNING
AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES
WHO WANT TO KEEP
THEIR KIDS HOME.
AND -- LOT OF YOU HAVE
ASKED -- COULD A
SCHOOL DISTRICT GET
SUED IF A STUDENT OR
STAFF COMES DOWN
WITH COVID-19?
CRITCHFIELD SAYS THAT'S
A PRIORITY ISSUE FOR
DISTRICTS -- AND ONE
THAT THE GOVERNOR
AND LEGISLATURE ARE
HAVING CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT.
AND SOMETHING WE
HOPE TO HAVE SOME