>>> WELCOME BACK.
IN TEXAS, THERE’S NEW URGENCY IN
THE DEBATE OVER OPENING SCHOOLS.
THE GOVERNOR THERE JUST EXTENDED
THE STATE’S DISASTER
DECLARATION, AND THE RATE OF
POSITIVE CASES JUST HIT A RECORD
HIGH.
THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE
FACTORS OFFICIALS ARE HAVING TO
CONSIDER IN THE HOUSTON
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT’S THE LARGEST IN THE STATE.
IT’S THE SEVENTH LARGEST IN THE
COUNTRY.
RIGHT NOW, ONLINE ONLY SCHOOL
WILL START FOR SIX WEEKS,
STARTING ON SEPTEMBER 8th.
FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION IS
PLANNED FOR MID-OCTOBER.
PLANNED BEING THE OPERATIVE
WORD.
NOT A SURE THING THERE.
I WANT TO BRING IN THE INTERIM
SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE HOUSTON
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
WALK US THROUGH THE PLAN FOR
YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE
MAJOR FACTORS THAT HAVE SHAPED
THE DECISION MAKING THERE.
>> GOOD MORNING, CRAIG.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
DISCUSS THE PLANS OF THE HOUSTON
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR HAS BEEN
DELAYED BY TWO WEEKS.
STUDENTS WILL ACTUALLY START
SCHOOL ONLINE ON SEPTEMBER 8th,
AND WE WILL RETURN OUR VIRTUAL
PROGRAMMING FOR SIX WEEKS.
AT THE -- MIDWAY THROUGH THE
POINT, WE WILL LOOK AT THE
POSITIVITY RATES IN THE CITY OF
HOUSTON AND IN HARRIS COUNTY TO
MAKE A DECISION IF STUDENTS WILL
CONTINUE ONLINE LEARNING BEYOND
OCTOBER 16th.
>> AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU’RE
WORKING ON GETTING STUDENTS
DEVICES FOR REMOTE LEARNING.
YOU ARE WORKING WITH LOCAL
CHURCHES SO STUDENTS HAVE
SOMEWHERE TO GO IF NEEDED WHEN
SCHOOL STARTS.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER
OBSTACLES THAT YOU’RE RUNNING
INTO, TO TRY TO MAKE SURE REMOTE
LEARNING CAN WORK EFFICIENCY,
COME SEPTEMBER?
>> NUMBER ONE, TRYING TO REACH
ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
THAT’S A MAJOR CONCERN.
AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR,
WE HAD ABOUT 7,600 STUDENTS THAT
WE WERE UNABLE TO REACH.
WE LAUNCHED A STUDENTS WITHIN
REACH CAMPAIGN, WHERE WE’RE
TRYING TO NOT ONLY LOCATE THE
7,600 STUDENTS BUT LOCATE ALL
OUR STUDENTS.
WE HAVE 209,000 STUDENTS THAT
ARE ON OUR ROSTERS, AND WE’RE
SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE THEM
VIRTUALLY SEPTEMBER 8th.
THAT’S THE BIG HURDLE RIGHT NOW.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE
ABOUT 22,000 DEVICES THAT WE
NEED TO DEPLOY TO STUDENTS BASED
ON SURVEY DATA THAT SAYS THAT
THEY DO NOT HAVE A LAPTOP AND/OR
CHROME
CHROMEBOOK.
WE HAVE 16,000 HOT SPOTS WE NEED
TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
OUR GOAL IS TO GET ALL THE
DEVICES DISTRIBUTED BY TUESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 8th.
>> WHEN YOU SAY YOU CAN’T FIND
THESE STUDENTS, WHAT DO YOU
MEAN?
>> WHEN WE SWITCHED TO VIRTUAL
LEARNING IN MARCH, STUDENTS --
ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE A
LOG-IN THAT’S BASED ON THEIR ID.
7,600 STUDENTS WERE NOT LOGGING
ON.
THEY WERE NOT ACTIVELY ENGAGED.
WHEN WE CONDUCTED HOME VISITS OR
PHONE CALLS TO THEIR FAMILIES,
THEY WERE NOT ANSWERING.
SO THAT WAS CONCERNING.
WE DO HAVE A HIGH MOBILITY RATE
IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND WE
KNOW A NUMBER OF OUR STUDENTS
ALSO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE’RE TRYING TO PUSH OUT
INFORMATION.
WE’VE PURCHASED BILLBOARDS,
RADIO ADS, TV ADS, TO TRY TO
LOCATE THE STUDENTS AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
I WILL TELL YOU TODAY WE’RE
LAUNCHING A VIRTUAL PARENT
COURSE FOR ALL OF THE PARENTS IN
OUR DISTRICT, SO THAT THEY CAN
RECEIVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES
THEY NEED TO HELP THEIR STUDENTS
STARTING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE HOT SPOTS.
I MEAN, WE’VE HEARD A NUMBER OF
SUPERINTENDENTS AND DISTRICT
OFFICIALS AROUND THE COUNTRY
TALK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO GET
DEVICES IN THE HANDS OF
STUDENTS, TRYING TO GET DEVICES.
WE KNOW THERE’S VERY MUCH A
DIGITAL DIVIDE IN THIS COUNTRY.
THOSE STUDENTS IN HOUSTON WHO
DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED
INTER
INTERNET, ARE THE HOT SPOTS --
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH TO
MAKE SURE ALL THESE STUDENTS
HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY
BROADBAND?
>> YES.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WE SURVEYED OUR
STUDENTS AND PARENTS IN MAY, AND
WE SURVEYED THEM AGAIN IN JULY.
WE ACTUALLY ARE SURVEYING THEM
AGAIN.
SO WE HAVE ORDERED ENOUGH
DEVICES FOR WHAT WE KNOW, AND
THEN, BASED ON THE NO RESPONSES
TO OUR SURVEYS, WE’VE ALSO
ORDERED DEVICES TO TRY TO COVER
EVERY CHILD THAT NEEDS A DEVICE
OR HOT SPOT.
>> OKAY.
AS TEACHERS HAVE REPORTED BACK
FOR TEACHER SERVICE DAYS -- I
KNOW THE DISTRICT HELD A WELCOME
BACK PARADE OF SORTS, WITH
BANNERS AND BALLOONS -- YOU’RE
CALLING THIS THE YEAR OF
FLEXIBILITY.
WHAT PLANS ARE IN PLACE TO BE
FLEXIBLE AND TO KEEP TEACHERS
SAFE?
AND NOT JUST TEACHERS BUT, YOU
KNOW, YOUR CUSTODIANS, YOUR
CAFETERIA WORKERS.
WHAT CONCERNS HAVE YOU HEARD
FROM THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT
IN-PERSON LEARNING?
>> I’LL TELL YOU, OUR SCHOOL
BOARD IN APRIL ACTUALLY VOTED ON
WHAT WE CALL EMERGENCY
CONSTRAINTS.
THOSE EMERGENCY RESTRAINTS GUIDE
THE SUPERINTENDENT ON WHAT I
WILL NOT DO AND HOW I WILL
PROTECT THE HEALTH OF STUDENTS
AND STAFF AND HOW WE WILL ENGAGE
THE STUDENTS.
WE HAVE PROGRESS MEASURES.
WE’VE OUTLINED HOW WE’LL MEASURE
THE PROGRESS TOWARD THE
EMERGENCY RESTRAINTS.
THE BOARD AND I WILL BE
DISCUSSING THAT ON THURSDAY
EVENING, THEN THEY WILL BE
VOTING ON THE PROGRESS MEASURES
ON AUGUST THE 20th.
PPE FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF, ALL
OUR STUDENTS WHEN WE RETURN
FACE-TO-FACE.
AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS
VIRTUAL.
IT IS BEING HELD VIRTUALLY.
THE PARADE THAT YOU JUST SHARED
ON THE SCREEN WAS OF ACTUALLY A
PHYSICAL DISTANCED PARADE, WHERE
OUR PRINCIPALS REMAINED IN THEIR
CARS.
SOME GOT OUTSIDE OF THE CARS.
OUR FIRST YEAR PRINCIPALS.
WE WERE PHYSICALLY DISTANCE AND
HAD MADE SHEERURE EVERYONE CAME
THROUGH TO PICK UP THEIR
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PACKAGE.
OVER 280 PRINCIPALS I HADN’T
SEEN SINCE MARCH.
IT WAS EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO
SEE THEM.
IT IS THE YEAR OF FLEXIBILITY
BECAUSE WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO
MAKE CHANGES.
WE ARE PREPARED TO OPERATE
VIRTUALLY, WHETHER IT IS SIX
WEEKS OR THROUGH THE ENTIRE
SCHOOL YEAR.
WE WILL PROTECT OUR STAFF BY
ENSURING THEY HAVE WHAT THEY
NEED, THAT ALL OUR SCHOOLS ARE
CLEANED, AND WE ARE FOGGING
THEM, DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO
PROTECT EVERYONE’S SAFETY.
>> SO LET’S JUST SAY THAT THIS
VIRUS IS LARGELY UNDER CONTROL
IN HOUSTON.
IN-PERSON LEARNING RESUMES IN
OCTOBER.
BUT THERE IS AN OUTBREAK AT A
SCHOOL, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE’VE
BEEN SEEING IN SOME OTHER
STATES.
HOW WILL YOU DECIDE WHETHER TO
RETURN TO FULL VIRTUAL LEARNING
OR PERHAPS YOU SHUT DOWN A
SCHOOL FOR A FEW DAYS, YOU CLEAN
IT THOROUGHLY, AND YOU BRING THE
KIDS BACK.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE THOSE
DECISIONS?
WHAT FACTORS ARE GOING TO BE
CONSIDERED?
>> THE FACTORS CONSIDERED
DEFINITELY WILL BE THE LEVEL
OF -- THE CONTACT OF, LET’S SAY,
FOR EXAMPLE, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT
TESTS POSITIVE.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF
STAFF AND STUDENTS THAT THAT
INDIVIDUAL CAME INTO CONTACT
WITH.
WE ARE PREPARED TO, OF
QUARANTINE.
IF WE NEED TO CLOSE A PORTION OF
A BUILDING OR ALL OF THE
BUILDING OR ALL OF THE
FACILITIES, WE’RE ABLE TO DO
THAT.
IF A BUILDING IS CLOSED -- LET’S
SAY TODAY IS MONDAY AND WE MAKE
A DECISION IT NEEDS TO BE CLOSED
FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS, THE NEXT
DAY STUDENTS WOULD ACTUALLY LOG
ON AND THEY’D GO INTO REMOTE
LEARNING.
SO EVERY DAY, OUR STUDENTS WILL
BE -- WHEN WE START
FACE-TO-FACE, OUR STUDENTS WILL
CARRY THEIR DEVICES WITH THEM
HOME.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED
POWER UP FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS.
WE’VE HAD IT FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS.
ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
HAVE THEIR OWN DEVICE.
SO THEY CARRY IT WITH THEM EVERY
DAY.
THEY TAKE IT HOME AND BRING IT
BACK TO SCHOOL.
>> INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT FOR
THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL