A roundtable discussion with Kevin Phillips, Susan Hoyl and Doug Loomis; talking back-to-school in the age of COVID-19 and how, despite its best efforts, the pandemic hasn't stopped important work.
0:00 - Introduction to SchoolWork.
0:51 - A Message from Doug Loomis.
2:10 - What is SchoolWork?
5:24 - Episode Overview.
6:28 - COVID-19 and the 20-21 school year.
24:48 - What happens when we get a positive COVID case?
33:23 - Staff safeguards if they were to test positive.
38:55 - Canvas; the new Learning Management System.
48:15 - Update on the Intercultural Development Research Association efforts & closing the learning gap.
1:01:15 - Wrap-up.
Speaker 1 (00:00:00):
Okay. Hey everyone. Real quick before we jump into the first episode of schoolwork, we wanted to touch on a few things. First. This podcast is just an effort for us as a district to be better communicators. Um, mainly with you, our staff. It really came into existence just as an all staff meeting that you can take with you on the go. This first episode runs a little over an hour. So if you're new to podcasts, here's a little hack. Listen at one and a half time speed. It might take some getting used to it first, but I promise you'll never listen to podcasts at regular speed again. And lastly, in the notes of each episode, we will put a breakdown with timestamps so that if you wanna skip over anything, you can just jump straight to the things you care about the most. We promise to continue to get better at these and hopefully make this something that you can look forward to. So, here we go.
Speaker 2 (00:00:52):
Is there a reason that I can only hear out of my right ear? Should I be hearing out of both?
Speaker 3 (00:01:00):
Welcome everybody to our very first episode of Schoolwork, um, which is really kind of a monthly podcast conversation, or really maybe a different way to think about it. Uh, an all staff, all users faculty meeting. Um, my name is Kevin Phillips. I work here at the E S C with, um, a number of other leaders and instructional support staff, um, to really, um, our, our main goal is to serve our, our principals and our campuses who then in turn provide awesome instruction and, and education for our students and A I S D. So, um, I'm happy to be with you. Happy to work with the awesome people that I work with, um, day to day to try to make an impact and support our leaders, um, and our teachers ultimately in our schools. And, and with me this morning is Susan Hoyle. Susan, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 4 (00:01:50):
Yeah, Kevin. Thank you. I'm Susan Hoyle and I also work here at the support center. Uh, my primary role is to support the board of trustees, um, the school board. And I really just help them be better board members. Um, that's really primarily what I do. And I also get involved in some communications and special events here at the district.
Speaker 3 (00:02:12):
Also with us is Mr. Loomis, our superintendent. We'll give him, um, a minute to kind of, um, start us off, uh, and then we'll really dig into the meat of, of what we want to talk about in our first episode. So, um, Mr. Loomis, I think I'll just toss it over to you and give you a chance to, um, talk to us a little bit about, um, our, our, our attitudes and our approach as we begin this new school year.
Speaker 2 (00:02:34):
It's always special to be the first guest on anyone's first pod cast. 'cause the only place your other guest can go is just straight up. So, uh, I can't believe it's been six months, uh, since we walked out in March. Uh, and, and every time we think we're about to get back on this horse and ride it again, we're, we're throwing another loop. Um, but I think, uh, what I'm, what I'm most proud of, of this is, is the grit. Um, the work attitude, uh, the belief that we can do this together and, and the strength of, of pulling together. Um, I think that was seen, uh, at its finest last week as staff came back together for the very first time. And, and I think it's important for all of us to remember, as scary as it was for us to come back to, to work together as, as a staff, as we bring students back in, um, what they're going to be feeling.
Speaker 2 (00:03:30):
You know, they got up, they, they left for spring break and, and they never got to come back. And so the fear that we all have the in trepidations that we have, they're real. Um, and it doesn't really matter which side of this virus you fall on, what you believe and what you're hearing. I just think if, if we can all remember to, or to respect one another, to listen to one another, um, to make sure we're trying to understand each other's point of view, um, we're gonna make better decisions. Um, last night, I think, uh, that was evident at the board meeting. You know, we, we gave staff an opportunity, um, as we said, a measured approach about wearing mask, uh, for staff. Uh, a couple of weeks ago, maybe that's been a month ago, as staff came back together and talked about who really should be wearing masks.
Speaker 2 (00:04:19):
And as we got input from the health department, um, all of that conversation, uh, came to a head and we, um, decided that we're all gonna wear mask, uh, all students, all kids, all adults, uh, anybody that comes on to a school property, doesn't matter what your age is, anyone from a pre-care all the way through adult at Hood. And, and I think that happened because we came together as a staff and, and made a priority that we were gonna take care of one another. Um, and our ultimate goal is getting kids back into school safely. Um, and, and inter do our very best not to create this, uh, uh, a quarantine situation that you see happening over and over again in so many other places. No guarantee that won't happen, but that's kind of the hope, Kevin.
Speaker 3 (00:05:08):
Um, well, really, I, I'll back up just a little bit and talk about the concept of, of the name, of, of this podcast Schoolwork. Uh, really, and that was an intentional effort on our part to choose that name. Um, and the reason that I think we believe that's important is because, um, you know, when you talk about school and you talk about work, um, I think obviously for our teachers, our principals, anybody that works at a campus work really means school. And, um, and I think that sometimes it, for those of us who don't work at a school, um, it, many people view it as as work. And so we also want to communicate that we realize, and we intentionally put ourselves in a position to talk with teachers and talk with parents, and talk with principals, and talk with kids so that our work here at the E S C really is about school. And so school is work, um, and work is always about what happens at the school. So, uh, I introduced Susan and Susan's gonna kind of get us going into our two topics.
Speaker 4 (00:06:16):
We're gonna be talking about the new reality for all of us, which is C Ovid 19, but specifically about some of the preparations that we're all making for the start of school in a couple of weeks. The bottom line is that Covid is going to affect every aspect of our work and of what we do in the schools, but we're going to be prepared, we're gonna be flexible, we're gonna continue to do what we all do so well. And that is carry out the mission of preparing students for life and success beyond high school. And then that's going to lead us into the next topic for this episode today. And that's, uh, the work that we're doing with an organization called the Intercultural Research Development Association, or I D R A to try to address, uh, learning gaps among some of the student populations that we have in our district.
Speaker 4 (00:07:11):
And we'll talk about why it matters for you and why you should care about it, and why it also matters for the students and families that we serve in our district. So we'll get right into, uh, talking about a little bit about C Ovid 19. And, um, Kevin, I know many teachers and staff members are ready to get back into the classroom, um, ready to get back to the business of educating our students, but we all know that out there, there is also concern about the risks in this c Ovid 19 environment. And could you tell us briefly about the, just about the safety precautions that we're taking in our schools to try to mitigate the spread of the virus and keep everyone as safe as possible?
Speaker 3 (00:07:57):
So, I, I think something really important to start off with is, um, we've tried to listen to our parents, um, and, and across the district, our parents are indicating, um, that they, they want to pursue in-person instruction for their kids. Um, that number does. Um, it, it, it, it's different from campus to campus. Some campuses you have over 90% of the kids indicating that they want to come in person. That number drops to 70, 75 at other campuses. But still in, in every campus, the majority of parents are indicating that they really want their kids in school. And so, um, we've tried from the beginning, um, with Mr. Loomis's leadership to really, um, always remember a measured approach. So as, as we, as we embark upon a new school year, and we have many people that are very excited about being with their kids, we have kids that are excited to be back in school.
Speaker 3 (00:08:54):
Um, we just are trying to think in terms of layers. And so how, how do we layer safety precautions with masks and distancing and screening our kids and reminding them and asking them questions about how they feel, um, reminding them about hand sanitizers and, and washing their hands as many times as they have the opportunity to do that. And creating opportunities for us to get a squirt of hand sanitizer, go to the restroom and wash our hands. Um, you know, some other things that we've, that we've really worked on, um, with the support of our board are, um, the, the desk shield. So for, at, at some point, we, when we move down the road here, um, our kids are gonna have access to trifold desk shields that they can use in a classroom, um, and really they can use in other settings in the cafeteria or in choir.
Speaker 3 (00:09:49):
Um, and so really just trying to create layers that really reinforce masks and social distancing, um, wherever that we can make that happen. And so I believe that, you know, as we've worked with the health department, that's, that's the main message that they've given, given us as we, um, as we try to bring kids back to school, is, is how do we, how do we make it as safe as it possibly can be by reinforcing the things that really have been talked about for a long time. And that is wearing a mask or face covering, um, staying six feet or more apart whenever you can, and, and when you can't really take in the precautions that, that you're able to take to keep things as safe as possible.
Speaker 4 (00:10:33):
So, as Mr. Limi was saying, um, last night, he announced at the board meeting that we have a, a change in our mask protocol. And that is that now we're requiring all students, um, not just fourth grade and up, but all students to wear a mask as they, uh, come into school. And so, uh, Kevin, what's, I know there's been talk about out there about, uh, masks and what's the appropriate kind of mask to wear. Do we have a, a rule about what kind of mask you can wear in schools?
Speaker 3 (00:11:03):
So, um, you're right. I think we've listened to our teachers, our principals, and, um, last night at the board meeting, Mr. Loomis, um, did share that, that we are reinforcing masks for all. Um, and so again, I I would say that, you know, working with the Casey Stoughton, the folks at the health department, that is probably at the top of their list of what they believe we all can do. And, and, and when I say all, I mean, um, those of us who are staff members, parents, kids, all of us working together wearing a mask or a face covering is at the top of the list. Um, you know, and I think there have been several studies, a lot of Facebook posts, many things on social media about the kinds of masks. Um, I I will say that once we began to see some of those, um, we really, again, trying to take a measured approach instead of just reading it on Facebook or reading it on Twitter and turning around and, and making a decision or providing guidance solely on that, um, we consulted with the health department.
Speaker 3 (00:12:06):
And so in talking with Casey, um, I spent one day last week talking with Casey about this particular issue. Um, you know, I really think one of the big points in that, that, um, study that was, that was pushed out by a lot of people was about gators. And, um, really Casey helped me understand that the study really was about fleece skaters. And so, again, I think, you know, sometimes it depends on the material, uh, of the face covering. Um, obviously I think, you know, some of those, um, certain kinds of masks are more protective. Um, ironically, there's a lot of studies that say that the homemade masks made of two pieces of cotton, um, that we've, you know, had a lot of folks make at home are, are very protective. And so, um, we really, um, in consultation with Casey, um, have not gotten into, you know, which masks are and aren't allowed. We're trying to reinforce a face covering. Um, and really, I think as we look around and watch our staff and watch kids who are already coming for, um, some of our band and music activities, our athletic activities, um, kid, kids are wearing, um, and staff are wearing masks that generally we see are acceptable.
Speaker 4 (00:13:19):
Okay. And what if someone comes to school and doesn't have a mask? Are we going to have supplies available?
Speaker 3 (00:13:25):
So t e a and the state have provided us a, uh, with a really, a good, a good stock of, uh, p p e to start the school year. Um, I think we're already talking about, you know, how how would we extend that into later parts of the year? But at least for right now, um, if kiddos show up, they've forgotten their mask, they lose their mask, um, we have a number of disposable masks, um, throughout the district that have been delivered to all of our campuses. Uh, and our approach will be at least in the beginning, Hey, let's get you one of our masks. If you've forgotten it, if you can't find it, let's get one of those on you, uh, get you to class. Um, same thing with staff, you know, I mean, uh, how many times have, have all of us since this started, um, pulled up at the convenience store to run in and get an iced tea, and we get halfway to the door and we realize we've forgotten our mask. And so, um, you know, we, we have to either run back to the car or maybe you run back to the car and there's not one in the car. And so in a lot of places, you walk in the front door of a business and right by the door, there's a little stack of masks in a, you know, piece of plastic, and you grab one of those and put it on. That's really the approach that we're gonna try to have. And,
Speaker 4 (00:14:34):
And talk a little bit about face shields.
Speaker 3 (00:14:36):
So we, we have a number of face shields, um, again, that were provided through t e a to, to start us off. Uh, I think we also have gone back and, and doubled down in some areas where we know that we're gonna have to use shields. Um, part of our protocol that we have in place is, um, you know, figuring out where we have situations where staff may need to wear a shield based on some kind of a medical complication. Um, and then the actuality of it is, is that we, we have some situations and environments where those are gonna need to be used in, in, from an educational sense. So if you think about our students who are deaf or hard of hearing, um, which that directly influences Lamar Fanin and Caprock in a number of settings, um, those are gonna be situations where shields are gonna be very appropriate for our teachers, because our kids need to see our teacher's mouth move.
Speaker 3 (00:15:35):
Um, and, and then I think, we'll, you know, we have other, um, classrooms where, where that's an impact, uh, in the elementary realm of what we do. Um, I would say that our elementary teachers who know much more about teaching reading than I do, um, they would talk to you and tell you about many, many instances where a kiddo being able to see their teacher's mouth move when we're trying to work on our reading skills is very important. And so, um, we have a process for someone who might prefer to wear a shield. Um, and we have, um, we've been thinking about where are the educational situations where a shield is appropriate from an educational standpoint. Having said all that, I, I would remind everyone that, that we are reminded by the health department that shields only provide a certain degree of protection. And so that's why we are not advocating for shields across the board. Um, and, and we're gonna reinforce masks where masks can be worn, um, and it's appropriate and it doesn't impede the learning process and, or it doesn't, um, you know, make, create a, a further complication for someone health-wise. Um, because the mask is, is the most protective, um, face covering that can be worn. But we have some, we have some leeway there for shields and the use of those. We have a stock of them and, and we're prepared to order more as we need to.
Speaker 4 (00:17:02):
And, uh, one question I think probably at least teachers are having out there is what are they going to be required to do as far as, um, cleaning their classrooms? Because we talk about sanitizing in the aspect of cleaning, and then there's also disinfecting that our custodians and maintenance department will be involved in. But what, on a day-to-day basis, would a just a teacher out there in the classroom be required to do as far as cleaning?
Speaker 3 (00:17:33):
So, I, I think I would start by saying Kirk Self in our operations department, um, has really worked on, um, procuring some of the Mr. Sanitation guns that, that are really pretty prevalent today. Um, we have, we have a stock of those that our custodial staff is using. Um, our custodial staff really has had, um, to become focused on some of those areas that are high touch. And, um, and so all of those things are going on with our custodial staff, um, at, at all of our locations, um, campuses here at the E S C, um, you know, for every teacher we've provided a, uh, a spray bottle of disinfectant. And, um, so really one of the things that we've been encouraging is, um, you know, at different parts of the day, whenever you can spray that down, spray desktops, high touch surfaces, and really the def disinfectant that we have is, is, is designed to, um, to spray on and just let it air dry.
Speaker 3 (00:18:34):
Um, we're working hard, um, to even look at other disinfectants that may be out there that have a quicker drying time, because we know that in our day to day with kids moving in and out class to class, sometimes we have limited timeframes. And so, um, the products that we can procure that have the shortest dry time, I think that will be helpful for teachers, um, and it'll allow us to do that more and more. Um, and then lastly, I would say, you know, one of the things we've already started to promote are, is, um, for a teacher to grab that spray bottle and kind of the last thing out the door when they leave their classroom each afternoon, um, spray down those high touch areas, spray down desktops, um, set that by the door, walk out and let that dry overnight.
Speaker 2 (00:19:22):
Kevin, just to jump in, um, yesterday, visited with Kirk, uh, about, you know, what's the difference between what teachers can do and, and what students can do. Because as you look, read the disinfectant bottles, it talks about keep outta reach of children and, and absolutely, uh, you know, any type of cleaner, uh, can be poisonous and needs to be ke kept out of the reach of, of kids and, and kids probably shouldn't, not probably, they shouldn't be using the disinfectant. Um, that ought to be in teacher's hands, you know, spraying the high touch areas, um, hitting, hitting on the desk and letting those air dry. And so an effort to help kids, uh, be able to be a part of this process, especially around their own workstations. Um, we anticipate in the next week getting sanitizing bottles of spray that students can use and, and just a, a general sense that it's, it's a, it's a soap based product, uh, that, that would not be dangerous to kids, and that kids could spray on their desk or any of their, you know, the, their chair and quickly wipe them off so the kids can be a part of that san, uh, of sanitizing.
Speaker 2 (00:20:32):
And then teachers can come by at the end of the period or at times when there's enough time to, to spray it and let it air dry. So it's just one more layer of being able, um, to, to protect kids and, and staff while they're at. Um, and, and that, again, is coming directly out of the work that our safety committees have been doing at campuses and, and bringing up either concerns or what ifs or what could we do differently. And, and so what I would encourage everybody out there, keep engaged in those safety committees, keep talking to one another, keep being partners with one another, hearing each other's side of this, and, and allowing those conversations to move and, and we'll just get better and better.
Speaker 3 (00:21:16):
Susan, o one thing that I probably skipped over that I, I want to back up on, on the masks and face coverings, um, is about, you know, why, why are, why do we believe that's so important? Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (00:22:08):
It's not about the rule. It's not about the guidance. It's about how do we try to meet the expectation that's been clearly communicated to us that our parents and our kids want in-person instruction. And so, if we can all do our part to protect imper, because by wearing a mask at school, by wearing a face, covering when, when you have a medical issue or, or when it's really necessary that kids see your lips move wearing a shield by always doing that, we're protecting our ability to be at school. That's really what this is about. And that's, that's what we've made it about. And, and I'll just be real transparent and tell you that I, I don't prefer to wear one. Uh, it's hard to breathe. It's aggravating. I mentioned earlier, you know, running into a convenience store to get a drink or whatever, and, and forgetting it and having to go back and, and, um, it, it really is aggravating at times.
Speaker 3 (00:23:01):
But we have gotten into the habit here at the E S C, um, of, of doing this and modeling this behavior. And really now it, it really has become part of what we do. I mean, we don't even really have to tell one another very much anymore. Um, we know to pull our face covering up or get it in the right place when people begin to get close to us, or they need to read something over our shoulder. And, and so all that to say, um, we really have tried to make this about how do we protect ourselves from quarantine, and how do we protect our ability to provide what our parents and kids are indicating for the most part that they want. Uh, and not to diminish that we have parents and families that have, uh, really made a choice and feel like it's best for them to be at home learning virtually. Um, but for those who really want to be in person wearing a face, covering seems to be one of the best things we can do to protect our ability to do that and continue to do that, not just September 1st, but that we make it all the way into November in December and January and February. You
Speaker 2 (00:24:02):
Know, I've already been on the phone this morning with one mother who is really concerned that we're gonna wear a mask pre-K through second grade. And my response to her was, really, our goal is to keep schools open at all costs. We, we don't want to be in a, in a, in a situation where we're closing down an entire school or the entire district. And, and as, as we visit with the health Depar, health Department officials, what's really, really clear is if we've got a classroom of 22nd graders and a teacher, and all 21 of them are wearing a mask, and a student becomes symptomatic during the day, goes home and eventually tests positive, there's a high likelihood that no one will be quarantined in that class if everyone was wearing a mask. But if 10 are wearing a mask and the teacher's wearing a mask, but the other tent aren't, and somebody becomes symptomatic and comes down, um, with, with the virus, the odds are it's not just gonna be the 10 without a mask, it's gonna be the other 11 that were without a mask also.
Speaker 2 (00:25:10):
And so, as we look at this, we believe our best option and our best opportunity to keep schools open and keep them functioning and moving forward, and never forgetting safety, uh, for our STA staff and students, that's always first, but in an effort to keep schools moving, uh, and keep the doors open, wearing masks, just seems like one of those things that, that we're all going to have to get used to. And, and Mr. Phillips and I are just gonna have to get over that. We don't really like wearing masks very much. Yeah, that's right. I don't
Speaker 3 (00:25:40):
Like 'em either. Alright, so, um, you know, Susan, let's, let's just jump right into something that I, I think a lot of people really want to know more about. So what happens if we have a kiddo or a student in our schools, um, and, and they're, they're positive for covid or they start feeling ill? So, you know, I think, um, we have a process. That's what I would say. Um, if you go out on our website, Mr. Tatum, down in Human Reach resources has created really, um, some flow charts and, and a whole lot of texts that explains what we'll do. But to try to summarize, you know, what we're gonna do is, um, you know, whoever at the campus is gonna contact the appropriate person and human resources. Um, just as an example, you know, Mrs. Atkinson works in our, with our elementary teachers in the human resources department.
Speaker 3 (00:26:34):
If it's an elementary related situation, they'll call Karen. If it's a secondary related situation, they'll call Mr. Manchi. Um, and we have those divided out. There are four kind of point persons down in hr, um, at the campus. We will separate, um, the person that we're concerned about, whether that's a staff member or a student. Um, we will begin to deeply sanitize the area where that person was. Um, and really from there, um, obviously we would call a parent or a family member, you know, if it's a staff member to help us get that person, um, toward, you know, get 'em home and separated from others. And, and the last part of that is we're gonna begin to work very intently with public health. And so, um, that point person in the human resources department will, will call, um, the contact folks, um, at public health.
Speaker 3 (00:27:28):
And just for everybody's knowledge, um, this is a good thing. Public health has de designated two of their staff members who are gonna work, um, solely on school cases. Um, and so there's a good system at public health. We've had good collaboration with them setting up the process. And so we will begin to work with public health to trace and, um, and determine, you know, who had close contact. Were we wearing a mask? Is that, um, is that situation with the presence or absence of masks? Um, what, what are the details? What kind of interactions were going on? Um, how close were they? How long were they together? Um, and public health will help us begin to figure out, you know, who might need to be, um, quarantined or isolated until we can figure out exactly what's going on. Um, and then, um, in, in that process, once we get a good handle on, um, where we were, who all was there, what is the extent of exposure we will then begin to communicate, um, with parents and other staff members, um, in collaboration with public
Speaker 2 (00:28:38):
Health? You know, what I, what I think I would encourage everyone is, you know, our HR folks really have, have dug deep into this and, and really have a really good understanding about, you know, what should you do. Uh, if, if, if a staff member or student becomes symptomatic at, at school, Kevin's right, we've got a really good process about getting them to the nurse and, and making a determination. Do you need to just go home and, and, and see if his symptoms improve? Do you need to go to the doctor and get a rapid test and, and check for covid? Uh, and, and so that, that one's a little bit easier because you're at school and it happens. You're, you're gonna wake up of a some morning and, you know, the day before you were just fine and, and you wake up and you're just not feeling well.
Speaker 2 (00:29:20):
And, and, and so you make a determination. I better not go to school. And so somewhere along the way, do those symptoms continue to get worse or do they get much better? And do I need to go get a a test before I can come back to school? Do I have to go get a doctor's note? And there, there's a little bit of gray there. It's not a real easy, quick answer. And, and so I, you know, the call hr, you know, and let Chris, Karen, or David, page one of them walk you through and, and, and make a good determination of whether you have to have that test before you come back. And, you know, then everybody's favorite one is, you know, if you just end up being in close contact, another reason that you ought to always social distance, you ought to always have good hygiene and you ought to be wearing that mask.
Speaker 2 (00:30:03):
It's, it's the, the close contact. So if I'm not wearing my mask today and, and I become symptomatic, and it ultimately tests positive and, and, and Susan's with me and I, and she's not wearing a mask, she's going to be defined by the health department in contact tracing is up close and person or up close contact. And because of that, Susan's going to be automatically quarantined for 14 days, uh, whether she ever has a symptom or not. So it's, it's really, really important that, that everybody remembers if you're wearing a mask and you're wearing that shield, um, you really are in, in the best position that you can be in to protect yourself. And, and over the summer, you know, we've had three and 400 athletes and fine arts students in and out of our high schools all summer long. And we've had several that have had tested positive over that time.
Speaker 2 (00:30:55):
Uh, and, and we've gone into brief quarantines. We've had to shut down programs for a day or two. But, but, but the really good news is because our coaches and our directors and our students are wearing masks the way they're supposed to, you know, knock on wood, we've not had to quarantine mass numbers of kids out of programs. Right? And, and you see that happening. We saw that happening this just this morning in one of our, one of our sister, uh, school districts having to quarantine, um, an athletic program. And, and so not that, not that we won't, but I, I think if we can continue to wear those masks and, and we can continue that social distancing and we can do the things that we've put in place and protocols, we are all going to be much safer and we have an opportunity to keep doors open.
Speaker 4 (00:31:41):
Right. And I'm glad you mentioned that, Doug, because we have had instances of c Ovid 19 and, um, with everyone coming back to school, or most everyone coming back, um, it's going to be inevitable that we're going to have some cases. And so what are we required to notify, um, parents when we have a case of c Ovid 19 on a campus? Yes. How does
Speaker 3 (00:32:03):
That work? That's part of our guidance. Um, again, once, and, and I think it's important to remember, we're we're going to take big steps whenever we have a confirmed case that's important. Um, and, and the reason it's important is because, you know, if if someone's just not feeling real well or we're worried that we might have been in contact, we definitely need to have that conversation. But, um, we're gonna take big steps and communicate with the health department when we have co lab confirmed cases. And so when we have those lab confirmed cases, um, and we, we, we figure out where that is, um, where that person has been, who have been the people around them, um, we're gonna communicate with parents either by a phone call or a letter home, maybe both, um, to, to make them aware of what's going on. And then from there, really we will, um, we will work with public health to make the final decision of, you know, who might need to stay at home for, um, a period of days or the whole 14 days. Um, and, you know, where do we need to sanitize all of those kinds of precautions. But, but parent communication is definitely a part of that. Once we get the facts and know what we're dealing with and, and, and realize who's, IM been impacted, you know,
Speaker 2 (00:33:22):
Kevin, we've, we've gotten so much better over the years, uh, over the last couple of years of just being transparent over all sorts of things that historically maybe we didn't share. And this is gonna be one of those times that, that we're going to be over transparent, uh, parents and staff that they don't have to worry about. Well, or is someone just not telling me. Um, this is one of those cases, the way we're all going to stay safe, we're all going to stay healthy, is that we're open and transparent. And you may not know who, but you're gonna know that you were in close contact, or there was someone in the school who tested positive today. And, and if you were in close contact, you'll know you were one of those people. And, and even if you weren't in close contact, you now know, well, there was the, you know, we, we had a, a confirmed case, uh, on our campus or in our department or whatever it happened to be, and, you know, to, to watch yourself closely over the next 24 or 48 hours.
Speaker 4 (00:34:15):
Okay? So I, if I'm a teacher or a cafeteria worker or a custodian at a campus, and I, um, say I get sick with C O V I D and have to stay home, is there paid leave that I can access? Or do I have to use my vacation days? Do I have to use my sick leave?
Speaker 2 (00:34:33):
Yeah. Uh, our board has done something, uh, that, and I, and I hope our, I hope our staff really appreciates this. I, I guess I can't say this morning, there's not any other school district in the state, but I can assure you I'm not aware of any, and, and most of my colleague friends have called me saying, what have you done in Amarillo? Uh, and, and what we've done is our board is, is does not want our staff, um, to be penalized because we're asking them to come back to work. And so they've built, built a, a safeguard in play, uh, for, for, for, for, for staff members who are quarantined, uh, because of close contact. They may be asymptomatic, they may, uh, they may not even have really been exposed, but they, they've been up close contact. Um, their, the staff, the, the board has, has given 30 additional days that, that we're calling covid.
Speaker 2 (00:35:28):
And so in that quarantine, it's, it's not about, uh, them having to use their own. It's, we ask 'em to come to work and, and so we're, we're going protect you that way. And then on the outside chance, and then I'm going to pray that it, it's an outside chance, and, and we don't have anybody who gets really ill, but if we use all 30 of those days, because, you know, the, the quarantine becomes isolation and isolation becomes illness, and illness ends up in a hospital. Um, when, if those 30 days are used, HR will bring that to my attention. And, and based on the diagnosis, uh, from the doctor, we'll, we will continue to, uh, take care of that person's leave while, while they're out on covid.
Speaker 4 (00:36:11):
That's good to know.
Speaker 3 (00:36:12):
So Susan, we, we really have talked for quite some time. We could probably talk all day, um, because there's just a lot that that's the truth. Um, what I would probably say is we kinda wrap up our covid section in this conversation is, you know, if you have questions, go see your principal, um, go talk to your supervisor. Um, those are folks that, you know, as we have worked through this, um, we've kept them in the loop about guidance and, and what to do. Um, you know, have grace, have mercy for people. Um, they're not perfect, including our principals and our supervisors, but they're working hard to stay up to date and know what to do. Um, and so go talk to your principal. Go talk to your supervisor. If you have questions, go to the webpage. Um, you know, Holly, our, our crew, um, that handles our, our webpage, um, they've done an an amazing job trying to keep up with things, uh, and putting 'em in written form and putting 'em on the website and updating them as they need to be updated.
Speaker 3 (00:37:15):
Um, yes. And really just ask questions. That that's the biggest thing. Um, we don't want you to, um, to have a question and, and worry about the answer. Um, we really have, uh, as we've moved through the summer and now that we finally have some semblance of, um, constancy to, to the guidance, um, we have the ability to answer a lot of those questions that really we, we might not have been able to answer two weeks ago, three weeks ago, for sure. A month ago. And so, um, we have a whole lot better guidance and, and information and, and we can answer your questions.
Speaker 4 (00:37:50):
And I think you mentioned this before, but I, I did wanna mention again, uh, the resource that HR put together, um, and probably some people out there have seen it and used it as a resource. It's a great, uh, document for information. It's called the A I S D guidebook for c ovid 19 Public Health.
Speaker 3 (00:38:10):
Absolutely. Mr. Tatum has done, uh, a heck of a job, um, compiling that. And really honestly, um, maybe twice a week, he updates usually every Sunday, Mr. Tatum spends some time, um, updating or making the little tweaks that have that need to be made based on the week's worth of information. Um, and so that absolutely, Susan, that's an awesome resource Yes. For people to take a at. And
Speaker 4 (00:38:35):
It's on our website at the return to school tab.
Speaker 2 (00:38:37):
It is under, under the, the staff right staff portion of it. Uh, I would just, you know, I, all of us have some fear in this. We have some anxiety, uh, and some days that fear and anxiety just flat turns to anger. Uh, and it's, it's because we're worried about our health. We're worried about our families, we're worried about our kids, and we're gonna make missteps. Uh, you're gonna make missteps. And, and so when those happen, take a really deep breath and think about, you know, uh, how, how could we fix this? What might be a solution to this? And, and get that in, in front of your, your safety committees, wherever it needs to be, um, to make sure that your concerns are being heard. Uh, but, but we are a team. We are a family. Uh, and there are times that families, you know, get a little crossways with one another. Uh, but, but, but we, but this, this is, this is about a family, and it's about taking care of one another. And we're a really big family. 'cause we've got 5,000 employees. We've got 32,000 kids, um, and, and trying to meet the needs of, of every one of those, the very best that we can.
Speaker 4 (00:39:47):
So last month, the school board approved the purchase of a new learning management system called Canvas Yes, ma'am. For schools to use, um, in particular with remote learning. But I think we're, we're also realizing there are applications for, um, in-person learning as well. So, Kevin, could you just, can I kind of give us a bird's eye overview of Canvas and Sure. I, how we landed on that particular platform,
Speaker 3 (00:40:12):
And I, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do my best, Susan. There are a lot of people, um, probably many of our teachers that are much better people to talk about Canvas than myself. But, um, really, um, in a nutshell, you know, if, if everybody were to think back to last spring when our kids, um, you know, school was closed by order of the governor and all of our kids were at home and in, and in some way, shape or form, they were engaging in learning from home. Um, some of that was, you know, in the form of packets, paper packets of, of, um, worksheets, just to be quite honest, that they picked up and then returned to the school. Um, but then there were, um, you know, in cases where we had, we had computers and we had internet access, we had kids doing, um, doing their learning on, on a computer and doing it virtually.
Speaker 3 (00:41:02):
Um, and so as we move fast forward to this fall, um, the rules really have changed. And, and t e a has a much higher expectation for the level of learning that will need to be taking place, um, for those kids that choose to learn virtually. And so, one of the ways that, um, that really, in some sense, they're not requiring us to use a specific learning management system, but, but t e a is requiring that we can really closely watch and measure the level of student engagement for virtual learning. And, and, and really one of the, one of the best ways to do that is using what is called a learning management system. And so we, we have, um, tapped into Canvas for our district. That's what we're gonna use as our learning management system. Um, and really if, um, this is probably way too simplistic, but just think of Canvas as the hub or the umbrella.
Speaker 3 (00:42:02):
And so if you think back to the spring, you know, kids were having to go to five or six different places to do their online learning. You know, this website, this website, okay, when you do this over here for science, you go here. Um, and, and Canvas becomes the place for, that's the hub. That's the place where each student goes. And from there they can, um, hopefully we'll tie all the pieces together and connect it to Canvas so that it's, it's, it's the one place that kids go to engage virtually. And then Susan, you alluded to, we really believe that once we get our virtual learners taken care of, and really we need to do this sooner rather than later, we also apply Canvas in, in-person learning. Um, and I will, again, just a kind of a personal note. Um, you know, my, my son just graduated from college, um, and even before Canvas in college, and this is true for many of our kids that have, you know, experienced college or even our staff who have gone back to work on a master's degree, canvas has been a part of what they're doing at the college level for in-person instruction.
Speaker 3 (00:43:08):
So when things were normal, I was going to class every day. I didn't have to do anything really learning wise on a computer. I still have been using Canvas for assignments and the submission of quizzes and other things like that. So, um, canvas is, um, gonna help us really measure the engagement of a kiddo online and for the purposes and expectations that t e a also has that engagement and us being able to gauge that allows us to mark them present or absent for a particular day of learning. So, um, uh, to kinda wrap this up, man, we've, we have had, um, an unbelievable effort. Our digital learning specialists, two or three of them in particular, have built a training course from the ground up that really we've phased in with, with groups of our staff. Um, week before last, we had 400 plus staff members, most of whom were not on contract yet, who engaged in this course, 14 hours.
Speaker 3 (00:44:10):
They learned it. So that starting last week when our, all of our teachers came back to work, they could, um, create an army of teachers, an army of trainers to train their colleagues, um, and to help one another learn canvas. And, um, and again, we had all of our schools, with the exception of about eight, who were engaged in a, in another training that maybe one day we'll talk about in schoolwork. Um, they trained all of last week, then that group of eight campuses that I'm referring to, they, they are taking care of it this week. Um, and really kind of keeping us on track to get all of our staff trained in that learning management system.
Speaker 4 (00:44:51):
Well, that's great. If it has the added benefit of helping our kids, um, yeah. Into the transition into college.
Speaker 3 (00:44:57):
Absolutely. I think it, it helps us there. It, it also, and I skipped over this part, but, um, you know, the use of canvas, even with in-person students, it does prepare us. It's a proactive step that I think is important that, um, and man, nobody wants to really think about this. We don't even really wanna speak it out loud, but the truth is, if we ever got back into a situation where we had to close a school, if we're all using Canvas, we can make that transition from in-person to virtual very quick. Um, that's the thought process of it, and it really could happen if we were to get in that situation.
Speaker 2 (00:45:34):
Well, even Kevin, if we don't get in a situation with Covid, which I hope we don't, you know, I, I'm really excited about the tools. You know, we talked about at the beginning of this, when this is all over, education will never look the same. And at the time, we had no idea what we really meant by that. And I'm not, I'm not suggesting we think we know what it'll look like today, but we're starting to get a picture, a glimpse of what the future may hold. And we really may live in a world where it's not as important about sitting within four walls and in rows. It really may be about being out in the world and learning and, and, and, and being more authentic, um, as, as we move forward in, into this thing.
Speaker 4 (00:46:11):
Well, I like what you said, Doug, a few weeks ago now, um, never let a good pandemic go to waste. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:46:17):
Never, never waste
Speaker 4 (00:46:19):
It. So maybe there's some things that we're learning that we can continue using Well, in our education world beyond
Speaker 2 (00:46:25):
Covid. When, when we started talking about this, you know, um, it's, I guess it's been a month ago, the, uh, as as it just sort of dropped in our lap of one of those things that was clear that we were going to have to do in the, in the demonstration that we did it, it was powerful for me because, uh, I'm not always as organiz organized as I need to be. And I always didn't get to the copy machine the way I needed to or have the papers presented. And really just on the fly, um, the, the, the person that was doing the demonstration wrote out a quick assignment, just wrote it out, took a picture of it, and uploaded it into Canvas, uh, sent the assignment to all of us sitting around the table. We used the toolbox in Canvas to answer it. We immediately sent it back to him, and, and he graded it, annotated it gave us notes back on it, gave us a grade, it went to the grade book, and the paper came back to us. And I thought, wow, no more excuses for the dog ate my homework.
Speaker 4 (00:47:24):
Speaker 3 (00:47:50):
And so same thing for teachers. It becomes the place where teachers create, um, virtual learning, or even as Mr. Loomis just said, that that's the place where they use it for in-person learning. So same, same real thought process. The teacher goes one place to create the lessons and the activities and what needs to happen day to day. Um, and then the kids go to that same place just kind of in a different way and access what their teacher is making available for them. So, um, for both kids and teachers, it becomes kind of that hub where we go. Um, and again, that that's, that's, that will be the place for virtual learning. And then we will begin to find ways that we tie that into in-person learning as well. And then that'll, that'll allow us and prepare us to make a quick transition, should we need to do that.
Speaker 4 (00:48:42):
It'll allow us to pivot. Yes, pivot. I think that's the new
Speaker 3 (00:48:44):
Word. That's kind of a new buzzword that's out there.
Speaker 2 (00:48:47):
Okay. Pivot. We add that to tranche.
Speaker 3 (00:48:50):
Tranche.
Speaker 4 (00:48:51):
Speaker 2 (00:48:52):
We've learned a lot of new words. This
Speaker 4 (00:48:53):
Springs lots of new vocabulary. Well, it's, uh, talking about learning, I think kind of is a good segue into the last thing that we wanted to kind of discuss today. And that's, um, the Intercultural Development Research Association and our partnership as a district with that organization. Um, Kevin, can you just tell us what I D R A is Sure. And how we got involved with this organization and what we're hoping to get out of it?
Speaker 3 (00:49:22):
You know, I think it's, it's fair to start, um, that as we began last school year, um, we began talking about something that, that we have talked about over and over in A I S D for those of us who've, who've had the opportunity to work in Amarillo for a long time, it, it really has been a conversation that we've had for a while. And I really think that at, at certain times when we've had that conversation, we've been able to, to, um, to make progress in some of those areas. But overall, what, what we, what we began to realize again, is we have an achievement gap issue in A I S D, and, and we just, um, with Mr. Loomis's challenge and, um, and push, you know, we just really, were, were rededicated to the fact that, um, we have areas where we have certain groups of students who, who, who don't succeed, um, as much as other groups, just to be quite honest.
Speaker 3 (00:50:22):
And, um, and we really decided, you know, what, we're gonna rededicate ourselves to trying to make a difference and working really not to try, I guess I should take the word try out, but we're gonna make a difference, you know, every kiddo, regardless of where they come from and their background deserves access and an opportunity and, and they, they deserve to succeed, period. And so, um, we partnered with, um, I D R A, um, last school year in the, you know, 19, 20 school year to begin working and studying our data and, and to ask them to provide us guidance assistance, um, and help as we, as we begin to, to identify areas in our system that may be just systemic places where bias exists. Um, this is a really hard conversation for a lot of people to have. And we, um, although we're, we're having this conversation in the right way, um, we're, we're stepping forward as leaders and saying, we're not afraid to have this conversation.
Speaker 3 (00:51:24):
And so, um, you know, we've, we've, uh, assembled a group of, of staff that we've called the Achievement Gap Focus group. And so it's made up of several of our assistant superintendents, um, actually all four of them, I believe, um, our several principals, curriculum support type folks and, and teachers. And really those teachers, what I would want you to know is this group of, I don't know, 20 folks, 25 folks, um, they demographically represent our school district. And so, um, how do we bring a demographically diverse group of staff and all sit at the same table and have this conversation? And, and really that's what's going on. Um, I D R A has provided us some support in terms of, you know, coming to us and leading us through a little bit of training and helping us to think about, you know, here are the things you need to look at.
Speaker 3 (00:52:19):
Um, but really our, our, our focus group of staff members have done a great job, um, throughout last school year, even despite covid, they continued to stay in touch, and then when it was appropriate for us to be back together in purpose, in in person, that's one of the first groups that came back together was this focus group. And so really they're, they've studied a lot of data. Um, what have they learned? I, I think that it's been reiterated and they've learned again and reminded that we have areas where, um, where, where we are extremely disproportionate. So some of our groups are much more at risk to suffer a dis discipline consequence. Um, some of our kids are much more at risk to failing a class. Some of our kids are much more at risk to not be in an AP class, our most rigorous curriculum.
Speaker 3 (00:53:13):
And so I D R A has helped guide us toward studying our data and our system and, and helping us identify, here are the areas where if you are an African American student, when you are a Hispanic student, um, you are less likely to have access and or success. And again, that may be shocking to people that I'm using those terms, those that bluntly. Um, but that's the conversation that we are committed to have, and we are committed to fixing this problem and making this truly a level playing field and, and making it to where, um, your ability to succeed at the highest levels in our school district does not depend on what color your skin is. And that really is about the bluntest way that I can say it, and the most transparent way that I can say it. And, um, I think for a lot of people, um, they would appreciate that we're taking that kind of an approach.
Speaker 2 (00:54:09):
We're, we're seeing this play out on a national stage. And, and, and we started this conversation and, and we should have started it much earlier, but, but we really started having a, a, a, a really hard conversation. You know, last August, uh, our brand new, you know, we had seven brand new board members, uh, and I just applaud them. Uh, they were, they were quick to look at our data, to have conversations and to be able to realize that as important as safety is closing the achievement gap is just as important and is one of those, one of their three main goals that, that we stay focused on. And, you know, I, we, we have to do a better job of not marginalizing kids and one another. Uh, it happens. And when you start marginalizing people, um, you, you start to isolate those people and, and you, you create, uh, biases, um, uh, that, that, that, that stymie the growth of one another.
Speaker 2 (00:55:10):
And, um, I, I have, I have a, I have promised our staff, I've made a commitment to myself, um, that we're gonna learn to understand each other's cultures, and we're gonna understand why certain things happen certain ways and why one way isn't necessarily the right way. Um, and, and that, that we all need to embrace that and have high expectations of one another, because ultimately what I want for every one of the 32,000 kids we have in this district is to be able to graduate from this district and fulfill their passion, whatever that is. And, and I, I, I don't want it to be because somehow we, we marginalized that kid and, and somehow sent a message to that kid that they, they weren't important. Um, and was that because of, of the color of their skin? Was it because of the socioeconomic status they have?
Speaker 2 (00:56:01):
Um, I want us to arise above that. Um, I, I am committed that, that people have to be able to see it, to believe it. Uh, and, and whether that's about being able, if I'm a, if, if I'm a Hispanic student or an African American student, I ought to be able to see leaders and teachers in this district and in this community that, that I can look up to and say, I, I, I can be that person. Um, we, we need to make sure we figure out a way to ensure our community and our parents are engaged with us. And I will tell you, um, sometimes that gets a little bit uncomfortable. Uh, when people talk about, we, we gotta figure out a way for parents to be able to advocate for their, for their kids. Uh, we gotta be able to figure out a way for the community to advocate for, for, for, for groups of kids.
Speaker 2 (00:56:49):
And, and I think that word advocate, what that means is we've all come to the table and we figured out the most important thing at this table isn't the adults. It's the student that's sitting in the middle of that, of that table. And, and we're gonna find a way to help that student rise to the occasion. And we're not gonna marginalize that student because of their culture, because of their status or, or anything else that, that is keeping that kid from being successful. And, and we're committed to that. Um, and doesn't mean we're lowering expectations. It means we're, we're raising expectations, not just on the kid, but on ourselves.
Speaker 4 (00:57:23):
I appreciate that message, Doug and Kevin also. And I'm excited about the work that we're doing with I D R A. Are there some things that, um, schools will be implementing even this next school year that would be a visible, um, so, you know, indication of things that were
Speaker 3 (00:57:44):
Right and
Speaker 4 (00:57:44):
Progress that we're making along these lines?
Speaker 3 (00:57:46):
You know, and it, that's a good point, Susan. It, it really is. It's not about the talk and it's not about the meetings, it's about the action. Right. Um, you know, I, I'll be honest, covid kind of got us sidetracked with our work with I D R A. Um, it, it shut us down for a little while, and it, and it, we had several, um, activities that were planned during that time when school was shut down and closed. Um, we've gotten back on track. I D R A shared with our board of trustees recently with our principals recently. Um, and so, uh, you know, I know that we are actually working right now on, um, another meeting with our achievement gap, um, focus group. And so really I think what we will begin to see and hear, I D R A will make some final recommendations, um, that is coming soon from I D R A.
Speaker 3 (00:58:35):
And really those recommendations, we will take those as a part of our focus group. Again, that group of, of assistant superintendents and, and campus leaders and teachers will take those recommendations. And I really think that what we will see over the next little bit this school year is, um, you know, what, what kind of training might we need to consider for all of our staff? You know, and how do we involve DAC in a conversation about, you know, here's a, here's a training segment that, that all staff members need that break down bias in our system. You know, what are things in our system that we need to change? You know, what processes, what, what applications exist that are barriers for kids? Um, what things in, um, in our process, um, for enrolling in school or having access to certain things, what, what parts of our system create barriers for kids? And how do we break those barriers down and or remove them completely? And so, um, I think those are the things that you will be begin to see because of our work with I D R A.
Speaker 2 (00:59:39):
You know, you, you can see that in campuses that who have already bought into things like unconscious discipline, um, things like restorative discipline, looking for ways to, to change the narrative from how do you, how, how, how do you punish kids to how do you discipline kids? Because in, in the, in the world we live in, punishment is something I do to you. Discipline is something only you do, you can do to yourself. And, and you have to learn that skill, and you have to learn that ability. And things like unconscious discipline and restorative discipline, uh, techniques do that. Um, you know, helping parents engage. We, we've got a new parent engagement, uh, team, uh, that is up and running that will be holding seminars and trainings for, for our parents out at, at the schools to give them the ability to, how do you navigate the school system?
Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
You know, I, I grew up as a teacher's kid, you know, I, I know how to navigate the school system. I know how to miss the hurdles and, and get over the hurdles, uh, when I need to. But there are so many people, especially when you think about new to the new to the states, you know, there, there are immigrants that have come in, or there are people who have, were never successful in school, and they have kids that they don't know how to advocate necessarily, and how to, how to manage the system and, and, and ask the right questions. And so we have a new parent engagement group that's that's out there that, that's holding those trainings. Uh, you know, we're, we're building, you know, at Hamlet, uh, we, we developed the, uh, the buddy system last year. And, and really what that is, you know, is, is where can we find, uh, really successful leaders in the community that can come in that look like our kids, um, that, that many cases walked in the shoes that our kids have walked in and, and just build a buddy system for, for those kids.
Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
Um, so they, so they can see it, and so they can start to believe it. And so we, we see those kinds of initiatives growing across the district. Our, our question ought to be how do we engage versus how do we isolate or, or the, not the 1950 schools of of Chicago that, that chained all the doors and, and turned all the phones off and said, don't call us. We'll call you. Uh, we, we live in a world where, where we have to engage and we have to look for partnerships with our parents. Um, if, if we're gonna make a difference in our kids' lives, it can't just be about the job that we're doing any
Speaker 3 (01:02:07):
Longer. That to kinda wrap us up on I D R A. And really, that's, that's the intent of schoolwork. That that's why we are engaging in this, um, to bring this conversation and kind the thoughts behind different decisions and conversations, um, to a bigger audience with schoolwork and our staff. Um, what we know is, is, um, you know, it, it's, it's one thing for us to have meetings or schedule meetings and even involve the right people in meetings. Um, but, but the real work happens in the classroom and, uh, and in our schools. And so, uh, the intent, um, and, and the focus with, with schoolwork is to bring that conversation to a bigger group of folks, um, to do that kind of monthly as we move forward. Um, and to really have a transparent look into what's going on. What are the efforts that are there?
Speaker 3 (01:02:55):
How are we dealing with challenges? How are we working to break down barriers, um, not only for our kids, but for ourself as, as those who work with them. Um, and, and we're excited again, bear with us. We'll, we'll spice this up and make it better. Susan's gonna get all of us to kind of relax a little bit more and, and, um, have a good time with, with this conversation each month. And, um, and, and we appreciate you hanging with us, and we look forward to sharing more as we move forward during the, um, 20 20 20 21, um, school year, um, and our conversations in schoolwork.