Public Schools Monroe Township...Board of Education Presentation July 29, 2020 This is unprecedented. There is no playbook. ... Monroe Township special education students will follow

Monroe Township Public Schools

Returning to a New Normal

● District Restart Committee

● Our Reopening Plan - Update

● Preliminary Survey Results

Board of Education Presentation July 29, 2020

● This is unprecedented. There is no playbook.

● We are not looking solutions. We must create them.

● There are no perfect solutions. Not everyone will be happy.

● Things will change. We’ll need to adapt.

● This is a process. We must take one step at a time.

District Restart CommitteeThe full task-force Restart Committee is comprised of a variety of stakeholders including parents, students, teachers, administrators, and other staff.

The sub-committees and school committees work on the details and logistics of the District Reopening Plan.

● Learning and Professional Development● Health (mental & SEL)● Personnel (staff absences & subs)● Operations (safety, transportation, food, finance)

Our Reopening Plan - UpdateBased on State guidelines, our mission statement, and stakeholder input, the following plan was

developed and agreed upon by the District Restart Committee.

● Hybrid Instruction

● Remote-only Instruction

● Special Education Instruction

Our Reopening Plan - UpdateHybrid Instruction

Phase 1: Our reopening plan is to offer in-person learning four days a week. During this phase, students will

follow the district “Early Dismissal” schedules. Roughly half of our students will attend school Monday and

Thursday, while the other half works remotely at home; then the cohorts will be reversed on Tuesday and

Friday. For grades 5-12, students will attend half their schedule on one day and the other half on the next day

they are in school. Teachers would work their full contractual day providing support for students and parents

virtually when students are not in the building.

Phase 2: Our plan moves to a full-school day maintaining the Phase 1 schedule. Hopefully, depending on

current guidance and COVID trends in September, we can move to full-day instruction in early October.

Monday/Thursday Wednesday Tuesday/Friday

Cohort A In-Person All StudentsRemote Learning

Remote Learning

Cohort B Remote Learning In-Person

*except the first week of school because school is closed on Monday

Our Reopening PlanIn-person Instruction in Hybrid ModelMaintaining a safe educational environment for our staff and students is paramount to our reopening plans. Our plans are being made based on what we believe is best for our educational community, in conjunction with the DOE, CDC and local Dept. of Health. The hybrid model is the best choice to open schools safely as it divides the population in half and combines in-person and remote instruction. Below are some of the details and considerations being made as we prepare; they, by no means represent an exhaustive list, as we know the guidelines are constantly changing.

● Students and staff will be required to wear face coverings, as often and reasonable as possible, with

accommodations made for those who cannot for certain medical or other conditions that preclude the use of

face coverings.

● We will strive to create as much physical distancing as possible in classrooms, hallways, and other spaces.

● We will add measures and additional time during the day to allow for handwashing, mask “breaks,” snack, etc.

● Aramark employees have already been trained in Pandemic Cleaning Procedures and will receive refresher

training in preparation for the start of the school year.

● Policies for screening, handling of symptoms, and contact tracing will be developed and communicated as

details are worked out.

● Students will socially distance on school buses AND wear face coverings while riding.

● Lunch details to follow.

Our Reopening Plan - UpdateRemote-only Instruction

● Remote-only instruction students will not attend school in-person.

● Instruction will occur through a variety of means, including live Zoom meetings, recorded lessons

and demonstrations, assignments through Google Classroom, and work on digital curricular

applications.

● Students will be expected to follow a schedule at home that provides an opportunity for maximum

participation with their teacher/s during the school day. (Further details on class schedules and

expectations will follow.)

● Parents choosing the remote-only option for their students will be expected to support their

students in the remote setting. An environment conducive to learning must be established and

maintained while students learn at home.

Our Reopening Plan - UpdateSpecial Education Instruction

Special needs students must be afforded the same level of instructional access as their non-disabled peers. At a minimum,

Monroe Township special education students will follow the district’s posted plan.

● Being ever mindful of the safety issues, educational needs, transportational concerns, and to remain consistent with the

social distancing guidelines, we anticipate some exceptions to the district outline when opening in September:

○ There are ongoing meetings with district special needs staff, by program, occurring to help develop a plan that is

functional and rigorous or our students.

■ Elementary and middle school self-contained classes for students with autism will plan to meet directly with

students the 4 instructional half days and use Wednesday as virtual.

■ We are, thus far, able to accommodate 3 of our 4 BD programs (elementary & middle school) with a similar

schedule.

■ Have met with the elementary and middle school MD teachers regarding their thoughts for 4-day direct

instruction (half days) and trying work through some challenges as the classes are nearly all at capacity.

■ Meeting is being scheduled with our PSD staff, and

■ Meeting is also scheduled with Principals to address the students in co-teaching classes.

■ SC/LLD numbers seem to support the district plan.

Transportation

Instructional Model

Survey Data as of 7/29/2020 at 7:00pm - 1,862 responses

Our Reopening Plan - Early DismissalHybrid Model In-School Times

Teacher In Student In Student Out Teacher Out

HS 7:15am 7:28am 12:01pm 2:20pm

MS 7:55am 8:10am 12:43pm 3:00pm

ES 8:40am 8:55am 1:20pm 3:45pm

Our Reopening Plan - Hybrid ModelAssignment to Cohorts (A or B)

Cohort A - Monday and Thursday Cohort B - Tuesday and Friday

A-K L-Z

Students in the Hybrid Model will attend school in-person on either Monday and Thursday (Cohort A) or Tuesday and Friday (Cohort B). If hybrid instruction is chosen, siblings will be assigned the same cohort (A or B). We cannot accommodate requests for a specific cohort.

As class lists and schedules are developed, changes may need to be made to balance classes. School administrators will address these on an individual basis.

Hybrid students will be assigned to a cohort by last name according to the following:

Our Reopening Plan - Switching Instructional Models

Switching from Hybrid to Remote-only or Remote-Only to Hybrid

Parents will have the option to switch their choice according to the following:

● If the child or family member tests positive for COVID-19 (switch to remote immediately)

● The first of the month with a minimum of one week’s notice and meeting with counselor

and/or school administrator

● Only one switch will be permitted.

Our Reopening Plan - Calendar Updates

● Pending Board approval, a revision to the 2020-2021 school calendar will change September 3 and

4 to in-service days, and make October 12 and June 7 student days. This will provide additional

opportunities for planning, meeting, and professional development at the start of the school year.

● During the first week of school, there will not be a remote learning day for students in the hybrid

model.

○ Cohort A will attend school Tuesday, 9/8 and Thursday, 9/10

○ Cohort B will attend school Wednesday, 9/9 and Friday, 9/11

● After the first week there are seven straight five-day weeks, which takes us to November.

Information will be provided in early October regarding the cohort schedule for November and

December.

Our Reopening Plan - Safety is ParamountTransportation

● Seating Protocols Pickup: Back to front. Drop off: Front to Back

● Mask Enforcement / Providing Masks Masks Required. Each bus will have extra masks for student w/o one

● Wellness Check Health Office looking into software for home assessment possibly via Google Docs

● Cleaning Protocols Between Runs Our bus company will be using Lemon-Quat RTU twice daily

● Encourage Parents to Drive Students Will be part of communication to Parents

Our Reopening Plan - Safety is ParamountSchool Day

● Arrival Health Assessment Health Office looking into software for home assessment

● Attendance TBD

● Masks / Enforcement Protocols Masks are required. Principals will work collaboratively and update code of conduct Specific accommodations will be made as needed or per IEP/504

● Desk Spacing Every other row and rotate desk use between between classes

● Sanitizing Supplies – Pumps, Dispensers, Wipes Ordered: 8 Electrostatic Sprayers, Masks 6,000 + 4,000 to be ordered Hand Sanitizer 400 gallon containers + 500 16oz (Safety First, Purell)

● Maintenance Plan Logs To be completed in addition to pandemic cleaning procedure training for custodians

● Covid Response Plan Pending approval from School Physician

● HVAC Requirements Our HVAC systems will meet recommended specifications.

● Food Services TBD

Thank you for your continued support!