Hello Friends and Neighbors,

Education during these difficult times has been the focus of many people throughout the community. Parents concerned their child’s education could be at risk, teachers worried their students may not have the resources they need to succeed, administrators worried about the health of employees, and students who have shared concerns for their fellow classmates’ mental health. All of these are important and valid issues and we must continue to have conversations as a community, while we navigate these uncertain times.

This week Governor Brown announced the path to in-person classes for the upcoming school year. The update included metrics districts will follow to determine how school instruction will take place (in the classroom, remote learning, or a hybrid of the two) and I have included that information below. I have also included information on how the West Linn-Wilsonville and Tigard-Tualatin school districts are approaching reopening. These are challenging times, but I have no doubt these are challenges our community will once again rise to meet.

In-Person Learning for the School Year

Yesterday, Governor Brown outlined the public health metrics that will allow K-12 students to return to in-person learning once the 2020-21 school year starts. This includes both statewide and county-by-county metrics in order to resume in-person instruction in any form, including hybrid instruction models, for all grade levels and school districts.

State Metrics: Across the state, the weekly coronavirus test positivity rate must be at 5% or below for three consecutive weeks. Last week, Oregon achieved a test positivity rate of 4.8% after three weeks above the 5% threshold. Prior to those three consecutive weeks above 5%, the state was under that threshold for 12 weeks in a row. These numbers are available in the Oregon Health Authority’s weekly testing summary.

County Metrics: For schools to resume in-person learning or a hybrid model, the county the school is in must also maintain a weekly test positivity rate of 5% or below for three consecutive weeks. The county must also have 10 or fewer cases per 100,000 people for three consecutive weeks.

These metrics were developed by doctors and public health experts at the Oregon Health Authority in coordination with education experts at the Oregon Department of Education and the Early Learning Division. Oregon school districts are currently developing plans for the coming school year using ODE’s Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance, which can be found here.

With these new metrics, many districts have already begun announcing their plans for the fall including both school districts in HD 37. 

Tigard-Tualatin School District will start the year with comprehensive remote learning. Superintendent Dr. Sue Rieke-Smith states, “As educators, we are painfully aware of the importance of in-person instruction and relationship building, and all of us cannot wait for the day when we can welcome our students back into our buildings. This decision was made by weighing evidence-based data from our county and state health officials alongside my obligation to protect the safety and well-being of each of all of our students, teachers, and staff. Making this decision now allows our staff time to focus on creating a robust online learning experience that will thoughtfully meet the needs of every TTSD student.”   Read the Full Press Release here. 

Superintendent Ludwig also announced that West Linn Wilsonville will be starting the year, through quarter one, with Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL). She stated, “Based on the rates today, the trend in our county, and meetings with our local health department, we will plan to start the school year with Comprehensive Distance Learning. We plan to keep with Comprehensive Distance Learning through the first quarter of the school year (October 30). We will closely monitor the health metrics on a regular basis and as we near the end of the first quarter, make a determination as to whether or how soon a transition to the Hybrid Model could begin." West Linn-Wilsonville School District has put together a Reopening Schools resource that you can review here.

I recognize this is challenging news. We know students’ educational growth can be harmed by distance learning when compared to in-person learning, and these changes may compound inequities that already exist. Further, these decisions will also have an impact on parents’ ability to work and provide for their children and families. 

It is important we take public health seriously as we face these unprecedented times. The Institute for Disease Modeling has shown that unless community spread is reduced, reopening schools to in-person instruction, even with protective measures like physical distancing and face coverings, will cause significant growth of the virus. 

The upside is school districts now know the targets they need to hit in order to make it safe for students and teachers to return to the classroom. Let’s commit to those goals by doing everything we can to prevent the spread of the virus.

More information on this decision-making process, including metrics comparing Oregon to other countries that have successfully reopened schools, is available here.

Below are some additional details on reopening metrics for remote and rural school districts, transition planning for distance learning, and schools that must do distance learning without a hybrid model.

In-Person Instruction or Hybrid Instruction Model: K-3 Students and Remote and Rural School Districts:

Under some conditions, in-person instruction can resume only for K-3 students and remote and rural school districts with fewer than 100 students. Younger students get the virus at lower rates, get less sick, and spread the virus less than older students and adults. Younger students also need more in-person instruction to build literacy and math skills critical for lifelong learning. Schools in remote and rural communities are less likely to contribute to the community spread of COVID-19 cases that cannot be traced and contained. The following conditions must be met for in-person instruction for K-3 students or for remote and rural students:

• Fewer than 30 cases per 100,000 over 7 days

• Test positivity of 5% or less over 7 days

• COVID-19 is not actively spreading in the school community

• School districts are in compliance with sections 1-3 of Ready Schools, Safe Learners Guidance

Transition Planning for Comprehensive Distance Learning:

For school districts where in-person instruction is occurring during the school year, planning for a switch to comprehensive distance learning should take place, including training for staff and notification of the community, if one or both conditions are met:

• 20 cases or greater per 100,000 over 7 days

• Test positivity of 7.5% or greater over 7 days

Comprehensive Distance Learning:

All school districts must implement comprehensive distance learning if the following conditions are met:

• 30 or more cases per 100,000 over 7 days

• Test positivity of 10% or greater over 7 days

Police Reform

The Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform will hold additional hearings this week in response to the community’s request for more reforms.

Topics discussed will include: changes to the tools law enforcement can use during crowd control situations (LC 742); demilitarizing law enforcement (LC 743); developing a clearer process for reporting misconduct (LC744) banning chokeholds (LC 745); standardizing discipline statewide (lc 746); furthering transparency of police misconduct record (LC 748).

Hearings will be held online but you can submit testimony by calling in or submitting written testimony.

Here are the links for the agenda of each day. If you scroll to the bottom you will find the info needed to testify in the way most convenient to you. 

• Yesterday's committee was recorded and you can view it here.

And to watch or submit testimony for today or tomorrow go here:

• Today
• Tomorrow

No rest until Employment Department is fixed

People in our community are hurting and desperate. While I'm proud to have been able to help some constituents through the process, far too many are still in need, living in fear they'll lose their housing or won't have enough to pay for medicine or food.

Mental Health & Voting 

It was an honor to join Work2BeWell and engage with young people as they shared their views on mental health, resiliency, advocacy, and participating in the democratic process. I loved hearing their stories of moments they realized the power of their own voice and what they have done with that power. Their vulnerability and insights are inspiring and I am proud to join them in this conversation. Thank you for having me, Talk2BeWell! Watch the video here. 

Please email me if you have specific concerns. Our office will do all we can to help and protect all Oregonians.

For up-to-date Covid 19 information from the Oregon Health Authority, please check this link 

Governor Brown’s COVID-19 Resource page. 

And if you want to follow Up-to-date Statistics from the Oregon Health Authority for case counts, testing counts, breakdowns by geography, demographic, and hospitalization information go here. 

Thank you for reading! We will get through this together.     

Rachel Prusak