March 24, 2021

Coronavirus Update: A Note on Education

Dear Parents and Neighbors,

There is no question that in-person, classroom teaching offers the best
education for students and that the past year of remote learning, despite
our teachers' best efforts, has been emotionally, socially, and
academically detrimental to children across the District. There is an
urgent need to bring students back to school, and the CDC's recently
published guidance on school operating protocols will greatly support the
effort to bring more students back for Term 4, which begins on April 19th.

Early next week, DC Health is going to issue revised school reopening
guidance based on the new CDC recommendations. Individual schools will then
use this guidance to produce tailored operational plans—including updates
to the number of students who will be able to return for in-person
learning. The most promising policy change from the CDC is the reduction of
classroom social distancing requirements from 6 feet to 3 feet. Classroom
space limitations have been a major barrier to bringing more students back
for in-person learning this term, and the determination by the CDC that a
smaller social distance barrier meets a high safety standard means that we
will be able to significantly increase the number students per classroom.

Reopening conditions will be determined on a school-by-school basis, so
until these individual school plans are created, DC Public Schools (DCPS)
is unable to provide teachers, students, and families with a clear vision
of what the remainder of the school year will look like.

Here is what we do know:
* At the Elementary Level - Due to the fact that students at the
elementary level stay within one class, it will be much easier for our
elementary schools to expand in-person learning for more students. DCPS
anticipates that we will see significant classroom size expansions as a
result of the new 3 foot social distancing protocol.
* At the Middle/High School Level - Expanding in-person options will be
much more complicated at the Middle and High School levels because the
guidance will still seek to limit the degree of student cohort mixing. For
example, a student who has 5 classes is subject to increased exposure risk
due to being exposed to different teachers and peers throughout the day.
Therefore, it is likely that we will not see extensive in-person learning
expansion at the higher levels and that students who do return should
expect class scheduling that includes both virtual and in-person options.
* Randomized Testing - Schools will maintain randomized COVID-19 testing
of 10% of the student population (with parental consent) and educators and
building staff will continue to have access to weekly mail-in at-home
testing. There is also a roving team of healthcare workers from DC Health
who are able to provide in-person testing at schools. These early detection
efforts will be essential in protecting students, teachers, and staff as
the total number of people entering our school buildings increases.

With all this being said, it appears unlikely that all students will be
able to return for in-person learning in Term 4, and, in any case, some
families may wish to maintain their virtual learning environment through
the end of the academic year.

In order to expand in-person learning, individual schools will need to
grapple with their space limitations and staffing capabilities. Even with
the current level of in-person safety operations, there have been 26
outbreaks in schools across the District, including multiple outbreaks in
Ward 3. We cannot discount legitimate teacher or staff apprehension in
returning to school, but we can share vaccination safety/efficacy
information and expand access to vaccination opportunities. And over the
next week, DC Health will be on-boarding [1]three new vaccinating
pharmacies that will provide vaccination opportunities for teachers,
building staff, childcare workers.

Even in light of these operational complications, we have seen successes in
recent weeks. Earlier this month, vaccination eligibility was expanded to
all teachers, staff, and childcare workers. Along with many education
advocates and my colleagues Councilmember Charles Allen and Councilmember
Janeese Lewis George, we were successful in pushing for the cancellation of
this year's PARCC exam. The Mayor has also met our call to establish
outdoor classrooms and has committed $9 million in funding to support
outdoor learning infrastructure. Large-scale tutoring and summer academic
catch-up opportunities are being organized, and even student [2]athletics
and theater programs are being phased back in.

So, as we proceed, let's keep up our collective efforts: by wearing a mask
(better yet, [3]two), diligent hand washing, social distancing, and
avoiding large gatherings.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [4]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

Everyone is encouraged to pre-register for the vaccine at
[5]vaccinate.dc.gov

The Public Health Emergency has been extended through May 20th, 2021

Sign up to receive these updates directly through [6]marycheh.com

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to reach us via phone through our main line at (202)
724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services
requests.

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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