Superintendent of Schools

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Safely bringing our students back - Sept. 4, 2020

09/04/2020

Dear SAISD Staff:

As we enter Labor Day weekend, we look forward to transitioning into Level 2 Yellow on our safety matrix upon our return to work next week. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, we will welcome small numbers of students back to campus – a sight we have not seen since March. Our teachers and staff also will continue returning to their campus classrooms and offices.

We already have had more than 40% of our teachers coming onsite to take advantage of the technology and other supports their campuses can give them. These teachers also have given us feedback on the implementation of our safety procedures, for which we are hugely thankful. Feedback has been positive, and we will continually seek to improve upon these protocols.

We are being cautious in our approach, with safety foremost in our minds, and our measured steps are being noticed. The state has highlighted our re-opening plan as a model for other school districts to follow. The plan also is receiving national attention with school systems across the country reaching out to ask about it. We are all learning from each other to solve the challenges before us.

Conversations are flowing both externally and internally. Our administrative team – from Technology to Facilities, and from Human Resources to Accountability, Research & Evaluation & Testing – have been meeting with school leadership to address concerns at a granular level and to produce a document with a specificity that can be readily implemented. Now this information is being shared with campus staff, and we are using their feedback to refine the protocols.

We have built our procedures to accommodate this refinement. Just as returning teachers received two weeks to learn and give input on current procedures, we know we will continue to make adjustments as students enter this new environment. We are giving ourselves another two weeks to evaluate how the first few students are adapting to the protocols before another small student cohort returns to the campuses.

We are hearing that a majority of staff and parents are in support of the guidelines we are implementing, and we appreciate their advocacy. We are addressing the questions that remain with those few who have voiced them, and we remain open to these conversations as we move through this process.

For instance, we are hearing your concerns about our structural challenges. Please know we have invested more than $2 million dollars to improve our air conditioning systems, and another $1 million to upgrade our air filters to those with high-efficiency ratings. We realize we have aging facilities, and we have developed long-range plans to address this.

We recognize that anxiety is heightened around this uncertain time. Although local health statistics are improving, there are still concerns around the pandemic – and this is understandable.

We always will give opportunities to voice any concerns you may have – we want to hear them and address them. We also want this to be a respectful process.

All of our school leaders are 100% committed to working with campus staff and parents to address their health and safety concerns. Recently, incomplete information was shared and distributed about a situation at Burbank High School, and this is not okay.

As we work our way back to the workplace, let’s not let the additional stress of this time overshadow our kindness and consideration for each other. Civility, courteousness, and professionalism are part of our Board policy, and these norms also are part of what brings a community together as family.

Let’s lean on the Power of Us to solve whatever challenges we face. We are stronger together, and we will need this strength to fortify us in the days ahead. If our local health statistics keep trending positively, we may soon see COVID-19 positivity rates hit 5%. At that point, we will transition into Level 3 Green with up to 50% of students returning. We need to be ready for this – following all safety guidelines.

The majority of parents across the district, the city, and the country are waiting for this moment. Some even have opted out of enrolling their children until we are at a point of welcoming most students back for in-person instruction. School districts that are not ready to safely bring students back to campuses may see significant ramifications, including enrollment loss.

Our students need us, and we need to be here for them. The connections we make in the classroom are a significant part of a child’s education.

I am proud of the work that our teachers are doing with remote instruction and the amazing team that supports them. But we are hearing the research that tells us in-person instruction is the best way to reach our youngest students during their foundational years, and that even our older students lose engagement over time when they are only in a virtual environment.

We have been working hard since COVID-19 hit our community this past spring to plan a way for our students to come back safely in person. Our plans have been thoughtful and cautious – based on safety, health data and the guidance of Metro Health. We are here to meet the needs of our children, and we will do so in the safest way possible.

Sincerely,
Pedro