At the fingertips of my formerly nicotine-stained hands, I have an electronic copy of a 2021-2022 public school reopening plan. This thing is nuts—a systemic culture of public health tyranny in its natural bureaucratic form.
And that’s an important point.
The source of this particular draft plan includes a disclaimer in big red unfriendly letters (reformatted):
“This draft plan is developed based upon current NH DHHS guidelines and will be reviewed for any needed revisions and for final approval in August 2021.”
And so it is and will. All learning will be in person on the positive side—no more remote learning as a default. Students and teachers will be in school buildings. That’s the guidance.
But then there’s this.
Health Management Expectations to Maintain Safety
Masks
When indoors, following the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, students can be as close as 3 feet apart as long as they are wearing a face mask.
All adults will be required to wear masks when indoors.
The majority of students will need to wear masks if they cannot achieve 6 feet of physical distancing.
Administration can make an exception for health and or disability-related reasons.
We may need to teach younger students how to wear masks.
Disposable masks will be available for students as needed. A supply of masks will be available in central locations (office, health office, athletic office, etc.)
Mask breaks will be provided and scheduled/determined by the teacher and/or building administrator.
The District will provide all staff with masks.
During close contact, when masks are not appropriate, staff will use a Plexiglas barrier. A few examples would be staff working closely with students, speech therapy, cognitive evaluations, reading tutoring.
Physical Distancing
Distancing will be maintained at 3 feet with masks, and 6 feet without masks.
Health Screenings/Students
Students with a temperature of 100.0 or higher will be referred to the school nurse.
Nurses will provide documents to be sent home to all families, instructing them when to keep their children home from school including a list of specific symptoms and/or conditions.
Parents/guardians will sign and return, indicating that they understand the protocol.
Parents/guardians will be asked to screen children daily, including taking daily temperatures. Children will need to stay home if temperature is 100.0 or higher.
Parents/guardians with concern about any symptoms will notify or contact the school nurse.
Health Screenings for Staff
Nurses will provide health screening documents to all staff with a list of symptoms
and conditions under which they should not report to work. Staff members will sign
and return, indicating that they understand the protocol.
Staff members will be asked to do self-screening each morning, including taking
daily temperatures. Staff members will need to stay home if temperature is 100.0 or
higher. If staff stay home from school, they will contact the Human Resources
Director.
Staff members with concerns about any symptoms will notify or contact the school
nurse.
As you well know, there is ample science proving none of this is necessary. A simple return to the old school standards would be fine. If you’re sick, stay home. Otherwise, show up and do your job, whether that’s as a teacher or a student.
Another significant and unnecessary burden in this draft (developed based upon current NH DHHS guidelines) is building access.
Daily Operation of Buildings
All doors to our schools stay locked as usual.
Access to our buildings will be limited.
Vendors will not be allowed in buildings.
Volunteers will not be working in our buildings this year.
Parents/guardians will not be permitted in the buildings to drop items off to students or early dismissal from a parent/guardian request.
Parents/guardians will notify school office personnel when they have something to drop off. Office personnel will direct the student to go outside to obtain the items.
Parents/guardians will make appointments to enter the building for essential reasons.
Deliveries such as mail, FedEx, UPS, will be delivered to a designated location outside the building.
We will have essential deliveries such as food service made by drivers wearing masks
and taking safety precautions.
Limiting access for security reasons is common sense; doing it as an act of COVID terrorism is uncalled for and, frankly, absurd.
Every district is supposed to have a draft plan available by June 23, so your district will have a draft as well. Get a copy. It probably looks a lot like this. Perhaps even exactly like it.
And you may want to suggest changes, but I think the big fish we need to fry is the State Department of Education (no offense, Frank) because this all appears to be drill down from them.
And yeah, they are getting guidance per the CDC (Centers for Democratic Control, or perhaps Chaotic Dystopian Culture is better), but this is your state and your Department of Education.
If enough people can exert some positive influence – that’s a hint, don’t be a douche – maybe we can get the guidance that leads to the drafts retooled, and then parents in the various districts can make meaningful change to these plans.
Like, masks are voluntary in all instances.
As you were.
