Newark Board of Education Task Force for the Reopening of Schools Executive Summary Roger León Superintendent of Schools June 15, 2020 NBOE Task Force for the Reopening of Schools Members Member Title Nicole T. Johnson Co-Chairperson, Deputy Superintendent Valerie Wilson Co-Chairperson, School Business Administrator Hon. Tave Padilla NBOE Board Member Maria Ortiz Executive Director, Office of Student Life Abdullah Ansari Executive Director, Information Technology Dr. Tonya McGill Executive Director, Food Services JoAnne Watson Executive Director, Labor Relations Quanika Dukes-Spruill Executive Director, Transportation Services Steven Morlino Executive Director, Facilities Management Dr. Marguerite Leuze Director, Health Services Levi A. Holmes II Executive Director, Security Services Atiba Buckman Principal, Speedway Elementary School Dr. Sharnee Brown Principal, Central High School Dr. Deneen Washington Principal, Belmont Runyon School Danielle Gaines Teacher, Belmont Runyon School Andrea Valerius Lead Teacher, Technology High School Honore Hodgson Teacher, East Side High School Bruno Coelho Student Representative, NBOE Argetina Aquino Parent, First Avenue School Anthony Baskerville Senior Guard, West Side High School John Abeigon President, Newark Teachers Union Wilhelmina Holder President, Secondary Parent Council Mike Maillaro Director of Research and Communication, Newark Teachers Union Christine Taylor President, City Association of Supervisors and Administrators Elizabeth Corker Math Teacher Coach, Mount Vernon Elementary School 2 On Monday, May 4, 2020, Mayor Ras. J. Baraka announced the Newark Reopening and Recovery Strikeforce. In alignment with those efforts, Superintendent León created the NBOE Task Force for the Reopening of Schools. The co-chairpersons of the NBOE Task Force for the Reopening of Schools are Deputy Superintendent Nicole T. Johnson and School Business Administrator Valerie Wilson. They are working with a comprehensive team of stakeholders that includes principals, teachers, other instructional and non-instructional school-based staff, central office employees, board members, parents, students, community members, and union leaders. The group represents expertise across many facets. The Superintendent has charged this group with the responsibility of providing recommendations and guidance for consideration regarding the reopening of schools. The Task Force met several times over the course of a month to take an in-depth look at several areas such as school operations including the distribution of meals, adherence to social distancing guidelines and the implementation of precautionary measures; student and staff supports which includes counseling, training on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and screening for trauma; and instructional considerations such as intervention, extended learning time and remote instruction. The Task Force was committed to addressing the needs and concerns of students, staff, parents and the community at large. The overarching goal was to provide recommendations that support the community in feeling safe about returning to school. Understanding that it is unlikely that any reopening plan would fully encapsulate all of the necessary considerations for reopening schools upon a health related closure, the Task Force has prioritized recommendations under five areas of focus: school operations (ensuring the health and safety of all students and staff); student supports (supporting the needs of students); staff supports (supporting the needs of district staff); instruction (providing high-quality learning experiences and mitigating learning loss) and remote learning/technology (attending to the technology needs of students and staff). These recommendations are in response to Covid-19 and may evolve as new information becomes available from the CDC, the State of New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Education or the City of Newark. 3 School Operations Prior to in-person instruction With in-person instruction Establish safety procedures based on guidelines from CDC, New Jersey Department of Health and the Newark Department of Health. Monitor the implementation of safety procedures. Create and disseminate a guidance document, in accordance with CDC guidelines and recommendations from the Office of Health Services and the Office of Facilities to be shared with administrators, staff and families. Continue to assess wellness of staff and students. Assess wellness of staff and students prior to reopening. Communicate regularly with parents and primary care providers to maintain safe and appropriate reentry to school. Prepare educational programs for administrators, staff and families to reinforce the guidelines. Re-evaluate every three months. Provide supports for the students and staff that do not meet readiness criteria to return to school or work. Work with transportation to establish a plan that meets social distancing and health and safety requirements. Continuously monitor and evaluate student routes for efficiency and adherence to health and safety standards. Identify Transportation leads to participate in the Office of Pupil Transportation Training on expectations, goals and objectives regarding student transportation. Expand training for transportation staff. Prepare for the safe distribution of breakfast and lunch. Increase monitoring efforts to ensure that State, Federal and District guidelines are followed regarding transportation. Mandatory training for bus staff district-wide and mandatory meetings with bus company owners. Work with school staff to ensure the safe distribution of breakfast and lunch. Instruction Prior to in-person instruction Establish a plan to mitigate learning loss. With in-person instruction Assess the effectiveness of extended learning programming and all academic and social-emotional interventions. Provide professional learning for teachers and instructional staff. Analyze results of needs assessment to create instructional goals and plan for targeted interventions. Communicate clear decisions and guidance around grading, report cards, attendance, and promotion policies. Continue to monitor and adjust interventions for most vulnerable students. Establish school based instructional teams to create 4 instructional goals and individualized plans for students. Continue to provide professional development on an on-going basis throughout the school year. Consult with Child Study Teams to identify additional modifications needed for students with IEPs based on new instructional platforms and assessments. Ensure that all schools have required licenses and training to use online curriculum platforms. Consult with Bilingual and ESL teachers to identify the needs of English Language Learners. Provide direct communication via Teacher Talk, Principal Points and during weekly and monthly meetings at the school level. Establish policies for the classroom/school environment. Meet with teachers and parents to address student specific needs. Meet with teacher to address specific needs of English Language Learners. Remote Learning/Technology Prior to in-person instruction With in-person instruction Establish standardized tools and platforms for staff, student and parent collaboration. Develop operational policies and procedures to ensure sustainable and equitable implementation of remote learning. Ensure that all stakeholders have connectivity to the internet and access to technology and online curriculum resources. Work with the NJDOE to develop policies for online learning. Ensure all students and teaching staff members receive the training needed to optimize the implementation of online learning and student learning. Work with the NJDOE to develop policies for online learning that address student seat time to ensure ontime credit accumulation and graduation. Monitor the effectiveness of remote learning and access to technology. Establish an attendance policy for virtual and hybridlearning. Provide frequent and on-going training throughout the school year on all technology tools and platforms. Establish a district-wide communication policy and standardized methodology for communication with all stakeholders in virtual platforms and modalities. Monitor all virtual platforms for usage. Establish Safety and Cyber Security Protocols. Ensure sound security practices are implemented and enforced. Redesign the IT department to provide support, upgrades and maintenance. Survey staff to garner feedback on support provided by the IT department. 5 Student Supports Prior to in-person instruction With in-person instruction Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to inform student support services at the school and district level. Provide support in meeting the social, emotional and mental health needs of students. Monitor the effectiveness of the Student Support Centers. Open or create a Student Support Center in every school. Conduct a student survey to assess student understanding of school protocols, student wellness, etc. Provide educational training for students on safety precautions, safe interactions and school protocols. Staff Supports Prior to in-person instruction With in-person instruction Provide additional professional learning/orientation days for all staff in preparation for return to in-person learning and work. Revisit training throughout the year on all topics and with all school and district community. Update relevant district policies and procedures in accordance with new requirements, and in collaboration with bargaining unions. Expand Employee Assistance Program and communicate services to faculty and staff. Provide relevant training materials to all staff. Partner with community organizations to provide additional resources and support as needed. Establish policies for the work environment. Consistently update staff on current guidelines from the CDC, New Jersey Department of Health, Newark Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Education. Evaluate personnel needs. Have available for staff educational materials on loss, grief, stress and anxiety. Provide staff with updated policies and procedures. Ensure workstations meet social distancing recommendations. Monitor work schedules to determine if adjustments are needed. Communicate hiring procedures with school and district staff. Share candidate pool when a vacancy is known to ensure staff coverage. Communicate retirements, resignations or staff unwilling to return to hiring managers and school administrators. 6 Roger León Superintendent Newark Board of Education Josephine C. Garcia President Dawn Haynes Vice President Shayvonne Anderson Board Member Hasani K. Council Board Member Yambeli Gomez Board Member Flohisha Hill Board Member A’Dorian Murray-Thomas Board Member Asia J. Norton Board Member Tave Padilla Board Member Where Passion Meets Progress www.nps.k12.nj.us