School Reopening 2020: Preliminar @Egh??o Framewor Reupening Schools in a Safe and Respunsihle Manner Table of Contents   Letter from CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson and CEdO LaTanya D. McDade  Executive Summary  What we heard  What we know  What we considered  Our recommendation  Keeping students and staff safe  What’s next  Public comment period on preliminary reopening framework  End of July through the first day of school on September 8      Letter from CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson and CEdO LaTanya D. McDade    In March, we made the difficult decision to close our school buildings in order to keep our  communities safe and slow the spread of COVID-19. In the ensuing months, our educators  completely transformed how they provide instruction; our students gave up proms, athletics, and  graduations; and you supported your children in more ways than ever before. Our shared sacrifices  helped flatten the curve in our state and allowed us to evaluate reopening schools in the fall. Today,  we are sharing a preliminary reopening framework that is aligned to the strongest guidance from  public health officials and will help us prepare to reopen schools if it is safe to do so on September 8.     Our preliminary framework is rooted in science and developed in accordance with guidance released  by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and  the Illinois State Board of Education. We’ve heard from families that they are eager to resume their  child’s education but in a manner that minimizes the health risks posed by COVID-19. To strike this  fine balance, we are preparing for a scenario in which it is safe to begin the 2020–21 school year with  a hybrid learning model where students will learn at school and at home. This hybrid model would  allow students to follow proper social distancing guidelines by effectively cutting the number of  students in a classroom and ensuring students can access high-quality in-person instruction from  caring teachers. And because our public health situation continues to evolve, our framework is  designed to adapt to changing public health conditions and easily transition to full at-home learning  should COVID-19 cases begin to rise.    While we intend to bring students back if it is safe to do so, we also understand that some families will  prefer to keep their children home. In recognition of the unprecedented nature of this pandemic and  2 the need for flexibility, every parent will have the option to opt out of in-person instruction and learn  from home full time.    School buildings will look different this fall  School will feel different this year. Following public health guidance, school buildings will welcome  half of their normal student body into the building on any given day. Staff and students will complete  daily symptom screeners before coming to school, have their temperatures taken before entering the  building, wear face coverings, and students will come to school for only a few days a week.Supporting  these measures requires a considerable investment, which we are fully committed to making. To  ensure the safest possible learning environments, we have purchased more than 1.2 million reusable  cloth face masks to support every student and staff member, 42,000 hand sanitizer dispensers, more  than 40,000 containers of disinfectant wipes, 22,000 infrared thermometers, hospital-grade  disinfectant sprayers, and additional PPE for specialty roles. We’re also hiring nearly 400 additional  custodians to help carry out stringent cleaning and sanitizing protocols every day in every school​.     Learning from home will also look different this fall  Based on guidance from ISBE, students learning at home will have a minimum of five hours of  instruction or assigned work per day and attendance will be tracked. Teachers will design ​activities  and assignments could include pre-recorded lessons, independent work to build skills, and accessing  digital curriculum resources. Students will access assignments through Google Classroom as part of a  wider t​ransition to Google platforms. Additional details on new learning expectations and  improvements will be provided in the final reopening framework.    Social distancing will be critical to keeping students and educators safe  Students will be assigned to pods of approximately 15 students and, along with a designated group of  teachers, will stay together for the entire school year. This pod model reduces potential viral  transmission, allows us to conduct rapid contact tracing, and reduces the need to disrupt learning for  the school community if a case of COVID-19 is identified.     In order to ensure proper social distancing, the majority of K–10 students will split their time  between learning at home and learning at school. Students will learn at school with their teacher, and  they will use their time learning at home to complete assignments and access digital curriculum.  Under this 2-1-2 hybrid schedule model, student pods will start and end their week learning  independently at home or learning at school two days a week. On Wednesdays, both pods will engage  in three hours of real-time virtual classroom instruction together with their teacher. This model will  allow students, staff, and families to maintain a stable weekly schedule while affording educators  necessary time to plan for various instructional needs.    3 We’re differentiating the amount of in-person instruction students will receive based on their age  and developmental learning needs of particular. Pre-K students will go to school everyday while high  school juniors and seniors will learn at home for the entire school year due to the complexity of their  schedules and the inability to maintain small, stable pods when schedules differ to such a great  degree. Diverse learners, students in CTE programs that need access to specific resources, and  students who need additional academic and social and emotional support will be prioritized for  in-person instruction based on the capacity of each school.     We will prioritize the social-emotional wellbeing of our students  Our reopening framework goes far beyond academics. It prioritizes the social-emotional needs of our  students, many of whom have experienced trauma from the impact of COVID-19 on their  communities and the demonstrations in our country following the murder of George Floyd. Easing  our students’ anxiety and building supportive learning environments will be critical to their success  this coming school year.     Our reopening framework honors our commitment to equity  To follow through on the equity promise set forth in our Five-Year Vision, Success Starts Here, our  reopening framework also takes into account the unique needs of our most vulnerable populations,  including our English Learners and students with diverse learning needs. We are working on a plan to  bring many of these students back into the classroom during all in-person instruction days, and we  remain committed to providing all children with the supports and resources they will need to be  successful during this challenging time.      In the coming weeks, the district will be finalizing our plans for implementing a high-quality hybrid  learning model. We need your input on how best to resume school in a responsible manner. Please  review the reopening framework and complete the reopening ​survey​ by July 31, 2020. Following an  extensive public engagement period, we will release our final plan for the reopening of schools during  the first week of August. And in late August, when we will have greater clarity on the public health  situation at the time school is about to begin, we will make a final determination about whether we  can welcome students back into school buildings a few days a week or have students learn-at-home  full time.     Despite this new reality, we are confident in the ability of our educators, families, and partners to  work together to provide all CPS students with a robust, high-quality education.     It will take all of us working together to make this school year a success and uphold necessary health  and safety protocols in our schools. Everyone can help ensure schools are able to safely reopen in the  fall by continuing to practice social distancing, wearing masks, and following the latest guidance from  4 our public health officials. We hope you will unite with us in these efforts. We thank you for your  input, patience, and flexibility. We value your partnership and look forward to hearing from you in the  coming weeks.     Sincerely,        Janice K. Jackson, EdD  LaTanya D. McDade  Chief Executive Officer  Chicago Public Schools  Chief Education Officer  Chicago Public Schools    5   Executive Summary  Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is committed to ensuring all students have access to high-quality  instruction in a learning environment that prioritizes the health, safety, and social and emotional  needs of our students and staff. To balance these objectives, CPS considered several models for the  2020–21 school year. While each scenario has its own challenges and benefits, the district developed  a reopening plan that aligns with the commitments and core values outlined in our five-year vision,  Success Starts Here,​ and the guidance of the city’s public health officials. These are the ​guiding  principles​ for our reopening guidance:   ● The health and wellness of students and staff is our highest priority  ○ The health and wellness of the CPS community remains our highest priority, and we  will make every effort to provide teachers and students with pre-existing health  conditions the ability to safely participate in school activities.  ● All students have a high-quality learning experience  ○ Students’ academic progress must be protected despite changes to the learning  environment. CPS will continue to deliver a high-quality experience.  6 ● High-need students are supported  ○ As part of our commitment to equity, every student must be able to participate in  learning, whether at home or in school. CPS will identify and respond to inequities  and differences in opportunities among our student population.  ● The needs of the whole child and staff are met  ○ The physical, social, and emotional needs of our students and educators are a district  priority. We acknowledge that this past year has presented our students and teachers  with unprecedented challenges, and we will focus on reducing anxiety due to  COVID-19 as well as building a supportive community.  ● The evolving needs of the CPS community due to COVID-19 and racial injustice are  addressed  ○ The COVID-19 public health emergency illuminates historical inequities experienced  by our students and communities of color. CPS’ mission is centered on achieving  educational and health equity. CPS will continue to engage and collaborate with  students, parents, staff, and community partners to solicit their feedback and better  understand and respond to their evolving needs in relation to impacts of COVID-19  and the demonstrations and social actions responding to racial injustice.  ● Stakeholders are informed and know what to expect   ○ The plan is transparent and clear to all constituents. Guidelines for the current school  year are accessible and easily understood by all members of our community.   What we heard  The voices of our students, families, and staff will be critical to informing how we resume school. Over  the summer, we surveyed CPS community members to better understand their thoughts, concerns,  and priorities for the fall. We’re thankful to the more than 54,000 CPS families who responded to the  survey.     We also conducted 22 family focus groups across the city, with an emphasis on engaging families on  the south, west, and southwest sides, and parents of EL students and diverse learners in order to  better understand the unique challenges they may face as we plan the reopening of school.     Overwhelmingly, families want increased health protocols, clear communication of student  expectations, and a lower student-teacher ratio as part of our back-to-school plan. Families also want  increased social-emotional learning supports to meet their children’s growing social and emotional  7 needs. Finally, parents want transparency. They want to understand our rationale for making  decisions, and they want us to create spaces for public discussion and feedback.      Many families initially told us they had concerns with sending their children back to school absent a  widely available vaccine. However, when we introduced the idea of pods of approximately 15  students and hybrid schedules, families were receptive and more open to sending their children to  school buildings in the fall.     CPS also convened a group of over 100 district and school leaders to participate in our Reopening  Task Force to develop proposed models for Fall 2020. The Reopening Task Force was composed of  11 priority groups focused on key educational and operational areas. We heard the need to:    ● Think innovatively about in-school instruction models.  ● Provide access to the full depth and breadth of curriculum as well as non-academic needs of  every child.   ● Create district-level guidance that still provides flexibility to schools.   ● Follow health expertise on all decisions.    Surveys  CPS launched a variety of surveys to gather feedback from our community, and we will provide  results in our final guidance.   1. Remote Learning Survey to School Leaders and Educators:​ This survey was administered to  understand feedback on spring remote learning and gather information that will inform how  the district prepares for any remote learning in Fall 2020.  2. Return-to-Work Survey:​ In order to understand the needs of our staff and their ability to  return to work during the global health crisis, we collected feedback on staff availability to  return to work in person in Fall 2020.  3. Student and Family Surveys:​ Students in grades 4–12 and all CPS families received a survey  to gather feedback on remote learning, current impacts of COVID-19, and reopening.  CPS held focus group discussions with small groups of staff and families to better understand  the many considerations and needs of returning to school this fall.  1. Principal and Teacher Focus Groups: ​ We engaged principals and teachers in small focus  groups to discuss reopening instructional models, logistics, and health protocols needed in  schools.  8 2. Family Focus Groups: ​We conducted 21 focus groups across Chicago to gather thoughts on  reopening, including return-to-school models, communication preferences, and experiences  with remote learning.   What we know  Until there is a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, the reality is that all decisions for how to move  forward have various risks. In order to make sure the learning experience at CPS is safe, accessible,  and seamless, the decisions outlined in this document have been developed by health and education  leaders and are aligned with guidance of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), Illinois  Department of Public Health (IDPH), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).      CPS has worked in close partnership with public health officials, other districts, and our own  stakeholders to develop protocols, processes, and practices to maximize student learning and public  health. As a result, there are several things we know to be true for the Fall 2020 return to school:    ● CPS is planning to start school with a hybrid learning model where students will learn at  school and at home, with the potential to transition to a full learn-at-home model should  public health require it.  ● CPS will assign students into pods for in-person learning. Student pods will be small, fixed  groups of approximately 15 students. Each pod will have minimal interactions with students  and staff in other pods. If a case of COVID-19 is confirmed at the school, this model  minimizes the potential number of exposures to the virus and allows for timely and efficient  contact tracing.  ● CPS will provide necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), face coverings, hand  sanitizer, and cleaning support to minimize risk of viral transmission in schools.  ● CPS will work closely with CDPH and IDPH to ensure all direct contacts of any confirmed  COVID-19 cases are promptly notified and advised in order to reduce further spread.  ● CPS will continue gathering input from stakeholders and respond to community needs  throughout the fall and school year  ● CPS acknowledges that the situation can change and decisions will need to be made quickly.  We are prepared to transition to different models of school as necessary in response to  COVID-19.​      9 What we considered    Learn-at-Home   Full Time  Hybrid Model  What this  means for  students  and  educators  Students and staff  participate in remote  learning on all instructional  days  In order to meet proper social  distancing guidelines, a pod of  approximately 15 students will  alternate learning at home and at  school. While at school, students will  stay in their pods for all activities  and will not interact with other  pods. Educators will support specific  pods to minimize interactions with  the wider school community.  All students and staff attend  in-person instruction daily  Benefits of  this model  Lowest risk for COVID-19  transmission in the school  community  Balances need for health and safety  while allowing for in-person  instruction  Most conducive to learning  and provides  social-emotional benefits for  students   Challenges  of this  model  Presents challenges for  learning, particularly for  vulnerable student  populations. While we are  prepared to support  students to learn at home,  we believe it is critical to  bring students back into  their school communities  based on feedback that we  heard from the community  and public health officials.  Creates logistical challenges for  families, including access to digital  devices, childcare for days when  children are not in-person, or other  learning considerations. However,  we believe this model brings  students back into their school  communities in a safe and  responsible manner.  Based on available science,  health risks are greatest  when more people are  congregated, and this model  does not mitigate this risk  sufficiently. We do not have  the space or workforce  available to meet the social  distancing requirements to  bring all students back every  day. In consultation with  public health experts, we  believe it is too risky to bring  all students and staff back  without social distancing at  this time.    Learn-at-School   Full Time            10 Our recommendation  After consulting with public health experts, other districts, and CPS educators and families, we  believe a hybrid model where students learn from home and attend school a limited number of days  per week is the safest way to provide in-person instruction to our students.      Given the need to implement a hybrid return to school, CPS is committed to engaging with parents,  students, staff, Local School Councils, and communities to determine the best ways to bring this  school model to life.    What will reopening schools look like?  The state of Illinois and the City of Chicago are currently in Phase 4 of the ​Restore Illinois​ plan which  allows schools to open for in-person instruction. Contingent on guidance from state and local public  health officials, CPS is developing a preliminary framework to reopen schools in September that will  have students splitting their time between learning at school and learning at home.     Hybrid model  A combination of learning models will allow the district to adapt alongside Illinois' public health  response to COVID-19 and the diverse needs of school communities. A hybrid approach will also  allow learning to continue uninterrupted should students need to learn-at-home full-time for health  reasons.         11 In order to keep everyone safe while attending school, the following key characteristics of on-site  learning will be employed:    Students will be assigned to pods  ● A pod of students and staff will allow for an easily identifiable group to remain together for all  in-person instruction and activities during a school day. Student pods will be kept stable with  minimal interaction with other pods. Social distancing measures must be in place between  students across pods.  ● Assigning pods will help to minimize interactions between students and instructional staff  and reduce the potential for spread of COVID-19 within the school community.  ● Pods allow for rapid contact tracing and self-quarantine guidance to be quickly disseminated  if a positive COVID-19 case occurs within a pod.  ● If a COVID-19 case is identified, potentially only that person’s pod may need to be  quarantined instead of the entire school.         12 Social distancing within and among pods  ● Schools should ensure six feet of physical distance between students and staff from other  pods, particularly at times when intermingling could occur, such as arrival and dismissal.   ● Classrooms should maintain social distancing as much as possible among students and staff in  the pod.    A hybrid model supports a variety of scenarios throughout the year  Due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, the hybrid model will support a variety of scenarios  that may take place throughout the year, including if a student or pod is quarantined and if there is a  surge in the infection causing district-wide remote learning to occur, among others (see below).           13 Hybrid scheduling allow proper social distancing  In-person instruction is critical to the academic and social-emotional development of students. In  order to ensure that students may return to school in a safe manner that meets public health  guidelines, the district will implement a hybrid scheduling model which will effectively reduce our  in-person K-10 student population by approximately half on any given day.     The district also recognizes that certain student populations require different levels of in-person  instruction based on age and developmental learning needs. While our youngest learners will benefit  from the consistency and social-emotional advantages of in-person classroom instruction, our high  school juniors and seniors can benefit from being able to take their diverse, full array of course  offerings that a Learn-at-Home model offers. Given the diverse scheduling needs for juniors and  seniors, it is not possible to establish pods to limit interactions with other students and staff.    Hybrid scheduling can help ensure that social distancing within the pods can be maintained and  mitigate viral transmission by decreasing the number of students and staff each individual has to  interact with, particularly during arrival, class transitions, and dismissal.    Through a multifaceted approach that includes pod assignments, social distancing, hybrid scheduling,  rigorous health and cleaning protocols (See Section “How will we keep students and staff safe?”) and  the use of face coverings, the district is focused on safely bringing students and staff back for  in-person instruction.       Student Population  Attendance Model  Pre-K Full day Programs  Learn-at-School  Pre-K Half-day Programs  Learn-at-School  Students in Grades K–10  Hybrid  Students in Grades 11 and 12  Learn-at-Home   Cluster Program Students  Learn-at-School      The decision to use different attendance models was not made lightly, as we know it will present  logistical challenges for our families. However, after reviewing local, state, and federal public health  guidelines; receiving feedback from our staff, student, and family surveys and focus groups; and  14 conferring with other large, urban school districts, we determined that implementing a hybrid  scheduling models is the best option to provide in-person instruction this fall while adhering to public  health guidance.     Students in grades 11 and 12  To maintain health protocols during at-school learning, we must minimize movement throughout the  building, keep students in pods, and minimize teacher interaction across pods. Due to the complexity  of course scheduling and graduation requirements, it is not possible to effectively create pods for all  upperclassmen which will preclude them from learning at school this upcoming year. Schools will  have flexibility with regard to how and when to bring in upperclassmen for in-person instruction or  other activities in order to ensure graduation requirements are met.     Under our preliminary framework, high school juniors and seniors will participate in a full day of  learning from home that includes daily real-time virtual instruction, engagement, and feedback with  teachers and classmates. Upperclassmen will also receive independent work including supplemental  assignments necessary to complete course and graduation requirements.     Schools may consider having models in which the following upperclassmen return in-person:    ● Students who are enrolled in CTE programming and cannot access the necessary equipment  from home to complete coursework  ● Students who are behind on graduation requirements or need more direct academic or  social-emotional support   ● Students who need to attend orientations or meet-and-greets with teachers and check-ins  throughout the year    Under all of these circumstances, complete adherence to health protocols is necessary. When  schools develop their own school-specific guidance for return, they should work collaboratively with  their staff and families to determine what is possible and safe.    A flexible framework that meets the needs of students and staff  We also understand that some families will prefer to keep their children home. In recognition of the  unprecedented nature of this pandemic and the need for flexibility, every parent will have the option  to have their child learn from home full time. Details for how families may apply to learn from home  full time will be provided later this month.     A process for how staff with medical or caretaking needs will have their leave of absence or requests  for accommodations addressed will be provided later this month.    15 Diverse learners and English learners: If schools have the space and staffing available, diverse  learners and English learners will be prioritized to return daily instead of the proposed hybrid  schedule. All scheduling decisions will be made in accordance with the diverse learner’s  Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and English learners have access to bilingual education services.    Hybrid schedule  In a hybrid schedule, student pods will start and end their week learning independently at home or  learning at school two days a week. On Wednesdays, both pods will engage in three hours of  real-time virtual classroom instruction together with their teacher. This model will allow students,  staff, and families to maintain a stable weekly schedule while affording educators necessary time to  plan for various instructional needs.    In this model, a regular class will be divided into two pods of approximately 15 students.  Pod A will learn at school on Mondays and Tuesdays, engage in three hours of real-time  ● virtual classroom instruction with their teacher and students in Pod B on Wednesdays, and  learn independently at home and access digital curriculum resources on Thursdays and  Fridays.  Pod B will learn independently at home and access digital curriculum resources on Mondays  ● and Tuesdays, engage in three hours of real-time virtual classroom instruction with their  teacher and students in Pod A on Wednesdays, and learn at school on Thursdays and Fridays.          Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday  POD  A  ​           POD  B ​               16 A Day in the Life of a GPS Student Learning at School Ll Sehooh . . . . Getting readill for school Traveling on the school bus Arrival at school Entering the classroom Stu dents will complete their Students wear cloth face coverings Drop-off times may be staggered, and students Students will go straight to their is required sick screen protocol at while on the school bus. School bus will enter the school building through assigned classrooms. Students sit in home. Students will bring their aides will wear appropriate and entrances alongside their pods in order to assigned spaces. eat meals in clean cloth face covering with offer students hand sanitizer priorto ensure proper social distancing. Upon entering their room. and stav with their them. boarding the bus. Students will sitbv the school building. students will washtheir pod for the full school day. i themselves or only with their sibling hands or use l'ia nd sanitiZer. I and be spaced to ensure proper social I distancingFollowing classroom procedures Taking restroomi'lunch breaks Renewing student services Students and teachers will wear masks at Pods will have designated bathrooms which will be Related service providers, English learner teachers. ?i all times. and stu dent-teacher close cleaned frequentlv throughout the dav. Students will diverse learner teachers. and social emotional learning 1. contact will be limited. Only.r a limited set need to wash their hands thoroughly and use hand specialists. among others. will continue to provide 1 of supplies may be shared, and hand sanitizer anytime th ey return to their classroom Space. student services. sanitizer will be used as need ed. I . . Students Will Eat lunch In thew classroomsI or if space These staff members will rotate across assigned pads to allows. eat Iu in the cafeteria on a staggered provide services. if their need to see students in a pod not I schedule. Lunchrooms will need to be thoroughly assigned to them. those services will be provided cleaned and disinfected between use. remo telv. or with social distancing. Staff will have I appropriate PPE depending on their job duties. al' t. '04. Accessing content Exiting the building Attending out-of-sehool time Students remain in their pod throughout Students move through hal Iwavs within their pods Students can attend out-of?schooi time the day. but additional teachers may and are socially distanced from all other pods, programming. Schools must either maintain class room 'l rotate across a few pads to provide pods for DST programs, or form additional, ?xed pods instruction across multiple subjects and Students leave the through the do? speci?callv for CST programs. Students participating in 'l breaks for classroom teachers. 3593"? to the? Wd- OST programs must maintain social distance to the extent feasible within their pods, and must either I Addressing maintain six feet of distance from other DST pods at all I If a student arrives exhibiting Eggs 33:32:22 ii; $213}: I CthCigO or begins to exhibit the daVIthev adapgations of programmirigg wherever possiblein i bl to the 5 ?5'3 ?ate? care Rw'" order to minimize the need for additional pods. to wait until they are picked up. I I   Full-time remote learning  Should public health needs require a pod, a school, or the entire district to suspend in-person  instruction, our plan allows for a smooth transition to full-time remote learning. During full-time  remote learning, students will participate in five hours of learning that consists mostly of live  instruction with their teachers and classmates supplemented by digital curriculum resources, and  independent work. Students will access assignments through Google Classroom as part of a wider  transition to Google platforms. Additional details on new learning expectations and improvements  will be provided in the final reopening framework.    We are proud of the commitment and creativity of CPS educators to meet the needs of students in  remote learning. While the CPS community stepped up to help provide meaningful learning  experiences for students learning at home, we know that remote learning presented challenges for  students. Students from limited-income backgrounds did not have equitable access to devices or  reliable high speed internet.    We have been listening to students, parents, teachers, school leaders, and community members  during remote learning, and we are working to improve the remote learning experience in the  upcoming school year. CPS is taking key steps to improve remote learning for our students. We will  continue to build and refine a comprehensive plan over the summer through ongoing stakeholder  engagement.    CPS is committed to narrowing the digital divide for our high-need families. Earlier this summer, we  launched ​Chicago Connected​, a groundbreaking program that will provide free high-speed internet  to approximately 100,000 CPS students and their families. Eligible families were notified via USPS  mail, emails, text messages, and robocalls and we encourage all eligible families to take advantage of  this free program. We also distributed over 128,000 devices this past spring and will support  students and schools this fall in utilizing devices for remote learning engagement.  18     We learned a lot of lessons during the spring and are working to improve remote learning for our  students. In order to ensure a consistent, high-quality learning experience, we will implement  common platforms, tools, and schedules. We will help schools build consistent schedules that  increase live learning sessions between students and teachers. CPS will also provide teachers with  ongoing professional development to support implementation of remote teaching best practices.   19   Keeping Students and Staff Safe  Keeping students and staff safe  In order to safely provide in-person instruction, our district must follow strict health protocols at all  times. Staff and students will complete daily symptom and risk screener online before coming to  school, have their temperatures taken, wear face coverings, and students will come to school for only  a few days a week to ensure proper social distancing.    Supporting these measures requires a considerable investment, which we are fully committed to  making. To ensure the safest possible in-person learning environments, we have purchased more  than 1.2 million reusable cloth face coverings to provide to every student and staff member, 42,000  hand sanitizer dispensers, more than 40,000 containers of disinfectant wipes, 22,000 infrared  thermometers, hospital-grade disinfectant sprayers, and additional PPE for specialty roles. We’re  also hiring nearly 400 additional custodians to help carry out stringent cleaning and sanitizing  protocols every day in every school.     We must remain vigilant in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. This means that all Chicagoans  need to take the following precautions:  ● Do not go to school or work if you are feeling sick.  20   ● Continue to wear face coverings whenever you are out in public.  ● Maintain social distancing and limit your contact with others.  ● Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer  containing 60% alcohol if handwashing is not possible.    High-level overview of CPS health and safety protocols  CPS and CDPH have identified the following health protocols that all CPS schools must follow in  order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19:  ● Daily required symptom and risk screener  ● On-site care room  ● Required face coverings for everyone over the age of two  ● Adopting a pod model to allow for social distancing and limit contact with other students and  staff   ● Consistent hand washing and sanitizing protocols  ● Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting at all of our school sites    Daily required symptom screener  All CPS students, staff, and approved visitors will be asked to complete an online symptom screener  questionnaire each day they are planning on entering a CPS building. Parents or a designated family  member need to complete the screener on behalf of each child, regardless of age. If any staff member,  visitor, or student comes to school showing symptoms, they will be sent home. If any staff member, or  visitor comes to school without taking the screener, they will be screened once they arrive at school.    Additionally, all staff, students, and visitors will be asked to undergo daily temperature checks once  they arrive at school. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4*F or higher will be sent home—students  will be sent to the care room immediately to wait until they are picked up by a parent or guardian  within an hour.    On-site care room   Any student who arrives at school with COVID-19 symptoms or develops COVID-19 symptoms  during the day will be sent immediately to a school-designated care room while the school calls the  child’s guardian to be picked up immediately. The child will remain in the care room until their parent  or guardian arrives. Care room(s) will undergo daily enhanced routine cleaning.      Required face coverings for anyone over the age of two  In accordance with ISBE’s guidance, anyone over the age of two is required to wear a face covering  on school grounds. To support this effort, the district has purchased three reusable face coverings for  each student and staff member. The district will also distribute disposable masks for emergency use.  21     ​Medical exceptions ​to wearing a face covering can be made for employees who apply for an ADA  accommodation and for students with a qualifying medical condition documented in their 504/IEP.     Adopting a student pod model to allow for social distancing and limit contact with other  students and staff  To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, students and teachers will remain in fixed pods of  approximately 15 students once they are in the building and throughout the full day. Teachers will  rotate across a minimal number of pods in order to provide students access to all of their core  content classes. Pods will stay socially-distanced from one another in the building to avoid  intermingling. Students and teachers will remain socially-distanced within each classroom to the  extent possible.    Handwashing and sanitizing  All students and staff will be asked to sanitize their hands upon entering the building, after restroom  breaks, and when traveling to a different classroom. Hand sanitizer will be provided to every  classroom and hand sanitizing stations will be set up near every classroom and high-traffic areas such  as entrances and elevators.     What is involved in the district’s enhanced routine cleaning and disinfecting program?  As we plan to reopen schools in September, CPS is updating our enhanced routine cleaning and  disinfecting program. To protect the health of our staff and students, we will enhance nightly  cleaning, increase daytime porter presence, and utilize a trained custodial response team for  increased cleaning and disinfection in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at a school. Schools  will be fully cleaned and disinfected daily—including high touch areas—and spot cleaning will be  performed throughout the day.   Our enhanced routine cleaning and disinfecting program is based on the latest scientific  understanding of COVID-19 and guidance from the CDC and Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA).   Protocols for sick students and staff  In accordance with state and federal guidance, school community members who are sick should not  return to school until they meet the following requirements, whether or not they were tested for  COVID-19:  ● at least 10 days have passed since COVID-19 symptoms first appeared; and,  ● at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since fever has resolved (i.e. no fever without the use  of fever reducing medications) and the other symptoms are improving.  22   For example, if you have a fever and cough for seven days, you need to stay home for three more days  with no fever for a total of ten days. Or, if you have a fever and cough for eight days, you need to stay  home for three more days with no fever for a total of 11 days.  Families of children with underlying medical conditions should consult their medical provider prior to  attending school, and on an ongoing basis if a child has a significant change in their health condition.  Students or staff returning to school after an illness related to COVID-19 should check in with the  nurse or building administrator (if a nurse is unavailable) following quarantine.  Individuals who did not have close contact with the person who is sick can return to work  immediately after disinfection of the relevant space. Close contact means being within six feet of the  individual with symptoms for more than 15 consecutive minutes. Those who had close contact with  someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should be  quarantined at home and monitored for symptoms for 14 calendar days from the last time they were  in close contact with the person with COVID-19.   Cleaning procedures should a student or staff member get sick  If a student or staff member gets sick, a trained custodial response team will disinfect the area in  accordance with CDC guidelines using EPA-approved cleaning and disinfecting products. They will  wear PPE where appropriate and close off the affected areas for 24 hours to allow for proper  ventilation and viral load reduction.   What’s next  Public comment period on preliminary reopening framework    CPS considered all of the information gathered from stakeholder engagement and discussions with  public health officials and other large school districts while developing its preliminary reopening  framework. As we move forward, all parents, students, staff, and community members are  encouraged to provide feedback to the preliminary framework—your feedback will be critical in  finalizing our plans for reopening:  ● Take our survey:​ Please visit ​cps.edu/reopening2020survey​ to submit your feedback on  CPS’ preliminary reopening framework by July 31, 2020.  ● Participate in a virtual community gathering:​ See schedule and registration information  below to join a virtual community gathering to discuss CPS’ reopening plans.  Date: Monday, July 27, 2020  Time: 9–10:30 a.m.   Language: English  Registration Link: ​https://cpsreopeningconversation1.eventbrite.com       23   Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2020  Time: 4–5:30 p.m.  Language: Spanish  Registration Link: ​https://cpsreopeningconversation2.eventbrite.com     Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2020  Time: 9–10:30 a.m.  Language: Spanish  Registration Link: ​https://cpsreopeningconversation3.eventbrite.com     Date: Thursday, July 30, 2020,   Time: 4–5:30 p.m.  Language: English  Registration Link: ​https://cpsreopeningconversation4.eventbrite.com     Date: Friday, July 31, 2020  Time: 9–10:30 a.m.  Language: English  Registration Link: ​https://cpsreopeningconversation5.eventbrite.com   End of July through the first day of school on September 8  We will release our final reopening guidance in early August after hearing public comment. Upon  release of district-level guidance, schools will work to complete and release their school-level  reopening plans in preparation for the start of school.​ Please note that we will continue to closely  follow the guidance of local, state, and federal public health officials and our reopening plan will be  contingent on public health conditions.     It will take all of us working together to make this school year a success and maintain health and  safety protocols in our schools. Please help us reopen schools safely by continuing to wear masks,  practice social distancing, and following the guidance of our public health officials.    24