Issue #1- Return to School Many Chico families will agree that the most pressing issue at this time is getting our students back into a classroom on their school campuses with their teachers and friends. Let's be clear- just because facilities are currently closed does not mean SCHOOL is closed. Our schools provide so many critical services for our students, especially the most vulnerable, and having closed campuses is certainly a concern for these students. In making the decision to reopen campuses, we need creative thinking and problem solving to have the safest return to school possible. One tragedy due to COVID-19 spreading on campus is one too many. We need to weigh all the possibilities and base our decisions off of sound scientific data.
As a representative of the School Board, as well as the scientific community, I will make my decisions of how and when to return to on-campus learning based off sound scientific data. I wholeheartedly believe that if we return to campus too soon that not only would we see some of our staff, students, and families directly negatively as a result of COVID transmission on campus, but that continual school closures, reopening, quarantines, illness, and other uncertainties will create an unstable learning environment that will be more traumatic for our students and community than just keeping our kids and families safe by keeping campus closed. Based on state and local health mandates, we would have a reopening plan that looked more like the following, with the intention of not moving up to the next stage unless we were reasonably sure we would not slip back again:
Stage 1- 100% Distance Learning
All students participate in distance learning. Staff will have limited access to school sites for the purpose of planning and delivering online instruction.
Stage 2a- Distance Learning with Exceptions
Students in greatest need of additional support as identified through an agreed on set of criteria participate on site with in-person instruction two days a week. All other students participate in distance learning. Proper, scientifically researched safety protocols are in place. No more than 15% of students will be on campus at a time.
Stage 2b- Distance and Hybrid Learning
All students from stage 2a, as well as our youngest students, students in need of additional support participate on site with in-person instruction two days a week. All other students participate in distance learning. Proper, scientifically researched safety protocols are in place. No more than 30% of students will be on campus at a time.
Stage 3- Hybrid Learning
All students participate on site with in-person instruction two to three days a week (based on agreed upon criteria) in an am/pm schedule. Proper, scientifically researched safety protocols are in place. No more than 50% of the student population is on campus at a time.
Stage 4- 100% In-Person Learning
All students and stff participate with in-person instruction five days a week. No safety protocols necessary as per Public Health.
The details of this section are still under construction. Please click on "WHY I AM RUNNING" above to see my "Positions at a Glance" overview of my stance on this topic. Thank you for checking back frequently as this website grows!