QUESTION

ANSWER

Why are the questions being filtered? I think we have the right to see everyone's concerns in addition to our own.

I think working together would actually work if we had calls where teachers could see what each other were saying, not these live event formats where we only see our questions and featured questions. Teachers should have the MOST input on this because we are the ones who are in the schools having to perform your criteria and protocols.

Thank you for this feedback - and, we hope publishing the questions and answers we received helps in giving you greater access to the concerns and thoughts of your colleagues. 

Can we get everyone's email on the platform?

While we can't provide all emails, we can share with you the questions (and subsequent answers) that we received during the Town Hall.

What is the point in the survey if nothing is going to change unless doctors say so?

The survey has - and continues to be - an important tool in helping us to keep a pulse on staff well-being in this time of remote learning and teaching, in addition to being a tool to support our reopening planning and decision-making. Keep in mind that roughly 40% of staff are comfortable to very comfortable with a return to school - which is equal to the percent of staff who are uncomfortable to very uncomfortable. Our decision to reopen, though rooted heavily in science, was informed by the survey in that we learned that just as many staff want to return to in-person school (in some shape or fashion) as those who do not. This, coupled with strong scientific indicators, the advice of medical experts, and a robust plan to strictly follow health and safety guidelines, has led us to believe that we can safely reopen at this time. 

Is there any information on TCP yet for this year?

Right now, TCP remains paused (as the systems & data TCP leverages cannot be executed at this time). The network is focusing on the wellness and safety of our community right now, but when we are able to work on performance we will work closely with teachers on the right path forward.

What can be done to compensate for the differences in work loads between middle and high school upon returning to school in person?

I know that you explained that it is harder to do a hybrid HS schedule; however, will MS teachers get a stipend for being in school every day?

First of all, I can only imagine how difficult this decision was to make with so many different opinions in our community. While I was preparing for a return to school, I was not prepared to learn that only part of our community would be asked to return. As a middle school teacher in a people-first organization, the decision to send only middle school back seems very inequitable to me. It caught me off guard and causes very different realities for the different members of our organization. Has there been thought put into how to compensate/recognize middle school teachers differently within this decision since the outcomes have created very different realities for us?

I feel lucky to be a teacher who does not have a pre-existing condition. But because I teach middle school, and I am still forced to put the health of myself and my family at much greater risk than if I taught 9th grade instead of 8th. Does this seem fair for our middle school staff?

We will be looking at ways to recognize the incredible contribution of our middle school & high school staff that are returning to work in-person. That may not be a stipend but we are currently looking at options. We know that everyone in our community has an equal desire to serve our students despite the different ways that we show up in this work.

Hello! I am curious if there is any thought/preparation for a return to school after Thanksgiving? This day which is known for indoor gatherings around a table (and eating makes it difficult to be masked) coupled with a week off (for students) and lots of travel has the opportunity to largely increase cases. I know many universities at least are not returning in-person between Thanksgiving break and Winter break. Has DSST considered the same?

Yes, we are absolutely considering this and working with School Leaders on what might be possible from a scheduling perspective. We hope to provide further details in the next few weeks (we know the sooner the better so everyone can plan).

For parents, if we need to quarantine with our kids, will we be given extra days to be able to do that?

There is information published on the "Employee Resources" page of the Helix around Emergency Paid Sick Leave. Emergency Paid Sick Leave is leave provided to team members who cannot work for specific reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please click here to see the full details.

Bill mentioned mental health being low as a reason to go back -- is that a priority focus in the going back work? How are we doing that?

Absolutely, we are continuing to double-down on access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) including providing new scheduling support (placement) for DSST Team Members. Our Talent Operations Team will be doing additional office hours on campuses to support team members 1-1 with access to wellness resources.

There is a difference between availability of testing and testing. Is there any way we can engage in actual, regular testing in our buildings?

While we are unable to provide on-site COVID tests, our partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado provides regular, free access to testing. Please see this email copy from August for detailed information about how to access this rapid-result testing resource. In addition, we have published a DSST testing guide that details alternative testing options. 

Groups shouldn't be bigger than 10 people? Our class when halved will not be that size. Why is this being changed in favor of keeping students only 3 feet apart when seated, and 6 feet apart the rest of the time? What difference does it make if they're sitting instead of standing?

DPS has worked with Denver Public Health to create "cohort guidance" which says students should be in cohorts of 35 kids and see no more than 5 teachers per day. That guidance requires class sizes of 28+ students, which mean 3'. Other districts (Cherry Creek) have successfully used this model (3' of social distance) for classrooms.

Can you share this evidence about transmissions in schools? I would like to see the data.

There are a handful of local and national experts who have spoken to low transmission rates in schools. Here is a local article on this, and here is an article published by the Washington Post on a study underway at Brown University. 

Where is that data coming from that masks and social distancing are helping? School hasn't been in session for 5 months for those numbers to make sense.

Doctors & epidemiologists from Denver Health Dept and Children's hospitals who have been closely monitoring schools in the metro area that are in session, including MS & HS.  When health and safety protocols are followed with fidelity, experts are saying transmission is very rarely happening within schools

How will we ensure people are monitoring their symptoms and following the basics with fidelity?

During this time, safety is a top priority, and therefore, team members who do not follow required safety procedures will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

What caused the decision to go back to school in the middle of a trimester instead of starting a new one fresh?

We believe that we should get students back in-person in a partial re-open as soon as we can and it is safe.  We will try to minimize disruptions going back mid-trimester.

Do you think we have a moral obligation to self-isolate so that we aren't asymptomatically transmitting the virus i) from home to school or ii) from school to home?

Yes, we want to encourage all of our team members to use very good judgement around a decision to self-isolate if you suspect that you have been exposed. 

Does DSST feel pressure to re-open instead of relying on science?

No. We are working with Doctors and Epidemiologists every step of the way to determine if it is safe to re-open.

It feels like you're saying that you see severe inequities here but then are not actually recognizing them.  Why can't we just find ways to improve upon eschool?

There is a lot of national data showing great inequities have played out in schools around access and learning.  We see that in our own schools in differences in attendance and access. 

Are you all, including you Bill and HO, going to come into the classroom with the teachers as well to help?

Yes,  Senior Leaders and the Home Office team will be in schools supporting reopening, regardless of whether we do so on October 26th  or in the future. 

Will Bill, and the HO staff, be physically in schools supporting the in-person staff with the heavier load of teaching, proctoring, cleaning, and monitoring? If so, how many staff will be allocated in each school?

At what point will a decision be made regarding Tri 2 for high school?

We don’t yet know, but will most likely make a preliminary decision in early November.

Is the comparison to Cherry Creek school district (one of the wealthiest districts in Denver) an accurate comparison to our school district? Genuinely wondering...

Cherry Creek is a much more affluent community than DPS. Is it fair to use that data?

COVID has unquestionably impacted communities of color more severely and exacerbated systemic inequities. Local and state public health officials have indicated they are not seeing transmission occur within schools across demographics when health and safety best practices are followed, including wearing a mask, keeping physical distance, completing daily health screenings, and practicing diligence with hygiene practices.

What is the timeline for this new plan? When will a new decision potentially be made?  (i.e. what is our new Oct 1 deadline?)

The current decision to partially reopen schools after Fall Break is conditional on the continued improvement of the HMMs. Bill will continue to monitor these metrics closely over the next few weeks, and will continue to consult with leading medical experts in Denver, in order to make a final call about reopening on 10/16/2020.

Are you planning for this decision to possibly lead to higher teacher turnover? And if so, what is DSST's plan to recruit new teachers to a scenario where their health is at risk?

We certainly hope that teachers will choose to remain at DSST.  Our HR team has been working around the clock to deeply understand the needs of our teams across the network and to ensure that high levels of support is provided. This deep commitment to service is in support of retaining our staff. 

Is there hazard pay for those who are going into schools to work?

Not at this time. 

Why are families given a choice if they want to come in or not but we are not being given that choice unless we have a health condition? That doesn't seem equitable. We have families as well that we are trying to make the safest decisions for.

Why can’t teachers of color have an option for online as well, if families of color are given this option? We, as teachers, do not make enough for our health payments being added to our livelihood already.

We are committed to providing any person who has a medical reason not to be in-person the accommodations they require to stay safe and healthy. Where team members have expressed concerns about the health of their family, we have done everything we can to accommodate those requests. We are as committed to providing equitable access to a world class education as we are to supporting the health, safety and well-being of our staff. 

Why does it feel like we are prioritizing learning over feeling SAFE AND COMFORTABLE? This is hard.

This is incredibly hard - in no way do we underestimate nor fail to appreciate how hard this is. And, at the end of the day, our mission is in service of learning and delivering a world-class education, which we have a responsibility to honor now that we have been given reason to believe it is safe to do so. 

Do we have a plan for the worst case scenario, of a teacher or student dying of COVID, or a student's family member dying of COVID, and we can trace it back to our schools?

In the event that a staff member, student, or someone related to a staff member or student contracts Covid-19 and passes away, what is DSST's legal recourse? How will teachers who have returned to in-person instruction be protected from culpability in this circumstance?

We are working hard to ensure that no one in both our direct and indirect communities gets sick with COVID - and are taking every precaution to keep our students, families and staff safe. We believe that the health and safety protocols we are adapting will be instrumental in protecting our communities, and trust our students, staff and families to operate with the utmost care, respect and responsibility for one another during this unprecedented time. 

Can you speak more to how the high school learning centers will be staffed?

Learning centers will be staffed with a mix of current non-instructional and leadership team members at schools, as well as by externally hired student support positions.

What will you do if the MAJORITY of staff want to stay remote? It is unfair to put SDs in that position to force people to come into work.

Fortunately, we are finding that this is not the case. For many of our staff, a partial reopening, under stringent health and safety protocols and practices, comes as welcome news. 

Are we worried about an artificially low positivity rate due to the fact that many families are deterred by the cost of testing? It cost me $150 out of pocket to get tested before I joined DSST, and many families would struggle to afford that.

What ways can families access testing/what guidelines are we giving them for testing?

I have a follow up to this question around testing as a metric: Bill mentioned that testing is accessible in Denver, but many studies have looked into the inequity of access and usage in Black and Brown communities. What will we be doing as a network to increase access to testing, build trust in accessing testings within the communities we serve, etc? We cannot generalize data to our specific communities and families.

We list this resource from Denvergov.org on our family resource page -- which publicizes free testing centers across the city -- and will continue to push it to families as appropriate.

Why were "how class will be" guidelines not sent out with the first email? I think it is better to give information early if details have already been established? The first family communication was very vague.

Classes and schedules vary enough across the network that it is best addressed at school town halls.

How much was logistical practicality part of the decision process? (not just safety, but feasibility with what would be required to make this happen)

We've done multiple iterations of planning to look at reopening requirements from schedule, staffing, and safety lenses to ensure feasibility. Schools are currently working diligently to operationalize them for each school community given their individual circumstances.

One of my students is going to a martial arts tournament this weekend. Are our safety metrics sufficient to ensure that students who are exposed that come to school don't asymptomatically spread to their peers and teachers?

Self-screening at home (or at school) and staying home if any symptoms arise is important. These practices-- coupled with masks, distance, and strong hygiene behaviors -- have resulted in health departments not seeing transmissions happen within schools.

What type of PPE will we receive? Shields, shoe covers, gloves?

Will any PPE be provided for staff?

DSST will provide a fabric mask to any staff member who needs one - they are black 3-layered washable masks with ear loops. We collected orders after one of our early Network Pulse Surveys and have those at schools but if you need one, please let your front office manager know. Additionally, we have disposable single use blue masks in the event anyone forgets their mask, has an issue with it, etc. We also have one face shield for every staff member and gloves for staff to use if they wish. Furthermore, we have hand sanitizer and surface disinfectant in every classroom and throughout our buildings. Our plans call for keeping a month's supply of any consumable PPE on hand at each school.

Will there still be a required 6ft distance between students and teachers, or will teachers be able to look at and provide feedback on student work from less than 6 ft away if they visit learning centers?

Yes, please keep 6 feet of distance between adults and students, as well as with other adults. In situations where you must get closer than that, please do so as briefly as possible.

Without bussing, will this be equitable? In GVR, the RTD stop is SO FAR.

DPS had to make a difficult choice to prioritize transportation for Elementary students and SPED students, given the number of buses and drivers, and the health requirements that only allow one student per seat. This has left DPS with only about 1/3 of the capacity they normally have, and resulted in no regular route service for Middle and High School students. The RTD stops on GVR Blvd and Tower are about a 1/2 mile from school, which we hope families will consider. RTD is providing free bus passes to all school aged students who live in Denver

Equity for students seems like a big consideration here. However, we don't have bussing for students during hybrid school. How are we considering transportation for students without it in our communities?

One option for any student living in Denver is to get a free bus pass from RTD. We've shared this information with our school leaders and front office teams to ensure families are aware of this option. This doesn't solve everyone's needs but we hope it will help some families who are unable to drive their students or live too far to walk.

My understanding is that waste water analysis is a great way to understand covid presence and load in a community. Any plans to engage in waste water analysis at DSST campuses?

We've seen a number of Universities do this as a leading indicator but neither DPS/APS (who own and operate our buildings), nor city governments, have indicated plans to use this method.

The website says, "If metrics are a mixture of yellow and red, this is a signal that conditions are less favorable for a return to buildings. In this case, DSST will likely move to online E-School." Are you going to change the website???

Yes, the conditions are less favorable if a mixture of yellow and red than if green. And, it remains true that there will be an online E-school component with less favorable indicators. Consequently, we will not change the website. 

The test positivity is displayed on this site as something good--there are low positive test cases! But this makes zero sense because the test positivity clearly does not reflect actual sick trends. It has only consistently gone down, while the cases per 100 thousand people and the case rate trends have been oscillating between "moderate" and very severe ever since this started. Test positivity here is telling us that people are NOT getting tested enough, which means that this illness will NOT be contained as well.

Test positivity rate is lower because at the beginning, you could only test if you had severe symptoms....so of course there was a higher positivity rate. That is not a valid metric to me. It also only takes into account people who seek out testing - there could be so many people, especially in the populations some of our schools serve that don't have access to healthcare, and therefore less access to COVID testing as well. So the positivity rate is biased towards people with access to health care.

Test positivity is one of three key metrics that the Metro Denver Partnership for Health has identified as critical for schools and local public health agencies to watch as they inform their decisions regarding in-person school attendance. 

The positivity rate is the percentage of all coronavirus tests performed that are actually positive. It's a critical measure because it indicates how widespread infection is and whether levels of testing are keeping up with levels of disease transmission. 

Test positivity will be high if the number of positive tests is too high, or if the number of total tests is too low. A higher percent positive suggests higher transmission and that there are likely more people with coronavirus in the community who haven't been tested yet.

How are school leaders being given autonomy to choose what is best for our specific school communities?

Leaders will be working to determine their own instruction and culture plans as well as development within network guidance. This will help to ensure that leaders can work with their staff effectively to meet their students' needs. 

Are there metrics we want to see change?

We have a set of common hybrid school metrics that we will be looking at/monitoring. These include things like attendance, academic achievement, student wellness data, etc. 

What all are we hoping to accomplish/ see change and shift by going back in person

We hope that by partially returning to school we are better able to meet the social/emotional and academic needs of our students. We have various measurements for both student wellness and academic achievement that we hope to see improve through our partial return.

Bill stated that Center Program students would be returning "depending on whether or not we return" October 26th. Is there a world in which DSST does not return but Center Program students do?

Yes, this is possible. Denver Public Schools is very committed to reopening Center Programs given how challenging it is to effectively serve those populations of students virtually. Given that DPS is our LEA (Local Education Authority) and therefore sets much of our policy around Special Education, we may open Center Programs even if our general population does not come back on the same timeline. 

In the email you sent out, it states there will be focus placed on "special services," does this include mental health teams outside of AN centers? Or will we still be providing services remote for the time being?

While we anticipate that many services (including specialized instruction, ELD services, and related services like mental health support) will remain remote for many students, we are hopeful that we'll be able to provide some in-person services to high school students who participate in Learning Centers. If Special Education Teachers, mental health providers, etc. are able to work from the building and would like to provide in-person support to students, they are able to do so. 

Can you speak specifically to how we will be accounting for our exceptional learners, especially those who have virtual IEPs which will continue to be virtual in this hybrid model?

We will continue to provide remote services to students whose families choose the remote option throughout the school year as documented in their remote IEP (DPS) or IEP Amendment (APS). Each school has a slightly different plan given their unique staffing, numbers of students choosing remote vs. in-person, etc., but all will be providing services to students in person and students who are remote. 

In response to the school calendar, I know school districts who have planning days every week for teachers, some schools that are only going to noon every day, etc. How strict is the state being about days of school this year? Have those numbers been adjusted? How are those other districts managing this and we are full days, 5 days a week and worried about meeting the correct number of days?

We're working closely with our district partners and CDE to understand the requirements on bell schedules and instructional hours as they relate to compliance. At the same time, we're deeply committed to working with our schools to determine the best ways to deliver our academic program in a hybrid setting. One thing that sets us apart is our commitment to synchronous instruction, which we heard loud and clear as a needed pivot from E-School in Spring 2020. It's a tough balance, and we're hoping to work within the required compliance elements while still supporting our teachers and students in the way we think is right and fulfills our commitments to students and families. 

Will we ever actually consider a hybrid schedule for high school since it seems we'd have to change courses students are taking to make that feasible at all?

We have worked really hard to figure out creative ways to adjust and staff high school schedules while maintaining our academic program (including course offerings and teaching loads). Under current cohort guidance, we don't believe it's viable. If guidance related to cohorts or health and safety were to change, we would revisit the feasibility of high school. 

Were dropping standardized testing scores the main push to go back in person? Have we considered that there will be a national drop due to the pandemic which will be accounted for in future grading curves?

We believe that in person instruction can have huge value for students and families, and that the value add of in person instruction for our students and families is deeply personal, in addition to the instructional and academic benefits of real life interaction between students and trusted adults. 

If the health metrics determine it's safe, we are committed to doing our level best to offer quality in person programming. Standardized test scores are not a driver of that decision. Student learning, our mission, and our commitment to the communities we serve is our driving force behind creating in person and hybrid programming that is the best we can under current guidelines. 

Will parents be aware that if their students are returning to school, teachers will be teaching in-person and online concurrently? The wording I have seen does not make that apparent and obvious.

Each campus has different complexities - especially staffing, students, and space. Concurrent instruction is one method of instruction being used in classrooms across DSST, and campuses have the flexibility to share their instructional models (as far as they know them at this time) with their communities. 

I worry that while the lack of in-person is impacting our students negatively, the current plan for a return is not a substitute for how the school looked in 2019 either. Why are we confident that 4 days of in-person every two weeks, with a potential for abrupt returns to remote for unknown amounts of time, will be better for students?

We believe that in person instruction can have huge value for students and families, and that the value add of in person instruction for our students and families is deeply personal, in addition to the instructional and academic benefits of real life interaction between students and trusted adults. If the health metrics determine it's safe, we are committed to doing our level best to offer quality in person programming, knowing that it might look different than previous years. This is a moment where our commitment to equity and to our mission requires us to find a "3rd way", and that's going to be a journey.

Our responsibility is to create the best possible hybrid program we can within the health guidelines, be transparent with families about what is offered and how that programming looks, and allow families to make the decision about what is "best" for them and their child. 

At this time, we believe that an A/B week hybrid model with 4 days of in-person instruction every 2 weeks is the best possible option for a safe return in the bounds of cohort guidance, health metrics permitting. 

Why are we offering electives and non-building content courses such as science instead of focusing on subjects that build from year to year such as math, english, and language courses?

We are working to maintain our academic program (including electives and Science!) to the best of our ability in a remote and hybrid program. 

Is the district not planning on adjusting graduation requirements

Neither CDE, DPS, nor DSST are adjusting graduation requirements at this time. 

Lots of logistics for students and parents are coming that are vital to our ability to continue to offer in-person school to their students, as well as to ensuring all of our health and well-being. What additional types of communication and/or accountability to demonstrate understanding of protocols will we ask/require of families, staff and students before we all step back into buildings?

Staff will receive 3 days of development specific to their campus (October 21-23), and students / families will receive communication from the network and their campus about health and safety protocols. 

Is there a protocol for how to address students who refuse to wear masks at school in case this were to be an issue?

DSST has a mask policy with clear guidance if this were to be an issue. 

Will high school teachers still be working from home or now expected to work from buildings when teaching online?

High schools will maintain virtual, remote, synchronous learning for all classes. We will staff Learning Centers at each high school, which will require some staff to work from the building. Each campus has unique staffing needs. 

Will students who are attending in-person learning cohorts (high school only) be given headphones with microphone capabilities or will that be expected to be a student/family cost?

We don't have an answer for this yet, but it's a great question! We did provide headphones for any students who needed them during Spring 2019 E-School, but it's a great catch to consider microphone capabilities for students attending Learning Centers. 

How is admin going to ensure teacher workload is equitable, especially when some subjects teach less/more hours; some teachers will teach both virtual and in person while others teach only virtual; some will have to proctor rooms; etc

School directors and home office teams have partnered to draft schedules that support student learning and execution of our academic program while considering the teaching and duty loads of staff. It's super complex, and each campus is different. 

What is the status for those who teach PE in high school and other high school electives?

Individual staff and course schedules will vary by campus. Overall, instruction is largely remaining remote and synchronous. Some adjustments may be made to accommodate campus-specific needs. 

What messages can we and should we be telling parents.  tone/ overall message, specific info, dos and don'ts

The first, best step is to understand and internalize messages from your campus leadership and network leadership. For example, carefully read (and - if necessary - ask leadership questions about!) any written communication sent by your campus or the network and - in communicating with families or students - reiterate the tone, talking points, and message. Attend town halls or other input opportunities to observe how network and campus leaders respond to stakeholders, and work to support and reinforce those messages. Overall, we want to send a positive, supportive message to families. 

I see the reason for why high school is different, but it seems like a good model for BOTH--why aren't we trying that for middle school too? (what makes what we're doing in middle schools better/ more appropriate)

We believe that MS students will benefit from the option to have in-person instruction, especially in developing relationships with their teachers. 

We would prefer to be able to instruct our high school students using the model we're using in MS, but the cohorting guidance would result in significant tracking of our high school students.

Because we are looking currently at our campus on having Friday's be online only, what about making those days async so teachers can contact advisees, and we create the space to give teachers a lower lift per week? What is our flexibility on schedules like that?

School directors have built schedules that work for their campus communities and meet academic program requirements. There is flexibility in Friday programming to best meet campus needs for staff and students.