Whereas:

*  New data show that COVID-19 spreads in schools [1], even with mitigation protocols in place, and that at least one new variant, which is expected to dominate in the U.S. by March, is highly contagious and more deadly [2]. The science has changed drastically since the early days of the viral pandemic, when conclusions were drawn based on much more limited knowledge;

*  Despite mitigation protocols, there have been COVID-19 outbreaks in MCPS buildings affecting food service workers and other school-based staff, student cases in Bar-T and KAH hubs, and outbreaks in Montgomery County private schools, where there are several current outbreaks as of February 2021 [3];

*  MCPS teachers and staff continue to be turned away from vaccination sites and Montgomery County Homeland Security Director Earl Stoddard said in February that it will be “a few weeks” before more widespread vaccination of educators begins [4], meaning they cannot receive both doses and achieve peak immunity by March 15 [5];

*  Even if schools attempt the strongest mitigation protocols, the reality of in-person instruction is likely to involve removal of masks for eating and drinking; students’ difficulty with wearing or refusal to wear masks properly; student inability to maintain a safe distance in hallways, classrooms, bathrooms, and other spaces; parents sending sick students to school; not to mention the unsanitary conditions that existed even before the pandemic, such as restrooms missing toilet lids or waste receptacles and restrooms, classrooms, and offices with inadequate air exchange rate and ventilation;

*  Montgomery County’s 14-day average new case rate remains at a “Very High Risk of Transmission” far exceeding the level at which studies show that in-person school instruction increases the risk of community transmission [6];

*  And the health and safety of students, staff, families, and the community must be prioritized over all else,

We strongly and respectfully request that MCPS delay the phased return to in-person instruction at least until the health metrics adopted by the BOE on December 15, 2020, including a 14-day average new case rate of <15 per 100,000 residents or less are met and until all MCPS educators and staff who want the vaccine are two weeks past their second dose.

And whereas:

*  Direct and simultaneous instructional models are inequitable for BIPOC and low-income families, who have the highest risk of infection and have overwhelmingly elected to remain virtual for the rest of the school year;

*  MCPS schools do not have the space or staffing to safely operate the direct instruction model according to CDC guidelines;

*  Asking teachers to teach both directly in person and virtually at the same time puts an undue burden on them and decreases the quality of instruction for all students,

We strongly and respectfully request that when MCPS eventually begins a phased return to school buildings, it prioritizes the support model, in which students who attend school in-person have supervision and support with accessing virtual instruction, so that instruction is equitable and as safe as possible. This model should consider:

*  All floating teachers and elementary content specialists (e.g. art, music. PE, media center, and ESOL) working remotely so as to reduce exposure among various classes, cohorts, or pods;

*  A commitment to CDC & MSDE guidelines for safe in-person instruction, e.g. maintaining a minimum of 6 feet of distance among students and staff and providing the most effective available PPE, ensuring that ventilation systems meet ASHRAE’s highest standards [7], and providing air scrubbers to every school;

*  Granting all staff the option to continue working virtually from home.

Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping MCPS staff, students, families, and communities safe and healthy during this unprecedented time.

Citations:

[1] A new study calls schools a “driving factor” in the spread of the virus and states that “cases among children weren’t the result of community transmission, as government officials have suggested, but it was rather the other way around.”            https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/emsb-unveils-air-purifiers-maintaining-they-will-slow-spread-of-covid-19 Some states are now reporting “astronomical increases in COVID-19 cases in children coinciding with schools conducting in-person classes.” https://www.statista.com/chart/22537/covid-among-american-children School officials in Connecticut directly attribute a January COVID-19 spike to in-school transmission. https://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/news/article/Officials-believe-in-school-transmission-caused-15891625.php In Austin, Texas, officials report “sky-high” COVID-19 rates in schools. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-19-positivity-rates-austin-schools-worry-health/story?id=75248906

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/24/coronavirus-updates

[3] Outbreaks as of Feb. 3, 2021: Avalon (5), Brookewood (3), Georgetown Prep (7), Mercy (new 3), St. Raphael (new 9), Heights (4) https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/school-resources

[4] https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/countys-vaccination-partnership-with-johns-hopkins-expands-to-add-private-schools/

[5] https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland-vaccine-appointments-for-teachers-some-turned-away/65-fdaf261f-b839-44b0-ab04-98c1721c940b

[6] In Washington State, in-person schools increasing community transmission was observed at 5 new daily cases per 100,000. https://theintercept.com/2021/01/06/school-reopening-studies-covid/ 

[7] https://www.ashrae.org/file%20library/technical%20resources/covid-19/ashrae-reopening-schools-and-universities-c19-guidance.pdf