COVID-19 Policy Update
FRIDAY 8/21
FEDERAL
USDA: Will not extend the waiver from federal school meal requirements that has given schools and community groups more flexibility to feed students during COVID-19. The waivers gave schools the flexibility to serve a broader group of students and community members. It also allowed organizations, like youth centers, to receive federal reimbursements to provide meals to children in their areas. More at EdWeek and BloombergGov.
Teachers as Essential Workers: The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who oversees the the list of occupations considered essential for various emergencies released updated guidance that included teachers and other education professionals:
- Workers who support the education of pre-school, K-12, college, university, career and technical education, and adult education students, including professors, teachers, teacher aides, special education and special needs teachers, ESOL teachers, para-educators, apprenticeship supervisors, and specialists.
- Workers who provide services necessary to support educators and students, including but not limited to, administrators, administrative staff, IT specialists, media specialists, librarians, guidance counselors, school psychologists and other mental health professions, school nurses and other health professionals, and school safety personnel.
- Workers who support the transportation and operational needs of schools, including bus drivers, crossing guards, cafeteria workers, cleaning and maintenance workers, bus depot and maintenance workers, and those that deliver food and supplies to school facilities.
- Workers who support the administration of school systems including, school superintendents and their management and operational staff.
- Educators and operational staff facilitating and supporting distance learning.
This is guidance, not a mandate. States ultimately determine who is considered essential during emergencies. NCSL has a useful overview of state essential worker policies.
CDC: Director Dr. Redfield pointed to Rhode Island’s coronavirus restrictions in day-cares as a ‘path’ to reopen schools. A CDC study found that by July 31, 666 child-care facilities were allowed to reopen across the state with capacity for 18,945 children and only saw 52 infections.
STATE
Florida:
Iowa: The Department of Education has denied Des Moines Public Schools' request to start the school year completely online. The district will take their case to court.
Indiana: After watching Notre Dame and UNC Chapel Hill have to close due to outbreaks, Purdue's Mitch Daniels suspended 36 students the first night of school due to a party.
Kentucky: Green County Schools, which opened in person on Monday, is switching to remote learning until Sept. 8 due to a spike in cases.
Massachusetts:
Michigan: The state reported 14 outbreaks in schools.
Texas: TEA and the Department of State Health Services will use a tracking system to monitor and report COVID-19 cases in schools.
Virginia: The state said every teacher in public schools across the commonwealth will be able to host virtual classes through its online learning system, Virtual Virginia.
INTERNATIONAL
Canada: Alberta’s top doctor sending her children to school. "We must learn how to live with this virus. And how to find the right balance between preventing uncontrolled COVID-19 spread and preventing the harms that come from shutting down essential parts of our society.”
Germany: The University of Fine Arts in Hamburg said three people will receive the "grant for doing nothing" and be paid $1,900 to engage in a specific form of "active inactivity." How does one compete on the amount of "nothingness" they're going to do compared to other applicants? Isn't applying for it actually doing something? Is Congress eligible?
Malawi: onebillion is helping 2,000 children in 700 households with online learning using a unique set of edtech tools and services.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Reskilling: NBER paper found that from 2002 to 2009, only 1 in 100 workers in Ohio who were displaced in mass layoffs enrolled in a public 2 or 4 year degree institution. Only 29% of workers who enrolled in college earned a degree. Important insights as policymakers begin thinking about retraining efforts during COVID. Outreach and helping workers navigate pathways might be as important as the training itself.
Existing Home Sales: Jumped 24.7% from June to 5.86 million in July (above consensus forecasts) Highest rate since 2006.
Chartbook: KPMG's latest chartbook with some great information. Several highlights: they're forecasting a long recovery (beyond Q4 2021) but school closures play into their pessimistic scenario. Bankruptcies have reached 2009 levels. And economists are converging around a "swoosh" shared recovery vs a V shape.
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