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COVID-19 Policy Update
WEDNESDAY 8/26
I recognize these updates have been getting a bit longer and more dense given the volume of activity right now. In addition to tightening up the curation, I'm also going to add a new section at the top with the three most important items of the day. Feedback is welcomed - let me know how to make this more useful!
--John
TOP THREE
Study on Physical Distancing: New study suggesting that current rules on physical distancing may be based on outdated science (for example, the 6 ft (2m) distance originates from 1897). The authors argue more nuance is needed so that physical distancing rules reflect the multiple factors that affect risk, including ventilation, occupancy, and exposure time. Their chart shows how wearing masks can reduce the risk from high to moderate in high occupancy areas and even high to low in lower occupancy areas - important for school reopening plans.
Gov. Wolf: Released guidance for pods in Pennsylvania. The Governor also announced that "DHS is collaborating with organizations across Pennsylvania, including the United Way and YMCA, to establish part-day child care programs for school-age children. These programs are required to develop Health and Safety plans for COVID-19 mitigation and to comply with requirements under Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law for all adults working with children to have background clearance checks. Soon, DHS will launch a tool on its website where families can go for information about these programs."
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FEDERAL
ED: Secretary Devos expressed a softening of the Administration's position on reopening schools for in person learning saying: “I think perhaps there’s been a little bit of a misunderstanding that going back to school meant 100% of the students had to be in-person 100% of the time. No, the expectation is that there’s 100% learning in a way that’s going to work for each family and each student, and importantly, in each community and each school.”
USDA: House Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx, along with 24 Republican Members from the Education and Labor Committee and the Agriculture Committee, sent a letter to USDA Secretary Perdue urging the implementation of child nutrition program flexibilities allowed under law so schools have the flexibility they need to feed students during the coronavirus.
STATE
California:
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Colorado: Interesting story from the Colorado Sun who surveyed some of the larger school districts to get a sense of the number of students they lost contact with in the spring and level of engagement during online learning. 60% of low-income students were regularly logging into Curriculum Associates' iReady, compared to 90% of high-income kids in places like Aurora. Edgenuity saw 71% of sixth to eighth graders using the programs, but only 17.6% of juniors and seniors. More here.
Michigan: Cedar Rapids loses 20% of their school bus drivers due to COVID concerns.
Mississippi: Politico asked Gov. Reeves if he reopened schools too early. His response: "It's really public health versus public health. We know that things like child abuse, sexual abuse reports are down significantly in America over the last six months. One of the reasons they're down so much is not because it’s not occurring, it is because these kids are not in school. We think it’s a better public health decision to get the kids in schools. We’ve had 500 kids who have gotten the virus. We’ve got 450,000 kids in Mississippi, approximately, who are in our pre-kindergarten through 12th grade schools. That's a very, very, very high percentage of kids who are actually sitting in the classroom and learning. That's important."
Tennessee: Nashville schools will open remote only until Oct 5.
Wisconsin: Will not name the schools that have COVID cases, nor how large the outbreaks are.
INTERNATIONAL
Canada:
Germany: NYT story on schools reopening. Doesn't really surface any new insights from past stories, except highlighting the contact tracing system in place.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
The Cost of Closing Schools: Closing schools would cost about $700 billion in lost revenue and productivity, according to a Barron's analysis — 3.5% of GDP.
Mortgage Delinquency Rates: Single-Family serious delinquency rate in July was 3.12%, up from 2.48% in June. - highest Since Feb 2013
Business Pivots: Best Buy is converting 25% of its stores into e-commerce hubs. Online sales grew 242% last quarter, About 60% of which were picked up curbside or shipped to homes.
Using Public Spaces to Deliver Social Services: How an Atlanta park is connecting people to housing through place-based social services.
Legacy Cities: EIG has an analysis of "legacy cities" - areas that were former economic powerhouses (typically manufacturing) that found themselves left behind as the economy shifted to services. 22% of residents in legacy communities have at least a four-year degree compared to 30% in comparable counties. Average median household income (MHI) for non-legacy communities was $62,100 in 2018, but only $49,800 in legacy communities, over $12,000 less.
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LEARNING PODS
Pod Recommendations from Epidemiologists: Three doctors offer advice on how to safely plan and operate pods.
Minneapolis Pods: A Minneapolis church will offer private tutoring to children whose schools have gone online. The Webber-Camden Neighborhood Organization has committed to funding a remote learning program for a total of 36 students primarily attending Minneapolis Public Schools, Callie Peterson, a former teacher, cofounded Wiz Educators, a recruiting tool that’s been helping parents connect with teachers. She said the demand for teachers is so high and so far, Wiz Educators has matched a handful of teachers with families looking for private tutors.
Cities Use "Learning Hubs’: San Francisco will have a program to serve 6,000 children who can go to recreation centers, branch libraries, and other sites across the city to take their virtual classes in small socially-distanced groups supervised by staff from nonprofits the city has partnered with. The free program is targeted at students living in public housing, homeless youth, those in foster care, English-language learners, and low-income families of color. In New Orleans, learning hubs at rec centers and libraries are intended for children who don’t have internet access at home or who lack adult supervision during school hours. More here.
RESOURCES
Reconstruction: Kaya Henderson founded a new organization with a rockstar board and team. Designed by diverse educators, for diverse students, their curriculum highlights Black people, Black culture, and Black contributions to the country and world. They're offering online classes with instructors leading groups of six students at a time.
Higher Education Cases: A NYT survey of colleges revealed 26,000 cases at 250 institutions.
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Hurricane Laura: Strengthened to a Category 4 storm which creates additional challenges for thousands of schools along the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center estimated a storm surge that could go as far as 30 miles inland.
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