Dear Educators,
As Dr. Marrero shared on Friday, we have made great strides in keeping our schools open for in-person learning, in large part through the mask mandate for everyone inside DPS schools and buildings and the city’s public health order requiring COVID vaccines for all staff. Those measures, along with your support in following the DPS 5, have maximized the strength of our health conditions and minimized learning disruptions.
In looking at the numbers, this hard work continues to pay off:
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School-age cases of COVID are going down since the start of school.
- DPS has the lowest COVID rate among school-aged children out of Colorado’s largest 10 counties.
- 87% of all DPS staff who have complied with the health order by verifying that they are fully vaccinated.
As our health partners shared in a recent update: “The clear message is that in-person learning can be done quite safely, and that when appropriate measures are taken (universal masking and vaccinations, for those eligible), in-person learning is not associated with increased risks for children.”
We know we’re not out of the woods yet, especially as the approaching colder weather will push people indoors and in closer contact. Please continue to be vigilant in following the DPS 5 and our health procedures so we can keep our students learning in-person. The three most impactful actions we can take right now are:
- Continue maximizing the outdoors for meals whenever possible.
- Emphasize proper mask wearing.
- Be a trusted voice for your students and families regarding vaccine facts (both COVID and flu).
Thank you again for your support in keeping our DPS community safe!
Many thanks,
Mike and Tamara
