Washington COVID-19 Numbers
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18,964 confirmed cases, 991 deaths.
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Re-opening Schools in the Fall
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On Wednesday, OSPI hosted a stakeholders meeting to talk about the reopening of schools in the fall.
WFIS was a part of the 6 hour meeting that included breakout sessions to allow small groups to dive deeply into a set of scenarios of what an open school might look like next year.
The DOH described three potential virus patterns beginning in the fall as businesses start to open:
1. A spike in Sept/Oct that would close schools down.
2. A rolling high and low all year, which would stop and go schools all year.
3. A ’slow burn’ which is what we have now. Deaths/cases not slowing down dramatically and not improving dramatically.
WFIS has established a work group of private school leaders who will walk through scenarios and think deeply about how private schools might open in the fall. These answers and conversations will inform our advocacy with Governor Inslee's Office and OSPI.
We will also be talking about reopening schools at our 2pm Friday calls.
We want your plans and your thoughts on this topic. Please share:
info@wfis.org.
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Communication Plans:
How will you communicate with your community about
re-opening in the fall?
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There is no doubt parents are wondering what Fall 2020 will look like. As we get more comfortable with the idea that campus life will look different this fall then last, schools need to talk to parents about what they should expect.
It is critical to have a strong, thoughtful communication plan for now through the summer months for parents. The void created in not sharing information is filled with anxiety and misinformation. Parents make decisions for next year based on your communication.
Teachers and staff need strong, transparent and honest communication now about what their jobs might look like, as well. Staff also needs to know what to tell parents and students about next year.
It is time to make sure your communication plan is on target.
Today WFIS participated in a webinar with the National Association of Independent Schools and
The Jane Group
,
a global crisis communication firm based in the Chicago area. Here are some ideas that were shared:
- Parents are feeling anxious about everything being unpredictable. Let them rely on calm, clear and consistent communication from you.
- Do not over-promise. Be clear about what you know, how you are making decisions and with whom, and when they will regularly hear from you.
- Empathize and demonstrate your emotional intelligence. Parents/staff are dealing with taking care of sick family members, feelings of isolation, grief. Let them know you know, understand and are with them.
- Restate your school's mission often and connect all decisions to the mission.
- The grace given by parents in the spring when schools closed is dissipating. A strong communication plan for what they should expect next is vital even if all you can give them are the decisions and details you are considering.
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Eligible private school students can access P-EBT meals
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Students who attend your schools and who quality for free and reduced lunch c
ould benefit from a new program described below:
P-EBT is a new United States Department of Agriculture program authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Act. This program provides families of children that would normally be receiving free or reduced price meals at school, SNAP (food stamp) benefits in the reimbursement amounts of the meals that would have been served. This program runs separately from the programs many school are running and they can operate concurrently.
DSHS is the lead agency and has recently submitted an application to USDA. The program is proposed to operate in two phases; 1) automatic issuance of P-EBT cards to SNAP households with students, 2) families who qualify for free/reduced school meals by other means than SNAP could submit and on-line application. This application would be validated to ensure applicants had children that were enrolled in school. OSPI will be providing data for public school students. While private school students would be included in phase 1, OSPI does not have the information to validate the students applying in phase 2.
Please let Christina from DSHS know if you are able to identify students/families who would benefit from this program. Her email address is
barracm@dshs.wa.gov
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OSPI 2020-2021 Clock Hour Application Reminder
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In case you missed it!
At the end of the application, you will receive an automatic confirmation.
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PESB Extends Teacher / Admin Certifications for One Year
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The Professional Educator Standards Board has extended the validity period on certificates expiring June 30, 2020 for one additional year. Certificates will now expire June 30, 2021. This policy change is effective immediately.
This applies to residency, professional, initial, and continuing certificates for all roles, including teacher, administrator, career and technical education (CTE), and all educational staff associate (ESA) roles.
Individuals with certificates expiring June 30, 2020 who already applied for certificate renewal will be granted the same one year extension on their renewed certificates. Individuals with permits are eligible for an additional one-year permit.
Educators do not need to take any action in order to be granted this one year extension.
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IMPACT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE for all school leaders
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ACSI's 2020 Impact Leadership Conference
Is an online forum this year at
No Cost
June 23, 8:00 -10:00am PST
Presentation:
School Leaders in Crisis: Facing Personal and School Challenges
By Dr. Ken Friesen – Cascade Christian Schools, Superintendent
Round-table conversations:
How are you doing school next year?
Conversations between school leaders and teachers at each school level.
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Childcare Grant Opportunity through DCYF
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DCYF announced NEW support to child care providers under the Child Care
Development Block Grant’s CARE Act. This grant is available to any WA State licensed child care provider that is open and providing child care on the date of filing their grant application that intends to remain open through the end of July.
$6,500 for schools with capacity to 49;
$11,500 for schools with capacity 50-99;
$14,000 for schools with capacity 100-150+.
Funds can be spent on facility/space rent, personnel, utilities, health and safety/cleaning supplies and food.
Here is the link to the
DCYF Grant Portal
. After you log in, select the Child Care COVID-19 Grant tab. For questions about logging in, go to
DCYF
.
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There are two statewide work-groups developing guidelines and strategies for providing summer camps, with COVID-19 restrictions in mind, to all age-levels.
More to come...
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CARES Act Equitable Services and the Media
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WFIS thanks those working to make sure that all students negatively impacted by COVID-19 - which is every single student - benefit from the relief funds.
The crisis does not impact all children equitably, but it does impact every school and this relief money, that can be used on cleaning supplies and safety measures, is meant to support every single student.
There are other funds available to schools that have a large population of low-income students. WFIS believes that the CARES ACT funding as intended supports all students suffering and in need.
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Schools need to know how to best support their seniors. With the onslaught of questions from high schools in the state, the Department of Health developed guidance. Here are the
graduation guidelines.
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If your school needs to close, please fill out
this paperwork. If you cannot answer the question about where the permanent records will be filed, get the paperwork in and let the State Board know you don't have an answer for that question yet.
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Invitation to join WFIS' Weekly Conversations
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Would you like to join the weekly conversations WFIS is hosting between K12 school leaders and / or the Early Learning programs? Details below:
WFIS Leadership Meeting, K12 - Fridays at 2pm
WFIS Early Ed Teachers and Administrators
- Thursday at Noon
Email
info@wfis.org with your request to be added to either weekly Zoom invitation.
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Questions? Keep them coming!
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WFIS is hearing from schools and early learning programs every day. Your questions and feedback guide the topics of our weekly meetings with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; the State Board of Education; The Department of Children, Youth and Families; The Department of Health, Higher Education Officials; The Council for American Private Education; and many others.
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WA Federation of Independent Schools |
WFIS.org |253.912.5347
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