Message to FCSA Member School Principals
March 11, 2020
The FCSA team is working closely with the Governor’s Office, Florida Department of Education, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the Florida Department of Health to collect and provide you with COVID-19 resources and information from across the country.
Over the weekend, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released updated COVID-19 information and guidelines for schools and organizations. We have included links to those resources below.
- Cleaning and disinfecting of schools (non-health care facilities)
- CDC Checklist for getting prepared for school administrators, teachers and parents
- FAQs for Schools
- Checklist for teachers, parents and administrators
- Talking with children about the Coronavirus
- Informational posters available in many languages that could be printed and displayed at school sites and/or sent home to families.
On March 9, 2020, Governor DeSantis issued an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency to establish a unified command structure and direct funds as necessary in response to #COVID19. The sweeping executive order allows officials to activate the Florida National Guard, purchase medical supplies more swiftly, and establish field hospitals, which could be deployed to relieve stress on hospitals in the event of a massive outbreak, Governor DeSantis said at a press conference. Click here to see that Executive Order.
Decisions to Implement Social Distancing Efforts or Closing Schools
Last week, the Florida Department of Education asked that all schools prepare a contingency plan for distant learning should school facilities need to close. The FCSA team surveyed member schools and found that most have instruction continuity plans in place. The following are not recommendations by the FCSA but rather a list of options that member schools and folks from across the country are considering:
· Amplify/ramp up existing programs/platforms already in place such as Carnegie, etc.
· Leverage videoconference programs such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype or others. You may need to get licenses to set up your teachers
· Google Classroom and similar platforms are possible
· Leverage Social Media platforms — like Facebook Live and private groups — for each classroom
While media reports continue to show school closures and social distancing actions such as canceling large gatherings and events, please remember that these decisions should be made at the local level in conjunction with your local public health officials.