More CT Schools Head To Remote Learning Amid Growing COVID Cases

CONNECTICUT — School districts across Connecticut are figuring out how to run schools amid a growing number of coronavirus cases that are affecting students and staff. Some districts are facing significant staffing shortages as potentially exposed teachers self-quarantine. There were more than 1,000 coronavirus cases among preK-12 students and staff within the last week.

Teacher unions derided a joint memo from the state Department of Education and Department of Public Health that discouraged school systems from automatically going to remote learning for a period of time after Thanksgiving and the winter recess breaks.

“We also know that in-person learning is benefiting our students’ social, emotional and physical well-being,” SDE Commissioner Miguel Cardona and Acting DPH Commissioner Deidre Gifford said in a joint memo to school administrators. “The CSDE and DPH do not think that arbitrary, date-based closures of school are warranted at this time.”

The memo also mentioned that transmission of coronavirus within school buildings is rare and that most transmission happens during other social activities.

The memo went on to say that, “In-person education is too important for our children to disrupt their education further, unless and until local conditions specifically dictate the need to do so.”

The Connecticut Education Association said in a statement that the memo encourages dangerous decisions.

“Districts statewide should implement hybrid or fully remote learning models unless they can demonstrate consistent adherence to minimum standards for full in-person instruction,” the CEA said in a statement. “Up to this point, far too many local administrators and health departments in communities across Connecticut have failed to live up to this common-sense requirement.”
Health experts have predicted a nightmare scenario in the time period following Thanksgiving. A holiday where people from different households gather to eat loads of food for a prolonged period of time flies in the face of public health recommendations.

Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed an executive order that limits private social gatherings to 10 or fewer people whether indoors or outdoors.

DPH and SDE suggested that school systems refer to updated guidance, which mentions that the state’s color-coded coronavirus warning level and that, “...the level of community spread that would prompt action in non-school community settings is not necessarily indicative of a need for schools to suspend in-person learning”

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighed in on the topic of schools during Lamont’s Thursday news conference.

"We've learned that now children aren't a major source of community spread, especially young children,” he said, adding that school systems should try to preserve in-person education, especially for K-5 students

Gottlieb predicted that more schools would go to distance learning after Thanksgiving, but he said school systems shouldn’t preemptively close.

More schools going remote

School systems are handling the growing number of cases in totally different ways. Around half of school districts were fully in-person between Nov. 2 and 6, 37 percent were hybrid and 9 percent were fully remote. However, since then a number of school districts have announced plans to go remote immediately or some time in the near future.

School systems across the state have been meeting the challenge in different ways.

Shelton, Trumbull, Ansonia and Bridgeport public school districts recently announced plans for an extended period of full remote learning. Danbury Public Schools announced it would stay remote until at least mid-January.

Other districts like Milford and Waterbury are switching the higher grades to remote learning and attempting to keep elementary schools open for in-person learning. Milford also announced it would have remote learning for all students for a week after Thanksgiving and the holiday break.

Some districts like Stratford are pressing on despite a growing number of cases in the school system and city. The school system had 27 students and 19 staff members in isolation after being infected with the virus as of Thursday and another 547 in self-quarantine for potential exposure. Both high schools are on full distance learning due to staffing shortages.

Stratford announced that it would move forward with its plans to bring back elementary school students for full in-person learning starting on Monday. Stratford had 28.6 daily cases per 100,000 people over a two-week average.

Red for towns isn’t necessarily red for schools, according to the state

A town switches to a red alert level when its daily cases hit 15 or more per 100,000 population over a two-week average. The SDE and DPH recommend that school systems consider hybrid learning between 10 and 25 daily cases per 100,000 and consider “less in-person learning” when cases go above 25 per 100,000 daily. The reasoning in the guidance is that classrooms offer a more controlled environment than that of general public spaces.

Fairfield, New Haven and Hartford counties already fall into the state’s high risk category where more distance learning is encouraged.

Fairfield County had 34 average daily cases per 100,000 population between Oct. 25 and Nov. 7. The county positive test rate was 6.2 percent, which also indicated a higher risk level.

Hartford County had an average of 23.6 daily cases per 100,000 along with a 3.9 percent positive test rate. New Haven County had a daily rate of 28.7 cases and a 5.2 percent positive test rate.

Coronavirus cases climb among students, staff

There were more than 1,000 students and staff in Connecticut preK-12 schools who were infected with the coronavirus in the past week, according to new data from the state Department of Education.

There were 675 new cases among students, which is an increase of 178 cases or 36 percent from the previous week, according to data from the state Department of Education. There were 328 cases among staff, which was an increase of 91 cases or 38 percent from the previous week.

For students there were 231 cases for those attending districts that predominantly offer in-person learning, 322 for those offering hybrid learning and 115 for those offering only remote learning.

Students are classified under what their district offers regardless of whether they are in person or fully remote.