RI Officials Push To Get Students Back In School Classrooms

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — Gov. Gina Raimondo recently gave the state two additional weeks to meet the benchmark for what has become a clear goal whenever state officials have addressed going back to school this fall — they want it to be an in-classroom learning experience for as many Rhode Island students as possible given the coronavirus health crisis.

Raimondo quoted Dr. Anthony Fauci's statement from their Facebook virtual town hall together last week, saying: "He said everyone's position should be that we all try to the best of our ability to get kids back to school. I think that is well said."

Both Raimondo and state Department of Education Director Angelica Infante-Green have said throughout the summer that in-classroom learning is most beneficial for students and needs to be the first choice when it comes to schools reopening on Sept. 14. Raimondo pushed back the decision day for whether school across the state will be primarily in-person or remote from Aug. 16 to Aug. 31, and said during her Wednesday news conference that the numbers in the state are trending in a good direction when it comes to meeting the criteria for in-person education after a few alarming hiccups in late July and early August.

"I hear from parents that this didn't work for them," Infante-Green said of the spring's distance-learning programs that were rushed into practice shortly after the onset of the health emergency. "Distance learning was a struggle. It was hard.

"School is not just about instruction," she added of the social aspects of education. "We have to make this work for everyone."

Raimondo called a return to in-classroom education as soon as possible "a moral obligation," yet allowed, "I am not saying it is going to be easy. I am not saying it is going to be perfect," before adding: "I am not going to force any teacher to work in a building that is not safe."

The definition of "safe" — of course — has been a stumbling block when it comes to working with some teachers, administrators and parents wary of schools acting as spreader centers for the virus. Officials pointed to the protocols around child care facilities, which have kept outbreaks to a minimum since reopening late in the spring with strict protocols and monitoring, adding that waiting for a vaccine to return to school is not a viable option.

"Once we get going there are going to be cases," Gov. Raimondo allowed. "There are going to be children who get the COVID virus. There are going to be professionals in the building who are going to test positive."

Raimondo later added: "I wish I could put a big bubble around Rhode Island and say we're COVID free. There is no such thing as virus-free. It's about what we can do to make it safe enough."

Raimondo said the state has delivered 3,000 thermometers, 6,000 gowns and 10,000 masks to schools this week to help them get prepared for next month's hopeful opening.

She also outlined a response plan for cases as they arise.

Under Scenario 1, where there are a very limited number of cases contained to a single pod of students, then students and those in close and sustained contact with them — defined as being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes —will be tested, sent home and quarantined.

Under Scenario 2, where there are cases in multiple stable groups, but are linked by a clear, common school activity, cases will also be isolated and quarantined, with a team from the state Health Department brought in to determine if the school needs to be closed temporarily.

"This is exactly what we anticipate may happen (in some schools)," Raimondo accepted.

Under Scenario 3, where there is community transmission across multiple school groups without a clear connection, the Department of Health would likely order the school closed and an immediate switch to the remote learning plan until the situation is under control.

"We're going to have a Department of Health teams on the ready to parachute into schools as needed," Raimondo said. "We are prepared to send teams in to make these swift judgements."

Infante-Green said new guidance on air flow for schools will be out by the end of this week

She added that while no parent will be forced to send their student back to school if they are not comfortable doing so, students who really need an in-person learning experience should be afforded that opportunity, if at all possible.

"We're all in different places," she said. "That's why choice matters. Not everyone is in the same place, so we have to make it work for everyone."

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