Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 Re-Opening Task Force Frequently Asked Questions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health officials have further revised their guidance effective, 10/29/2020. Consistent with the CDC guidance, the District will consider indicators identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that include the percentage of RT-PCR tests that are positive during the last 14 days (positivity rate) and ability of the schools to implement the 5 key mitigation strategies and additional strategies to lower the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in schools.
The school district’s updated decision tree is a continuum aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance. Focusing on the mitigation strategies in the schools will also impact the level of spread in the community.
Schools will organize all classes into two cohorts based on alpha order to adhere to social/physical distancing requirements and safety guidance. Local schools will collaborate with families to align the schedules of siblings. Wednesdays will be reserved for small group instruction, tutoring, appointments for student conferencing, parent conferencing, services, professional learning, collaborative planning and instructional planning.
The hybrid learning environment will allow the District to provide in person services at the school for our special education students and 504 students. Our Intellectual Disabilities liaisons and autism/behavior support staff will collaborate with families and teachers to prepare the students for the transition because of the change in structure and routine.
If a school-based staff member or student tests positive for COVID-19, there will be a targeted impact on the school and/or classroom which could include a transition to distance/remote learning and working environments for a period of time.
If a staff member or student is exhibiting symptoms, the staff member or student will be immediately isolated. The District will follow the guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health, DeKalb Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yes, schools will continue to receive support to ensure that students are successful. School Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors and other support staff will work closely with teachers and administrators to eliminate barriers that impact student success.
The District will remain committed to providing training in Youth Mental Health Awareness for staff in local schools. Modules are being developed to allow the training to occur virtually, as well as during face-to-face sessions.
Parent and Family Engagement will continue to utilize the virtual platform to share strategies and best practices for parents. The school district’s website is also a resource to obtain the most current information regarding re-entry.
Yes. Local schools should contact the English Learner Department for documents that need to be translated. Interpreters are assigned to schools with large numbers of English Learners. Additional support can be requested to support schools with higher numbers of families with a primary home language other than English (PHLOTE’s).
Yes, students are allowed to competitively play in varsity winter sports as of Friday, December 11, 2020. The COVID-19 Health Team will continue to monitor the data to determine if the activities will continue and if spectators will be allowed.
Co-curricular activities (newspapers, musical performances, art shows, mock trials, debate competitions, mathematics team, spelling bee, science fair, robotics, and engineering teams and contests) will resume when the hybrid phases begin. The students will be able to participate on the day that they attend school on their assigned day(s). We will continue collaborating with local school administrators to address co-curricular activities and extra-curricular activities (club sports included) not sanctioned by GHSA.
Pods should consist of the same group of individuals for the entire period of pod activity. Students should be pre-assigned by the directors and commanders and their staff to a pod grouping. The pod assignment should not change from day to day. A permanent adjustment can be made to a pod if another person is removed from the pod permanently. Pod rehearsals should be scheduled in a format to eliminate bottlenecking at entry/exit points, allow for sanitizing and proper storage of equipment, and for proper room air exchange (20 minutes).
The District has provided guidance related to cleaning for the enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of schools and office buildings. Cleaning protocols are in place that include sanitizing high touch and frequently used areas.
The Business Services Department has delivered the COVID-19 related supplies needed for school re-opening. This includes hand sanitizer, cleaning and disinfecting supplies, masks, gloves and other items for safety and cleaning. The Business Services Department is prepared with additional COVID-19 related supplies as needed for schools and facilities.
Staff is performing quarterly maintenance on all HVAC units including cleaning and filter changes. Also, HVAC units have been adjusted as appropriate to increase ventilation in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and industry recommendations.
Plexiglass partitions have been installed at reception desks and public facing workspaces. Hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed in high traffic areas. Also, public health signage has been placed throughout facilities as reminders of health practices, protocols and hygiene.
Students will be required to wear masks, and hand sanitizer will be available as students board the bus. Drivers and monitors will be required to wear masks and will be provided face shields.
Bus routes will run as normal. The hybrid schedule will reduce the number of riders and support social distancing on buses.
DCSD will provide access to a guest network for non-DCSD devices. The list of devices that will be allowed to connect to the school district’s network will be provided to all parents and students. Please be advised that the District cannot repair or support personal devices.
Yes. The District is committed to providing each student in need with a device. The parent would make the request with the school and sign a device user agreement. A device would then be provided to the student.
Students will be responsible for their personal devices. Incidents involving device damage while at school will be investigated and handled by the school administration. If the student has not checked out a district device, the may assign a device for that student to use.
The school district provides wireless internet connectivity in all schools and facilities. Students will not need an additional device to connect.
The virtual learning environment is made up of cloud-based applications that are accessible anywhere and at any time. Access to these applications will not be interrupted.
The intent is not for a student to sit at the computer for 8 hours. Principals were given guidance on how to continue modifying the schedule during this time. Flexibility is a must.
Tutoring occurs on Wednesdays. Students are encouraged to contact teachers for individual assistance. If the student does not feel comfortable, Ms. Stepney can contact and meet with the student to understand the issues.
Complete the IT request form
Please contact your child’s teacher(s), case manager, administrator, and Lead Teacher for Special Education (LTSE) to schedule a meeting to discuss your specific concern(s). LTSE Directory – https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/exceptional-education/#tab-64f14ab80ed8e9c2d7b