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K-12 Dive
CDC: Vaccinations should not be a condition for reopening schools
Kara Arundel
Feb. 12, 2021
Dive Brief:
Schools offering in-person instruction should prioritize the universal
and correct use of mask wearing, as well as physical distancing that
includes 6 feet between people, said the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in new, comprehensive reopening guidance released Friday.
To complement the CDC guidance, the U.S. Department of Education also
issued practical strategies for the safe reopening of schools,
including establishing protocols for how and when masks should be
removed during lunchtime, creating seating charts and staggering bell
schedules.
Although vaccinations for teachers should be prioritized and are one of
the layers of mitigation schools use to protect their communities,
schools can reopen safely prior to all teachers being vaccinated if
masking and distancing measures are followed, said CDC Director
Rochelle P. Walensky during a virtual media briefing.
Dive Insight:
The guidance documents from CDC and the Education Department do not
mandate that school buildings open or close. Those decisions should
still be locally based. Instead the CDC’s science-based recommendations
should be used as a roadmap as school leaders make determinations about
learning formats, said Walensky. She said that limited survey data
shows about 60% of schools in the country are offering some form of
in-person instruction.
In addition to mask wearing and physical distancing, the CDC recommends
schools focus on compliance with hand-washing, the cleaning and
disinfecting of surfaces, and contact tracing, in addition to isolation
and quarantine practices. The CDC previously estimated mitigation
efforts in schools would cost up to $422 per student, which includes
expenses for custodial staff and transportation.
Districts have said they used Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic
Security Act funding for COVID-19 prevention expenses but that more
relief is needed. Congress is considering a plan that includes $130
billion to open schools safely.
“The CDC’s updated guidance on safely reopening schools makes a clear
case for why Congress must swiftly enact President Biden’s American
Rescue Plan,” said a statement from Rep. Bobby Scott, D-VA, chairman of
the House Education and Labor Committee. “Many schools across the
country simply cannot afford to take the safety precautions that CDC
recommends in order to protect students and school staff from COVID-19.”
The CDC guidance also offers a new, color-coded operational strategy to
help determine the levels of transmission risk in schools based on
rates of new and positive COVID-19 cases in the community.
Correct and consistent mitigation efforts need to happen to help
schools open and stay open, said Walensky, highlighting a new science
brief that says in-person learning has not been connected with
substantial transmission in the community.
“All community members, students, families, teachers and school staff
must do their part to protect each other and reduce the level of
COVID-19, in their community,” Walensky said. She also stated as more
is understood about the novel coronavirus, CDC may have to revisit this
guidance.
The Education Department plans to issue in the coming weeks more
specific guidance on strategies to serve historically underserved
student populations and on topics that include SEL, staff well-being,
lost instructional time, extended learning time, the digital divide and
more, said Donna Harris-Aikens, the education department’s senior
advisor for policy and planning, during the media briefing.
In responses to the new guidance, school administrative groups said they appreciated the CDC’s science-based approach.
“Principals want their students and educators safely back in their
respective buildings, actively engaging in in-person learning and
re-establishing the personal connections we’ve all missed for almost a
full calendar year,” said Ronn Nozoe, CEO of the National Association
of Secondary School Principals, in a statement.
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