Mayor Bowser Delays School Announcement for Two Weeks – Outlines Possible Plan

Mayor Bowser at today’s Situational Briefing in the Old Council Chamber.

Mayor Bowser Delays School Announcement for Two Weeks – Outlines Possibilities

By Larry Janezich

July 16, 2020

At a COV  19 Situational Update today, Mayor Bowsers – who was expected to announce how schools would reopen on August 31 – said that the decision would be put off until July 31.

There are three metrics which drove the decision.  Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt of the DOH said they included the relatively high rate of transmission of infection over the past several days, the increase in the number of new cases, and uncertainty regarding how cases are connected to each other by case or location.  Overall, however, Nesbitt said the District was “in a good place.”

Chancellor Lewis Ferebee outlined the options which the city hopes to present to parents on July 31.

Under the tentative plan, students and teachers will be organized into cohorts to promote social distancing and to make contact tracing easier.  Families who opt for in person instruction can choose a hybrid model combining limited in person with virtual classes.  The city will also offer a virtual instruction only option.  In response to a reporter’s question, Bowser said that the metrics could dictate that only the virtual instruction model will be offered.

For PK 3 and PK4, the models anticipate two days of in person teaching and three days of virtual teaching.  On Wednesdays, schools will undergo a deep cleaning. (click to enlarge)

For  grade K – 5, two days of in person teaching and three days of virtual teaching, or five days of virtual teaching.

For grades 6 – 12, one day of in personal teaching and four days of virtual teaching, or 5five days of virtual teaching.

Asked if federal pressure had anything to do with the decision, Bowser said that the only driver was the knowledge that students do better with in person instruction.