COVID-19 Policy Update #218
COVID-19 Policy Update
FRIDAY 3/12
TOP TWO
School Reopening in Montgomery County is a Matter of Equity: Washington Post OpEd by Lavanya Sithanandam is medical director of a pediatric practice serving a low-income and minority population and a leader of Together Again MCPS.
"Minorities in our country, specifically African Americans, have been unfairly treated by the medical establishment for centuries "
"Unfortunately, the coronavirus inequity doesn’t end there. Parents in Black and brown communities are also less likely to return their children to school. Those of us in the medical community understand this very real fear. The issue of reopening schools in dense urban and minority areas has become complicated over issues of access and trust. When communities of color have had to fight long-standing battles to be treated equitably, why should they trust that their children will be safe when they return to school?"
"Research consistently demonstrates that schools even in urban and under-resourced settings can be made safe from the coronavirus."
"Every week minority students remain virtual, regardless of whether White students are virtual or in-person, is a lost week, with more significant and irreversible damage."
American Rescue Plan:
Summaries:
CFC: "How Schools Should Use Funding from the American Rescue Plan to Support Students"
LPI: "An Unparalleled Investment in U.S. Public Education: Analysis of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021"
50CAN: "Maximizing the Impact of Federal K-12 Education Funding"
Holland & Knight with an overall summary
Tax Foundation: The American Rescue Plan Act Greatly Expands Benefits through the Tax Code in 2021
Related to K12
$39 billion for child care
$7 billion for the FCC's E-rate program to close the Homework Gap.
$219 Billion State and Local Fiscal Aid
State and Local Funding allocations for states (Spreadsheet)
Tax Foundation analysis
$10 billon is reserved for projects that appear to be broadband related.
$125 billion for public K-12
Requires school districts to use at least 20% and States at least 5% to implement evidence-based interventions to address learning loss.
States are also required to use an additional 1 percent of their state-level funds for evidence-based summer enrichment programs and an additional 1 percent of their state-level funds for evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs.
How it breaks down mathematically:
Total ESSER Grants to States: $121.975 billion (across all States)
Reservation for Homeless Education: $800 million
10% for State level activities: $12.2 billion (across all States)
5% for learning loss (SEA level): $6.1 billion (across all States)
1% for summer enrichment: $1.22 billion (across all States)
1% for comprehensive afterschool: $1.22 billion (across all States)
.5% for administration: $610 million (across all States)
90% for LEA allocations: $109.8 billion (across all LEAs)
20% for learning loss (LEA level): $21.96 billion (across all LEAs)
Reuters with projected spending by state:
FEDERAL
White House: Fact Sheet: President Biden to Announce All Americans to be Eligible for Vaccinations by May 1, Puts the Nation on a Path to Get Closer to Normal by July 4th
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Adolescents May Be More Likely to Become Infected than Adults: New study:
Researcher analyzed case counts in Utah, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Tennessee from summer 2020, when counts were surging. They picked those states because they count their cases by age groups, allowing researchers to measure teens and preteens.
"We found that prevalence of COVID-19 in adolescence was significantly greater than in older adults, and similarly for the two other prevalence-related measures. There was also a higher prevalence in youth as compared to older adults, and in adolescents and youth combined as compared to older adults."
Possible reasons:
Adolescents have more contacts than adults
Older adults, feeling vulnerable, may be more likely to adhere to masking and social distancing, which adolescents/youth may disregard.
Since 10-19-year-olds are adolescents, they may not be fully appreciate the health consequences of not wearing a mask.
Adolescents and youth, even if they recognize their potential for infection, may feel more compelled to have social interactions, regardless of the health consequences.
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by Children Attending School: New study (small)
The study covers October to December 2020.
"Despite having attended school within the 48 hours before the positive test, none of the contacts of these children were found to be infected over 28 days of follow-up, either in the same bubble or at school."
"After 3 months, this small study has not found evidence to suggest COVID-19 is commonly transmitted by children within schools."
Vaccine Trials with Children: Moderna began enrolling children ages 6 months to 12 years in Virginia and Arizona
Vaccine Hesitancy:
Great oped: Why Coloradans should get the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, despite headlines about lower efficacy.
"You’ve seen the headlines saying that particular vaccine is less effective than the ones made by Pfizer or Moderna. Perhaps you’ve heard stories from around the country of people — including the mayor of Detroit — not wanting it because they’re holding out for what they believe are better options."
"And now you’re thinking to yourself: Is this a good idea? Am I about to get a junior-varsity vaccine?"
"Well, Colorado health leaders want to put your mind at ease. Say goodbye to your vaccine FOMO and get that shot."
AstraZeneca: The WHO said its advisory committee is looking at issues with the vaccine, namely some reported blood clots.
STATE
California:
"In January 2020, Marin Health Medical Center's ER, saw four children, 18 and younger, who were suicidal. A year later, in January 2021, they saw 14 children, 18 and younger, who were suicidal. And from 2019 to 2020, Marin Health Medical Center, overall saw a 40% increase in suicidal children."
The state is offering COVID-19 rapid tests to reopening schools
Colorado: "Coronavirus is straining Colorado kids’ mental health. The state hopes free counseling sessions will help."
"It would connect teachers and students age 12 and older with licensed mental health professionals for three free sessions. Those sessions, likely conducted through telehealth, could serve as a bridge to more long-term mental health services"
"The state economic stimulus plan would set aside $8 million to $9 million for voluntary screenings and three free telehealth sessions. With those one-time funds, the Office of Behavioral Health looks to serve about 15,000 students and about 3,000 teachers across the state."
Illinois: The state adopts the 3 ft standard for schools reopening for in-person learning. The teachers unions are objecting.
"The union’s school reopening agreement was “built on” the six-foot distancing guidance, CTU spokesperson Chris Geovanis said. He called it “a basic and vital safety protection that we intend to continue to vigorously observe.”
Utah:
Parents sue Park City School District over COVID-19 tests required to go to school in person
Jordan District is committing to continue offering all online classes for interested students this fall.
"This is about changing the way we deliver education, making it more personalized, letting each student do what works for them,” added Menlove, who will lead the new elementary, Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary School."
Washington: The Governor is the issuing an order that would require K-6 students to be allowed an opportunity for hybrid instruction by April 5. By April 19, all other students must be given an opportunity to have hybrid instruction. By that day, school districts will be required to hold at least 30% of their weekly average instructional hours as in-person, on-campus instruction for all K-12 students.
INTERNATIONAL
Australia: "School refusals almost triple"
I have to admit, I had no idea what a school refusal was. It is: "when a child has extreme difficulty attending school, often due to anxiety or emotional distress"
"Between 2 and 5 per cent of children, up until last year, were school refusing. That then doubled last year."
Mental Health: Global rise in child mental health challenges
Europe's New Coronavirus Spike: Is a warning to the U.S.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
K Shaped Recovery: NYT with a story and charts showing the the unevenness of the lockdown experiences and economic recovery.
RESOURCES
How the Trump Administration’s Data Failure Has Kept Schools Closed: Via US News & World Report
"It wasn't until December – nearly 10 months after the virus first shuttered schools – that researchers had finally amassed enough data from the various state and county public health databases and directly from school districts themselves to draw more informed conclusions about whether and how the virus spreads in schools, whether schools are significant drivers of infection rates and what conditions may allow for schools to safely and successfully reopen for in-person learning."
"We ended up getting started doing our data collection in August, after schools had already opened," Oster says. "And the reason for that was partly that I just kept thinking, 'OK, surely we're not actually going to not have this information. And even if it's not going to be the federal government, surely state governments will start doing this' – and they did to a larger extent, even though it took some time."
"Other researchers and education policy experts stepped in to try to fill the void as well. The Center on Reinventing Public Education and Education Week's research center were among the very first to track how schools were operating since they first began closing last March."
"Indeed, a bigger problem others foresee is how to earn back the public's trust in government data so they feel good about using it to make big decisions about things like reopening schools for in-person learning during a pandemic."
Learning Pods: A pandemic innovation, thrive and evolve
Meet 'Gen C,' the Covid Generation: Via CNN
Pathways to Adopting Continuous Improvement: Report from the Christensen Institute.
Pandemic Puppies: Turn into clingy dogs.