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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 12 August 2020

Created: 12 August 2020

Last Updated: 13 August 2020

Hits: 14934

During a topsy turvy week when three successive plans for the reopening of the Scarsdale Schools were issued, many were wondering what the teachers thought. What was their view of the original plan, the first revision and the hastily announced final plan? Was there buy-in from this key group of stakeholders?

Last week we wrote to David Wixted, President of the Scarsdale Teachers’ Association (STA) to find out where the teachers stood but received no response. This week, four leaders of the STA make a surprise appearance at the August 11 meeting of the Board of Education and spoke at length about their views of the planning process and the safety risks of re-opening.

Sounding a dire warning about the district’s concession to parents demands for additional in-school time, David Wixted said, “I am here to warn you that this decision making process has now been subverted. I am here to warn you that this district is in danger of being forever damaged. We all reap what we sow and short sighted decisions made today that unnecessarily place teachers and their families in real danger will have long lasting effects that will be impossible to undo. This pandemic will eventually pass, but whether the school district’s long lasting tradition of excellence will remain is in doubt.”

From the comments below, it appears that teachers were involved in formulating the first plan as part of the Restart Steering Committee ad Task Forces. It appears that the original plan, which involved no in-school time for ninth through twelfth graders was reached through lengthy discussions with all stakeholders and was endorsed by the teachers.

However, when the district altered these plans in response to parents’ demands, the new schedule called for in school time for high school students and additional hours for younger students. From their comments, it appears that the teachers did not endorse these new plans.

The four teachers who spoke, STA President David Wixted, STA Chair for Rights and Responsibilities Dina Hofstetter, Stephen Mounkhall, STA VP for the high school and Joe Vaughan, Executive VP of the STA, all covered different facets of their issues with the current plan. It was not clear if these views represented elementary school teachers who were not represented at the Board meeting.

Wixted bemoaned the subversion of the planning process and the consequences of these changes. He defended the original decision to leave Wednesdays open for teachers to plan and also discussed the loss of planning time for remote learning now that the district is on track for increased in person school.

He said, “Teachers are shocked that their health should be put at risk by plans that assert that children can be perfect actors and follow social distancing. When the shift to remote learning occurs we will be unprepared because the district has squandered all this time focusing on in person instruction. Instead of focusing on the real needs of students.” Wixted said that many teachers would apply to take leaves of absence, retire or resign.

Hofstetter stressed parents disregard for teacher safety in favor of increased hours in school. She said, “At a time when we needed to pull together as a community and listen to the voices of compassion and caution the district has instead chosen to amplify the voices of privilege and pressure. We are at a loss, because just as community members have stated they did not come here for distance learning, we did not come here to be regarded as interchangeable instructional delivery systems.”

She spoke of a loss of trust between the faculty and the district saying, “The community had one job – to value the lives of its members – all of its members – if not equally, then certainly compassionately. We are at a loss because we mourn for what that might have looked like.”

Speaking for high school teachers, English teacher Stephen Mounkhall discussed what the school experience would be like with masks and distancing, calling it a sterile but not safe environment.

He advocated for the all remote model and questioned the communities decision to prioritize in school vs. virtual learning. He said, “I understand your desire to have your children back in Scarsdale High School. I have children. But if the majority of educational experts in my son’s school told me that they did not feel comfortable in the classrooms, that they would struggle to do their jobs in person because of a slew of state mandates and that they did not feel that their voices were being heard in the reopening process, that would give me pause.”

He relayed statistics from a survey of SHS teachers showing that many do not feel comfortable returning to the building and do not feel that their voices were heard in the restart planning process.

STA Executive VP Joe Vaughn focused on the science of COVID and state mandates seeking to demonstrate why the school would not be a safe environment. He said that PPE was in short supply, the school’s ventilation system was antiquated and called the return to school a “super spreading event.”

The teachers’ comments stunned many parents who believed that they were coming close to a compromise with the district on plans for the reopening. This new information cast doubt on whether there would be enough teachers in the buildings to carry out the agreed upon re-opening plan.

Parents were also surprised to learn about the teacher’s hesitancy to return to school so late in the game. They wondered why this had not been communicated earlier on and said that, given what they heard, they might change their response to a survey that asked them to select in school or remote learning for their children.

Though they were sympathetic to the teachers’ fears, others wondered why teachers in neighboring districts were returning to school when Scarsdale teachers said it was unsafe. They were also equally as concerned about their children’s mental health.

Assistant Superintendent Andrew Patrick confirmed that staffing would be challenging though not insurmountable.

He said, “I am not trying to communicate that the sky is falling – just that it is complex. The STA represents 472 faculty and staff members. Even if one in 10 has a concern, we’re talking about 50 people. I can’t discuss private health information but the number is higher than 10%. I am optimistic that we will be able to fill the roles, but it will be challenging.”

He added, “We have a higher number than normal of resignations among teacher aids. That will continue to be an ongoing challenge. There is also a tight market for substitute teachers and expect shortages there as well. Since they would be going to multiple districts there could be problems with COVID.”

Here are their remarks:

Scarsdale Teachers Association Public Statements
August 11th, 2020

David Wixted

My name is David Wixted, and I serve as president of the Scarsdale Teachers Association. September begins my 30th year in this district, and my main work has been that of an English teacher at the Middle School.

As I begin, I would note that the STA officers do not typically make public statements to the Board and community, but the circumstances of this time compel us to do so now.

A few years ago, the STA advanced a statement on our shared educational culture. At the core of this statement were the following truths--

We, the educators of this district, are essential and responsible partners with considerable expertise central to the work of the district;

As such, we have an obligation to participate in district dialogues in a spirit of civility, reason, and openness, all grounded by what is in the best interests of students and their teachers;

That through our stewardship of this school district, our partners on the Board and in district offices share our obligation to create conditions that provide students with meaningful and fulfilling educational experiences;

That we must continue to live up to our part of this social contract, and our expectation is that the Board, administration, and the community will do so as well.

We continue to uphold our side of this social contract, committed to our professionalism and expertise in education while addressing hugely complex problems during a deadly pandemic that threatens us all.

But the abrupt shifts in plans to satisfy demands from the community now bring this social contract into doubt.

I am here, now, to warn you that this decision-making process has been subverted. I am here, now, to warn you that the culture that has defined this school district is in danger of being forever damaged. We all reap what we sow, and short-sighted decisions made today that unnecessarily place teachers, students, and all their families in real danger will have long lasting effects that may be impossible to undo. This pandemic will eventually pass but whether this school district’s long history of excellence will remain intact is increasingly in doubt.

Again and again, plans put forth through the earnest work of committees with broad representation have been subverted by community members who believe these plans do not provide enough. This subversion has been brought about by voices who loudly and repeatedly doubt the commitment, hard work, and sacrifice of their children’s teachers.

Teachers are discouraged by shifts in plans that narrowly define how they will provide instruction to their students, plans that assert we are no longer in charge of our classrooms, plans that require teachers be placed in conditions of risk.

Teachers are dismayed that their lives and those of their families seem to be of such little concern and must be risked to provide severely diminished educational experiences for students.

Teachers are shocked that the health and safety of our students and their families are to be placed at risk through plans that pretend that children are capable of behaving as perfect actors following the protocols of social distancing and mask wearing.

Teachers are worried that when the inevitable and sudden shift to remote learning occurs, we will be unprepared because the district has squandered all this time, energy, and money at providing what will likely be a brief period of in-person instruction.

Instead of focusing on the real needs of our students, especially those at the earliest grades, those deprived of social-emotional supports, those with learning challenges, we will be unable to meet fully the challenges of remote learning because while we saw them coming, we were not allowed to prepare adequately for them. This planning has been the purpose of the Wednesday planning days found in the AB model, an absolutely essential time for teachers to concentrate on preparing the needed variety of eLearning opportunities for students and thereby ensure students remain aligned in the work they encounter. The opportunity for a few summer planning days has not been enough to sustain a year of lessons, and teachers now wonder where they will find the time to do the collaborative work necessary for students learning remotely while also preparing for the in-person learning organized through state and district mandates.

The district needs teachers to open a school. The dismaying disconnect between the district and teachers puts that need in doubt. Some teachers will pursue federally mandated ADA accommodations. Some teachers will apply for federally apportioned Coronavirus childcare leave. Some teachers are considering whether they should retire or resign. Some teachers are considering whether they can take an unpaid leave. All of these realities in and of themselves could bring these plans crashing to the ground.

I do not question the hard work and good intentions of many of the district administrators and Board members straining to address so many conflicting concerns. But I do question the wisdom of changing plans that increase risk for every member of the school community. As a colleague stated at a recent meeting, the ground keeps shifting under our feet, and every time it does, the danger for everyone becomes greater. If schools reopen, hundreds of people will be brought together in confined and often poorly ventilated spaces for hours at a time. Some number of them will have the virus-- if you doubt this, ask again the doctor sitting on the restart steering committee. We are about to conduct an experiment where the test subjects are every child and adult moving through our buildings, and any infected individual will then bring this virus home to their families, many of whom may be particularly vulnerable. How can the potential benefits outweigh these risks?

Before taking a step further down a road toward an avoidable tragedy, we must stop and reconsider our options and decide upon the plan that truly preserves the health and safety of us all. We can provide both greater assurances of health and safety as well as genuine access to education, but only if we squarely recognize the nature of the danger that confronts us and prepare for remote learning. This is an unpopular choice, but it has the virtue of being the right one.

Thank you.

Dina Hofstetter

My name is Dina Hofstetter.

For 27 years I have been an art teacher at Scarsdale High School, a place I have considered my second home, working with students and colleagues whom I view as my second family.

Tonight I speak as the STA chair for rights and responsibilities. Prior to this summer, Scarsdale teachers have been able to focus on our responsibilities because our rights have been, overwhelmingly, respected and protected by the district. Most of us have been so secure in our rights that we have voluntarily and enthusiastically acceded to expanding our responsibilities. When your children come to us with ideas for new clubs we do not check our contract to see if we should agree to advise them - we check our calendars and secure child care for after school on Tuesdays or Fridays because we believe that it is important for kids to get together and share their love for photography or business or robotics. When your children ask for that letter of recommendation we do not say “no” because we have already said yes to 23 other students. We say “yes” because we know that we have an important anecdote to share - one that will surely elevate that student’s application to the top of the pile. That child and all of the children of this community benefit from securing the rights of its employees so that we may focus our attention on our responsibilities.

Unfortunately, the conversation this summer has been dominated by members of the community who do not recognize that the strength of our district has always been in this inextricable relationship of rights and responsibilities. We have listened to community members suggest that they should not have to pay their taxes if their children do not have five day a week in person instruction - during a pandemic. We have listened to community members mock the work of teachers of non-core subjects, such as myself, and suggest that we be furloughed - during a pandemic. We have listened to community members suggest that teachers do not need extra planning time to completely overhaul their curricula and adapt to every possible model of teaching that has emerged over the past few months. We have listened to demands for the Fall and harsh critiques over the Spring semester, a time when most of us were working non-stop to transform ourselves into online teachers and support our students - even as we had to deal with our own lives falling apart at the hands of a pandemic.

We understand that Scarsdale families have suffered illness and loss and fear, as well, but we cannot understand why the dominant community voice at the moment seems to be advocating for an assertion of “rights” that seem strangely uncoupled from the realities of this pandemic. Where is the outcry for protecting the rights of immunocompromised children and family members? I know they exist and I know how frightened they were each time someone coughed in class at the end of February and during that first week of March. Instead, we have parents forming splinter groups and disseminating manifestos filled with infographics designed to reimagine teachers’ rights and responsibilities. They have the right to do so, but I feel it is the responsibility of the community to ask them to please stop and focus on the fact that for some, we are confronting issues of life and death.

The officers of the STA and our membership find ourselves in an unfamiliar, defensive stance. From the beginning of this process we have engaged in good faith with the district as members of restart committees. We have brought expertise, compassion for a wide range of viewpoints, and a deep commitment to creating a restart plan that best serves the needs of our students and staff. Those of us who are parents joined these committees with a clear understanding of how much our own children yearn for a return to normalcy. As adults, we accepted the responsibility of acknowledging that “normal” would not be in our planbooks for the semester, and that our primary objective was to keep our children and colleagues safe. We are proud of the strong advocacy that we brought to the table.

We are at a loss at this moment because the hours of thoughtful engagement that we brought to the process were discarded as a reaction to parent outcry. We understand that people move to Scarsdale for the schools. We take great pride in the work we do to make each school an exemplary learning community. We do not take our responsibilities lightly. Every last one of us is dedicated to being and nurturing lifelong learners, and we come away from this process with a sense of loss over what we have learned. The loss we feel is for the district we thought we worked in versus the one that this crisis has so harshly illuminated. At a time when we needed to pull together as a community and listen to the voices of compassion and caution, the district has instead chosen to amplify the voices of privilege and pressure. We are at a loss because just like the community members who have stated that they did not come here for distance learning, we did not come here to be regarded as interchangeable instructional delivery systems. In the midst of an unprecedented global health crisis, the community had one job - to value the lives of its members - all of its members - if not equally, then certainly compassionately. We are at a loss because we mourn for what that might have looked like.

We fear that this loss may forever turn the Scarsdale teacher’s focus from carrying out her responsibilities to protecting her rights.

I hope that I am wrong, and that we might all take some responsibility for resetting this process and planning for a responsible return to school that values the lives and the rights of us all.

Stephen Mounkhall

Hello. My name is Stephen Mounkhall. I have taught English at Scarsdale High School for 23 years. I am the STA vice-president for the high school, and I speak on behalf of a majority of the high school faculty. The elementary and middle school vice presidents will send their letters to the BOE and share those letters with their faculty.

People who are not teachers often ask me what I do during the summer. Normally, I try to unwind, so I am ready for September emotionally. Normally, I spend some of my weeks planning, so I am ready for September pedagogically. And, normally, I write dozens of college recommendations before I have to learn the next 100 students’ names in September. This summer has not been normal because Fall reopening will not be normal.

In our dialogue of how to open schools, we use the terms “virtual learning” and “in-person learning” as if we agree on their meaning.

I have heard our spring virtual teaching criticized by parents. That is difficult for me to hear, as I took 29 years of teaching experience and adapted it to a new modality with almost no warning. When we refer to “virtual learning,” are we referring to what our teachers scrambled to do in an emergency? What if those same teachers were given a few weeks at the end of the summer to build off their students’ honest feedback? We wanted to make our September virtual better than our June virtual, which was already better than our March virtual, but, instead, we have been told by the parents in this community that only “in-person” will do.

Parent after parent, in board meeting listening sessions, extols the virtues of in-person learning as being good for their kids. On this general point, teachers and parents can align. We became teachers because we believe in the virtues of in-person learning. But what do we mean by “in-person?” Is it the in-person learning that was available to us before the pandemic struck, or the in-person learning that will be mandated by the state? Is it in-person February 2020 or in-person September 2020?

88 Scarsdale High School teachers report being “uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” coming into the SHS building this fall. I understand what these 88 teachers are saying. I am one of them. While we appreciate the enhanced cleaning of surfaces, we know the virus travels through the air. While we appreciate that the district has instituted six feet social distance and masks, we do not see how open windows can circulate enough clean air to keep us safe from the virus. What does it feel like to teach while feeling unsafe? How could that be good for kids?

83 Scarsdale High School teachers report that their ability to do their jobs this fall will be “limited” or “extremely limited” in this in-person model. I understand what these 83 teachers are saying. I am one of them. How do I teach three periods in a row, 160 minutes, in a mask? How do I project my voice through a mask to the back of the room? How do I hear students in a class discussion if they are masked? State mandates force me to keep the students in rows all facing the same direction. State mandates forbid me from huddling students together into groups. State mandates forbid the sharing of materials. State mandates forbid me from walking around the classroom, while students work. State mandates forbid me checking in with a student, over their shoulder, as they write a thesis statement. State mandates forbid me from meeting with students individually in my office. State mandates remind every person every minute of the physical risk we are taking by being together in person. How could that be good for kids?

83 Scarsdale High School teachers believe that their influence on the district reopening decisions has been limited or extremely limited. I understand these 83 teachers. I am one of them. We have expressed our opinions on restart committees, but our expert pedagogical advice, on the district level, has been overwhelmed by parent feedback. Are the parents sure they are more qualified to make these decisions than the teachers?

I understand your desire to have your children back in Scarsdale High School. I have children. I want them back in their schools. But if the majority of educational experts in my sons’ schools told me that they did not feel comfortable in those classrooms; that they would struggle to do their job in-person because of a slew of state mandates; and that they did not feel as if their voices were being emphasized in the reopening process, that would give me pause. How could that be good for kids?

Are you sure that your inclination to privilege “in-person” learning is the right one? Are you using a definition of “in-person” learning that can actually be achieved in this moment? If your desire for in-person education causes a member of our community to get severely sick, how would that be good for kids?

A majority of Scarsdale High School’s teachers are telling you that “in-person” learning, in this moment, makes us feel uncomfortable; makes us feel as if we will be limited in how we do our job; and makes us feel as if our voice has not been respected. Why not listen to the people you have trusted to take care of your children? Wouldn’t that be good for kids?

Joe Vaughan

My name is Joe Vaughan. This coming school year will be my 23rd in Scarsdale as a physics teacher and the speech and debate coach at Scarsdale High School. I am also the STA Executive Vice President.

The STA’s position during this restart process boils down to a few essential guiding principles:

First, we need to confront the reality that the global pandemic still rages onward.

Second, the health and safety of all members of our community must be our primary and communal responsibility.

Third, we need to support the emotional, social, and educational needs of the students of Scarsdale within that context.

Therefore, this requires that we ground ourselves in reality, reject magical thinking, and embrace scientific thinking.

The truth of the matter is there are still so many things unknown about this virus, but we seem to be learning more each day.

We know more about the disease as an aerosol disease.

We see now that children, even young children, although they get sick at a lower rate can carry high viral loads and be effective vectors of transmission.

We know that many people are infectious before they present symptoms, making temperature checks hygiene theater at best.

We see schools around the country and the world reopening and quickly closing.

Let’s frankly acknowledge though that the infection rate in our local area is quite low at the present. That is to be applauded. Yet, as Dr Deborah Birx admitted a few days ago “It's not super spreading individuals, it's super spreading events and we need to stop those. We definitely need to take more precautions.” Super spreading events are high density events with concentrated and sustained contact time. That’s precisely what schools will be.

During this pandemic, and let’s not forget that it is indeed a pandemic, you may have been scrupulous with your contacts, refraining from widespread social engagement. You may have formed pods of friends and families to mitigate your risk to your own comfort level. Not all families have done this. The fatal flaw with these plans is that in each cohort, the person or family with the most tolerance for risk now has the power to impose their standard of risk on your family. It doesn’t matter if you have been careful if someone assigned to your cohort has not been. To understand a crucial piece of information, Scarsdale families have the absolute right to opt out of in person instruction. Teachers do not. That critical distinction heightens the importance of a safe school reopening for teachers.

I think that, locally, people look at what is going on around the country and see a distinction between what occurred in those places from what they would perceive would occur here but I think there are things we would agree upon for a safe opening of school. In critiques of the district plan, there have been several points that have been raised:

We agree with many in the community that it is irresponsible to plan for an opening when there is no required and robust testing regime in place. Conceding that Cuomo has only recently released information about requirements, it is disconcerting to not know the logistics of this plan. It is also disconcerting to know that there will apparently not be a complete testing regime.

Many have suggested exploring outdoor spaces. The district has been excoriated for not ‘being creative’ or ‘thinking outside of the box’ when it came to this demand. The problem is that these demands are magical thinking. You CANNOT plan to open a school if you cannot absolutely rely on that space every day as part of your social distancing plan. To do so would be irresponsible in the extreme. To those that have not done the research, every space designated as an educational setting, including outdoor space, must be approved by NYSED. In a good year, getting NYSED approval for construction takes months. There are literally hundreds of pages of guidelines on compliance that must be followed. You cannot think outside of the box when NYSED has rigorously defined not only the dimensions of that box, but also the requirements for the contents of that box. If you’ve ever dealt with bureaucracy, you will know that those structures aren’t ones you can effectively creatively think within.

Right now every school district in America is looking for the same set of supplies - masks, face shields, plexiglass shields between desks, cleaning supplies, etc. Backorders are common and lengthy. It is well to say ‘we should have those things if we are to return safely’ and the STA agrees. But, if there is any lack of certainty as to availability of these resources, never mind the funding for these resources, it is irresponsible to plan as if these exist locally. In the spring, there was a major push by several loud voices in the community to scale back fund balances in critical areas of the school budget. Such calls now seem regrettable as the district has fewer resources to mobilize in these pandemic times.

Most of our buildings are old. The ventilation is therefore also old. There are parts of our building where, due to the patchwork nature of the HVAC, it is not possible to put in the types of filters, HEPA or MERV - 13 or better, that have been shown to filter out this virus. Not all spaces have the sort of fresh air flow that has been shown to reduce virus density in the air. Oddly, the state has higher standards for ventilation for malls than it does schools. Lastly, ventilation projects, especially in our old buildings, take both time and state approval. The thought that our buildings could be retrofitted effectively with the financial resources the district has available in the time span we have left is exactly the magical thinking we ought to avoid.

I state all of this to give you a sense of why the teachers presently do not have confidence that the school buildings can be opened safely in a way that protects students and staff effectively, which needs to be our primary goal.

I want nothing more than to be in my classroom teaching as if this virus never upended our lives. I have always found teaching to be a soul-nourishing experience. Working with young people on their academic and self-development journeys has been the joy of my life. My issue is that I believe there is additional magical thinking occurring not just about how safe it will be for us to be together in the buildings, but what that ‘together’ looks like during a pandemic. And remember, we are still in a pandemic. Everything I am imagining - social distancing, masks, shields and barriers - renders the experience of being in school to be educationally sterile, but unfortunately not physically so. It is assuming physical risk with the assumption of some illusive gain. I am reminded of the story of Tantalus from Greek mythology who was consigned to Hades and afflicted with burning thirst and placed in a pool of water. Every time he bends to drink the water, it recedes from him. So close, but so far. That’s what I imagine kids being together, but rigorously kept apart to be like. Worse for me in this metaphor is that I am consigned to the role villain.

I am all for the reopening of the Scarsdale schools, but only when the science tells us that it is demonstrably safe. I do not want to be opening in September, and then mourning in October, which is the existential dread that I have been carrying with me for months.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 04 August 2020

Created: 04 August 2020

Last Updated: 05 August 2020

Hits: 5599

The long awaited Restart Plan for the Scarsdale Schools to be submitted to the New York State Education Department on August 7 was debuted to to the community on the evening of Monday August 3rd. Though parents were most eager to know how school would be scheduled for the fall, the 83-page document offers much detail on how the district can meet the health and safety challenges posed by COVID, and the school schedule is just one of many elements of the document.

The state asked the district to provide three plans for 1) 100% in school learning, 2) a hybrid plan and 3) An all remote plan. Since the COVID -transmission rate in New York now falls below the required threshold, it is generally assumed that the district will open with the hybrid plan, and that is the cause for concern among parents of young children in Scarsdale.

The plan seeks to mitigate, but not totally eliminate, the risk of COVID in the schools and requires both six feet of social distancing and the wearing of masks in classrooms, hallways and throughout the day. In order to keep everyone six feet apart, all school populations are reduced to at least 50% attendance in the buildings at any given time.

Parents were anxiously awaiting details about the school schedule for their children in the fall, but did not find that information until reaching page 52 of the document.

Last week, details of the plan were leaked to the public and the community heard rumors that the Restart Plan provided for five days of school for elementary school students, with the fourth and fifth graders housed in the high school. However, as a consequence, high school students would be learning remotely, with no school attendance.

This sparked an outcry from high school parents and students which may have caused the Restart Committee to rethink their plans.

Elementary School Program

As a result, the plan released on August 3 calls for elementary school students to attend school two days a week from 9am to 1 pm for a total of seven hours of in school instruction per week. Classes are split into two groups of 10-12 students who attend school two days per week. There is no in-person school on Wednesdays which is set aside for “teacher planning, alignment, assessment, specials, and special services.” However, at the beginning and end of the day there will be remote sessions with the classroom teacher.

Classes will remain in their assigned rooms for the majority of the school day and class groups will not be allowed to mix with other class groups.

On the days the students are not in school they will have Spanish, Art and asynchronous work which can involve watching prerecorded lessons, doing assigned work or projects.

Middle School Program

Middle school students will be assigned to a cohort of about 50 students and will attend school at least two days a week.

Group A attends school in person on Monday and Thursday, eLearning takes place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Group B attends school in person on Tuesday and Friday, eLearning takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

According to the plan, “The day will follow an 8 period schedule and will include lunch in the building. Students will have two 50 minute in-person classes and asynchronous learning experiences each week. These experiences will support the in-person instruction and may take the form of self-guided learning activities and independent practice.”

At the middle school, students will be assigned to a group of 20-25 students and will remain with that group for their House and Quarterly classes. Students will remain in one classroom/desk (homebase) and teachers will rotate from room to room.

High School Program

The hybrid schedule for Scarsdale High School calls for students to come to school for two half-days per week in the morning to receive in-person instruction and provides students two half-days per week in the afternoon to receive remote synchronous instruction at home. This schedule splits the school population into two cohorts, A and B. The A group comes to school on Monday and Thursday mornings for 5 periods and has corresponding virtual classes for those same periods on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. The B group comes to school on Tuesday and Friday mornings for 5 periods and has corresponding virtual classes for those same periods on Monday and Thursday afternoons. So, for a class that would meet four times a week in regular school, the student will have a 50-minute in-person class and a 35-minute zoom class for that class.

Technology

To insure that all students have similar technological devices, the district will distribute iPads and Chromebooks to all K-8 students and any high school students who want them.

Athletics

About the athletic program, the document says, “Generally, most Extracurricular Activities will be on pause during Phases 1-2. The District will continue to evaluate opportunities to make these activities available based on State guidance. The use of school facilities by outside groups will be limited to only those deemed essential by the District. Should the District make a determination to provide some Extracurricular Activities, they will generally focus on those with little or no physical contact.”

Questions

The document provides detailed information about safety protocols, cleaning, busing and operations but leaves many basic questions unanswered. Parents of elementary school students, who feel their children need more in school instruction, are wondering why certain opportunities to provide more classroom space were not considered.

For instance, the district recently embarked on expansion plans which added a library and media room at Edgewood, a large multi purpose cafeteria at Greenacres and a cafeteria at Heathcote. In addition, all of the elementary schools have music and art rooms, gyms, libraries, computer rooms and other extra rooms. Why is the district unable to use these to provide extra space for elementary school students for additional hours of in-school learning?

On page 38 of the report it says, “Some large common areas such as auditoriums and gymnasiums may be repurposed as instructional spaces to accommodate a larger number of students in the same class.” However, it appears that the plan is providing minimal in-school instruction and failing to utilize these large spaces.

Another option to provide more synchronous learning is to livestream the classroom to the children who are at home, rather than have them engaged in asynchronous activities. The report does not provide that as an option or explain why that cannot be done.

Others are questioning why the school day will end at 1 pm rather than 3 pm. With the kids already in school, why wrap up the day so early? And why is there little or no school on Wednesdays for the entire district?

Still others are wondering why Scarsdale’s elementary school students will receive fewer hours of instruction than neighboring districts. They have reviewed plans submitted by other districts and question why Scarsdale, which has a reputation as a leading district is trailing the pack on in-school hours. See letters from concerned parents here.

Last, what is the stand of the teachers’ union on the return to work.? Did they made specific demands and if so, what’re they? Knowing where the teachers stand on the return to school would help to enlighten the community on the basis for the district’s decisions.

For many, the issue comes down to transparency. If the community was aware of what the obstacles are to providing more school hours, they could fully understand the issues and also propose solutions.

Perhaps some of this information will come to light over the next two weeks when the following is planned:

On August 5 the district will release a recorded presentation to review and explain plan details.

On August 6 they will host a public forum webinar from 1-2:30 pm to answer questions, followed by a Board of Education meeting from 2:30-4 pm to discuss the Restart Plan.

On August 11, the Board will hold another meeting and the Restart Plan will be on the agenda.

Details

Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 26 July 2020

Created: 26 July 2020

Last Updated: 30 July 2020

Hits: 4874

With the reopening of school just weeks away, students and parents are anxiously awaiting the details. Will the kids attend school full time, part-time or not at all? A series of emails from the district offers some information about what children across all grade levels can expect, but it’s not entirely clear which grades will be on what schedule and where they will go to school.

We do know that the six foot social distancing standard will make it necessary to have as few as ten to fifteen students in each classroom. Since on average, classes are 22-26 students, this means the district needs almost double the space to accommodate the current student population.

The latest email, dated July 25, outlines the priorities the Restart Committee defined for elementary school, middle school and high school students. Though the email does not offer a specific schedule for each of these three groups, it does identify needs for each group that will be the basis of scheduling decisions.

For instance, it prioritizes in-person learning for elementary school students leading one to conclude that the elementary school population will be in class.

For middle school students, it says they share developmental needs with both elementary and high school students and require small group instruction. So again, one can assume middle schoolers will attend school for at least a part of the day or week.

However, the priorities for the high school population are "choice" and "differentiation" in course scheduling, which would make it difficult to have students in attendance on a fixed alternating schedule as the courses they require might not be offered at the correct times.

Though it cannot be confirmed, we’re hearing from students and parents that the current hybrid plan that will be submitted to NYS by July 31 will not include student attendance at Scarsdale High School. In fact, a petition posted on Change.Org that already has 605 signatures says, “Provided that some amount of in-person learning is possible, we, the students of SHS, feel that ALL of the district's students are a priority, and ALL students should have the opportunity to be back in our classrooms in September. It is unfair to deny us, your high schoolers, the academic and mental health benefits of in-person learning in order to serve an agenda of preferentially returning elementary students to their classrooms. A district choice to sacrifice the education and wellbeing of one group over another seems profoundly unfair and verging on discriminatory.”

Though we don’t know what plan will be submitted to NYS, we do know the timing of the rollout to the public.

According to the July 25 email from Dr. Hagerman, here is how plans will be communicated:

-On July 31 the district will finalize its reopening plan and present it to NYS.

-On Monday August 3, they will provide a plan and executive summary to the community.

-On August 5 a recorded webinar will be released.

-On August 6, a public forum will be held on Zoom from 1-2:30 pm.

Scarsdale School Superintendent Thomas HagermanIn order to further interpret the district’s emails, we reached out to Scarsdale School Superintendent Thomas Hagerman and posed some questions about the schedule, possibilities to increase space, use of multi-purpose spaces and more. Here is what we learned:

Question:
From the July 25 email it appears that if everyone cannot return to school at one time, the priority for in person learning will be given to the younger students and those with special needs while older students will be doing more virtual learning. Is that correct?

Response:
Social-distancing and mask-wearing are required as part of state guidance. This will make it extremely difficult to have all students back without making monumental changes to course offerings and the like. The plans are in the process of being developed, so they are still under construction at this time.

Question:
Has the district considered erecting tents on the school property to allow for an expanded footprint while the weather allows - at least in September and October? If this can’t be done, please explain why it’s not feasible.

Response:
At this point, we are not considering tents as a viable option. While this suggestion has come up from several sources, there are major issues with using tents, including safety and security, electricity, weather, electronics, and cleaning and disinfecting, to name a few. Of course, we will continue to think about ways of using the outdoors for shorter periods of time and for activities that lend themselves to an outdoor experience.

Question:
The district now has many new large spaces including libraries, learning commons and cafeterias. Is it possible to divide these spaces with temporary walls in order to create additional distanced learning spaces? Have architects assessed how we can utilize these spaces to allow more children to attend school?

Response:
Absolutely. We are carefully considering the use of all spaces in our buildings. Cleaning and disinfecting requirements, however, limit the continuous use of these spaces, and the number of students and staff who can access them in a given time period.

Question:
Under the state guidelines, how many children would be permitted to attend class in our district’s smallest classrooms - and in the largest ones? Do all classrooms have the required ventilation?

Response:
Currently, the guidance speaks to 6ft social-distancing in all directions. Our average class ranges from 500-600 square feet, which means we can have approximately 10-15 people in a single class, depending on the individual classroom configuration, and staffing needs for that classroom.

Question:
Do any of the scenarios involve in-person learning for high school students?

Response:
The plans have not been finalized, so I can't answer that question right now; however, state guidance does ask that vulnerable populations (Special Education, ELL, etc.) be prioritized for in-person instruction, so this is a part of our decision-making process.

Question:
How have these decisions been impacted by union contracts? Are teachers and staff willing to be flexible to permit more students to have an in-person learning experience?

Response:
Our contracts with all bargaining groups have to be observed regardless of the pandemic, so these agreements are included in our thinking and decision-making as part of this work. Complicating factors are, of course, that these agreements reflect a more traditional, in-person schooling experience. Because of individual health concerns of both students and staff, we are making appropriate accommodations for individuals, as needed.

Question:
Have you considered giving parents a choice of whether to send their children to school or keep them at home? If so, since a certain percentage would favor learning from home, would this not create additional capacity for those who prefer to send their children to school?

Response:
Unfortunately, we do not have the staff or resources to provide an individualized choice for every family in Scarsdale. State guidance is clear that we have to make appropriate accommodations, when necessary, and we will certainly do that. Having said that, parent voice has been an important part of our planning. We have received and solicited parent feedback since early March, and most recently, through an extensive parent survey. Parents have shared a lot of qualitative and quantitative feedback, and we have been using that information to help guide our scenario planning. While the structure of our school days at each level will need to be clear and consistent in our final plans, these plans will change over time. Parents will continue to have an important voice in our restart efforts throughout the summer and fall. There is no doubt that we shared the common goal to have all students back in school when it is safe and feasible to do so.

Question:
I see that neighboring districts have announced the specifics of their hybrid learning plans in advance of their submission to the state on 7-31. This gives parents the opportunity to offer feedback and be a part of the process before it is a done deal. Is there a reason Scarsdale is keeping these details close to the vest before the submission of the plan to NYS?

Response:
Our plans are still under development, and they will be shared as soon as they are ready. We are not waiting until the deadline on purpose, we just believe we will need the full amount of time to finalize them. 

Neighboring Districts:

We also learned what some of our neighboring districts are planning and found that they have already unveiled the plans they will submit to the state. Unlike Scarsdale in both Mamaroneck and Eastchester, all grades will attend school on an alternating schedule, in a system of shared sacrifice.

In Mamaroneck, the district has determined that they can accommodate 50% of the student population at a time in the elementary and middle schools, meaning that the students would alternate between in-school and e-learning. At the high school, 1/3 of the population can be accommodated at a time, so the population will rotate and be in school 1/3 of the time.

In Eastchester, preliminary plans call for and alternating day hybrid model where students are assigned into groups alphabetically. Classes would be about half their regular size to achieve social distancing.

Community Feedback:

Some parents of students in high school are expressing dismay about what they assume to be the plan for no regular school attendance for ninth through twelfth graders. Diane Gurden of Colvin Road summarized their concerns in the following statement:

"Scarsdale is a pioneer in education. As key stakeholders, parents require TRANSPARENCY from the Restart Committee, which includes holding community forums before the plan is presented to the Governor on 7/31, not after. Other local districts, including Edgemont and Armonk, are able to support this timeline, and Scarsdale needs to, also.

It is critical that the Restart Committee adhere to the NYSED Guidance that "equity and access must be a priority for all students". All levels, K-12, should have some component of in-person school, with K-5 needing the most time.

The Restart Plan will require unprecedented creativity in the use of space, curriculum, and schedule. Space options can explore outdoor, repurposed indoor, and Municipal/Community possibilities, such as the library, recently closed vacant religious schools, or underutilized COVID-19 special-built facilities. The curriculum should prioritize core areas like math and science and give lower priority to the "nice to haves". Partnerships with established online education institutions should be evaluated, to leverage their experience in the arena. The schedule should be completely rethought, if NYS schools are excused from the 180-day requirement.

The level of stress, particularly for SMS and SHS students, must be managed. Support for students who struggle while working remotely and the priority of overall mental wellness is an imperative component. We need to address social isolation, through strategies such as creating small pods of children to work together remotely. We also need a way to identify children who are at risk for mental illness, substance abuse, and suicide.”

Visit the school’s Restart Plan website for further information.

The district will hold a Zoom listening session on Tuesday night July 28 from 6-7 pm. Access it here: https://zoom.us/j/91268893200.

 

Details

Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 15 July 2020

Created: 15 July 2020

Last Updated: 16 July 2020

Hits: 4434

Here's an update from Scarsdale School Superintendent Thomas Hagerman on planning for the reopening of schools in September. See below:

Dear Scarsdale Families,

During the past few weeks, the District has been actively planning for the opening of school in September. This early work has involved looking at three possible restart structures, including a return to school with all students returning in-person, a hybrid learning model (with partial eLearning and partial in-person learning), and a fully-virtual eLearning format. All of these structures will require significant changes from our usual operations, and all keep the health and safety of students, families, and staff at the forefront of our decision-making. The Restart Steering Committee, along with its ten task-specific groups, is composed of almost 100 key stakeholders, including teachers, parents, administrators, and Board members. The work-to-date is outlined in Eric Rauschenbach's presentation to the Board of Education on June 22 and on our Restart web page. Additionally, our web page has a specific FAQ section which we encourage you to visit to learn more about community concerns.

Direction on the opening of schools is subject to decisions by the Governor, along with the NYS Departments of Health (DOH) and Education (SED). To that end, yesterday the Governor directed the DOH to release initial guidance on the reopening of schools. Additionally, the SED will be releasing its own guidance for schools tomorrow (Wednesday). Together, these documents will provide much-needed information on the areas of restart that will be mandated by the State and where we have some flexibility and choice locally.As things stand now, specific district reopening plans are expected to be submitted to both the State departments of Health and Education by July 31st. The Governor also indicated he will make a decision the first week of August on whether schools will open.

Between now and July 31st, the restart planning groups will focus on finalizing details related to the Restart Plan. We will be using all of the information that is currently available to us including State guidance documents, CDC recommendations, community input (including the survey mentioned below), and plans being developed around the county to identify the most effective way forward. As we have outlined in our previous communications, the Restart Vision Statement will guide our decision-making.

Parent Survey Coming Soon!
By tomorrow, District parents will be receiving a survey that was developed by our Restart Steering Committee. This survey will ask parents to share their thoughts regarding possible scenarios for the opening of school. We know that our restart efforts need to consider the developmental level of our students, so the survey has sub-sections for parents who have children in Kindergarten, grades 1 and 2, grades 3-5, Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12). This will allow us to more easily analyze the responses of parents at each level. Combined with a detailed survey of District faculty and staff, this parent feedback will provide a full picture of the attitudes, interests, and needs of our community. We want to thank you, in advance, for completing the survey and providing important data that will help to inform our Restart Committee's efforts.

Best Wishes,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman