A Message To My School Friends

Math 101: I = E x T

To be honest, I have been doing a lot of thinking, sitting on the sidelines as waves of information from surveys, reports and conversations roll in crashing at my feet day after day over the past 16 weeks. The one thing in common that all of these bits of information have, for the most part, is that they are correct. The problem is, “in an isolated sense,” these snippets sometimes miss the mark in being an appropriate solution for many. There is and always will be a counterargument to any great idea. 

As I edit this copy, I realize I cannot ignore the fact that I am extremely concerned about heading back into the unchanged structures we had created and named “school,” but I also recognize the agonizing truth many of you face. In many areas of the country there is no safer place for our children. In the interim, there is no other option for our administration other than to continue to redefine what these instructions can be. 

I have painfully watched many of my friends ponder the overwhelming myriad of rules, requirements and regulations that land in their inboxes. These broad brushes tend to simply feel like the next wave of change for school communities that have historically arrived without adequate funding for resources of time and supporting staff to successfully implement these changes.

With this said, I sincerely applaud the efforts of ALL educators. Everyone has done an amazing job exiting “school” while adapting to a “temporary fix” to shore up the foundation of an overflowing reservoir. As I spoke to many of you, you were terrified in the transition and you pulled through with great effort, learning throughout the process. And because of this, we all know we can do better with more heavy lifting. We simply cannot fall back, we need to press forward continuing to learn from our experiences.

I resist utilizing fundamental terms in this time of concern, but the issue truly at hand is COMPLEX PROBLEMS NEED COMPLEX SOLUTIONS. I have heard that you feel that you are standing at the edge of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, pondering the potential of creativity and innovation that can emerge from this abyss. You are thinking about how we can possibly get the students back into a structure formally called “school” from whatever sense of urgency is forcing the hand. The basic needs of food, safety, health and wellness combined with attention, communication, collaboration and community needs to be provided for a huge cross section of our youth while attempting to blend in learning. Lastly, here is a massive CATCH-22: Many of our students in need of the basic elements of care are in the highest areas of COVID-19 infection concentrations throughout our country.

I have many clients in various parts of the country, from tremendously varied settings and they all want some sort of guidance, some direction, a checklist. These leaders are champion rubric and list builders, but this problem remains, returning to “school” this fall is as varied as the many faces that cross their facilities’ thresholds. When asked, I have been providing the following advice in the form of guidelines to consider. It’s not a one-size-fits-all or comprehensive list but a series of ideas to ponder from my vast set of experiences in delivering as many as 50 new or modernized educational institutions as a public-school facilities director. 

SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES NOT PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENTS 

For those who know me well, you most likely knew this would be the first item. I am very aware of the costs associated with any change so I’m generally going to lean on actions and behaviors in my guidance. Remember throughout this process, the absolute answer is most likely going to be in opposition to the next “shiny thing.” We first need to create a heightened sense of awareness in how we do our business. Always consider every part of the work to create the whole. Where we are going should feel like putting on a belt AND suspenders. 

Hybrid solutions are paramount if we are to minimize risk of infection and provide diverse educational solutions. On-Line solutions are NOT working across the board and some teachers are losing ground as some students are falling through the cracks.

 As an example, I listened to one community who said that they were having great connectivity with Special Education and the very next day, I talked to a Special Ed teacher from a district in dire need of local funding who had only successfully connected with only 5 of her 60 students on average. Yes, 60 special needs students! The point is we appear to be successful in some places of previously enhanced professional development and resources, but failing in other communities who have struggled repeatedly with funding. 

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION

One last item before I provide my thoughts in list form. I want to talk about masks. I performed work as a certified indoor air quality expert for several years in the 90’s and I respected my fully sealed N-99 respirator. Over the years, I have read some great research on the value of masks. One of my favorites from 2012 is: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306645/. 

You will quickly discover we are emerged in a series of Math problems, the simplest being:

I = E x T  Where “I” is Infection and “E” & “T” are Exposure & Time. 

Perfectly fitted masks provide the highest protection. After “perfect” the results decline, but none-the-less useful in our belt/suspender theory. As many of my friends agree, there is no reasonable management system that will insure perfectly fitted masks and social distancing requirements for most of our younger learners, we have discovered that they learn and communicate in opposition to pandemic guidelines.

The concepts below have been created within specific groups for added simplicity. However, many ideas will naturally gravitate into several categories. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Bear in mind that most of my “concepts” to consider attempt to minimize the E/T components of the equation: I = E x T
• Continue to find solutions to do more with less. We cannot ignore cost concerns while attempting to navigate these massive hurdles.
• Beyond wash hands, cover mouth, don’t touch face conversations... Create Systems and Processes that are SITE RELEVANT

ADMINISTRATIVE:

Honor Staff

Existing Resources: Consider Rethinking and Redesigning Roles and Responsibilities of Each and Every Staff Member in a Facility, Not Just a Few.

Establish Grant Writing and “Secondary Funding” Staff Members

Establish and or Reinvent Appropriate Assessment Tools

Shorten the Teacher Skill Divide

Maximize Support Services for Students AND Staff

Limit Access of Non-Staff Members

Do Not Overlook Established Safety and Security Protocols 

Suggest Improvement Ideas to all Levels of Administration as You Evolve

Reinforce Stay at Home Rules when Sick for Students/Parents AND Staff, We Need Healthy Heroes!

Adhere to the Decisions Created and be Prepared to Evolve

Create Systems to Enable the Ability to Pull Back RIDGID STRUCTURES

STRUCTURES:

Take Broad Brushes of Information and Create Systems and Processes that are Relevant to Your Specific sets of Clients

Be Prepared to Turn Antiquated Thinking Upside Down 

Re-evaluate Mission and Vision Statements as A Micro-Community

Know Who You are, Where You’re Going & What You’re Trying to Establish for your Specific set of Clients

Stay Focused on the Students when Making Decisions

Re-evaluate all Staff Responsibilities to Maximize the Effectiveness of All

Do NOT Ever Underestimate Students

Discover Systems to Involve the voice of ALL of the Students 

Create an On-Site Point Person/System for Health Concerns in Absence of Healthcare Professional

Understand and Focus on the Important Skills and Content to Deliver As Seat Time WILL Naturally be Diminished, Respect This

Embed Lesson Plans at Every Turn/Opportunity Not Previously Considered

Reduce Antiquated Structures Permitting Students & Staff to Explore Reinvented Solutions

Understand Custodial Limitations

• Minimize and Streamline Day to Day Custodial Efforts
• Enhance Custodial Responsibilities with Recommended Housekeeping Responsibilities of all Staff

Enact Contact Tracing Strategies

Eliminate High Risk Activities

Ask Students to Design “Socially Distant Play”

Create and or Reinforce Opportunities to Share Your Experiences

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL:

Again, Honor Staff

Discover Alternative Methods to Enhance Human Interaction

Recognize A Face on a Zoom Call May be No Different than standing at the Front of the Room Speaking to your Peers

Completely Eliminate Failureas a Word and as a Concept

Reinforce Bullying Policies On-Site and On-Line

Explore Options to Reduce Academic Stress Relating to Systems Such as College and Final Exams

TECHNOLOGY:

Apply Funding to Maximize More EFFECTIVE Technology

Expand Technological Resources

• Maximize Technological Support Staff
• Establish Higher Degrees of Transparent, Mobile & Agile Technological Solutions
• Create Systems to Reduce “Shouting into the Void”
• Explore Strategies to Improve On-line Attendance
• Repeatedly Redesign Pedagogy Supporting “Distance” Learning

Create Required Textbook Stay-at-Home Policy

• Supplement with Technology

Recognize the Bookends in Distance Models

• Acknowledge Teaching to The Middle will be a More Heightened Concern and Create Diverse Opportunities

COMMUNITY:

Build and Reinforce Ongoing Community Partnerships Within Health, Wellness, Technology, Education and Financial Sectors

Understand the Potential Impact of Parents/Grandparents/Relatives in Secondary Instructional Opportunities

ENVIRONMENT:

Become Knowledgeable of EPA and CDC Guidelines and Successfully Enact Where Possible and Appropriate

Understand Proper Cleaning/Sanitizing and Disinfecting Protocol

Establish Relevant PPE Protocol for Cleaning/Sanitizing/Disinfecting Strategies 

Understand the Harmful Effects of Chemicals Absorbed Dermally

Improve Ventilation Strategies Where AND Whenever Possible

• Create “Agile Air”
• Increase Ventilation Rates/Durations
• Enact Natural Ventilation Strategies in Insufficient Settings
• Investigate Inexpensive Handheld Monitoring Such as CO2 Meters Which Provide “Clues” of Inefficiencies

Explore and Create Hybrid Solutions Minimizing Class Sizes While Supporting Educational Deficiencies That “Fit” Best Whenever Possible: Amazing Examples are Emerging:

• School as a Mall
• Split Day/Rotating Weeks
• Distant Learning/On-Site 

Reinforce Personalized Learning in Order to Reduce Cross Contamination

Reinvent ALL Spaces Inside/Out as Educational Opportunities

Start Rigid to Build Confidence While Embedding Truly “Agile” Transitions

• Resist Front of Room Strategies. Perhaps an Evolution Strategy 
• Discover Opportunities to Provide Eye Contact

Maintain Small Clutters of Students Minimalizing Co-Mingling

Utilize Perimeter Doors While Monitoring Security

Maintain Truly Agile Solutions, Flip/Stack/Move that are FULL of Potential

Personalize Resources Whenever Possible

Remove Excess Furniture

• 20 Students Do Not Need 35 Chairs

Remove all Furniture That Cannot be Successfully Cleaned, Disinfected, and or Routinely Sanitized.

Evaluate All Surfaces; Walls, Desks, Storage, Flooring and Supplemental “Mats/Rugs” To Ensure Effective Cleaning, Disinfecting & Sanitizing Strategies. 

• Declutter ALL Environments
• Declutter ALL Environments
• Declutter ALL Environments

ENFORCE & RE-ENFORCE the Three R’S: 

• REDUCE, REDUCE, REDUCE 

Keep Pushing! We fully understand that many communities suffer from unrealistic financial burdens that this shift is dictating. However, in my work, my communities were able to discover how to do more with less by re-evaluating the non-staffing components of budgets. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY TO STREAMLINE A BUDGET, there is always another rock unturned, you’ve done it for generations. 

Recognize that there are tremendous minds, critical thinkers, experts, innovators and thought leaders all throughout our country that can support you in a vast array of opportunities… Find them and ask them for support. As for my team, we are always willing to help. We are extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of this work, but specifically love to first “get under the hood” and explore WHO you are before taking a Deeper Dive into the above set of IDEA STARTERS. 

Please Feel Free to contact us with any questions. 

Be safe!

David A Stubbs II, President/CEO

Cultural-Shift Educational Consultants

www.cultural-shift.com

706.338.3204