From one of the FCPS board members. Usually the most clear headed one, and also the most vocal.
“Here's what we know based on the information received this morning. I was able to join the meeting briefly and ask questions of our local public health officials. I appreciate them and representatives from UK taking the time to share information with the Board.
I asked Dr. Humbaugh, Commissioner of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, specifically if, based on the available data, we were experiencing substantial community transmission of COVID-19. His answer was yes. This is reflected in data reported by the Kentucky Department of Health, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, and the White House's Coronavirus Task Force.
Based on this public health reality, the path to returning to in-person instruction in the immediate future is difficult. Certainly the relatively high number of COVID-19 cases at University of Kentucky is having an impact on Fayette County's reported Incidence Rate. But Dr. Humbaugh noted that, even if you removed these cases, Fayette would still be experiencing accelerated spread of the virus and be designated an "orange" county. At the same time, the transmission of the virus at UK also means that the virus is present and being transmitted in the community.
I know many are frustrated and feel like UK's inclusion in the count will make it harder for us to stabilize rates of transmission. As I underscored yesterday, it is a reminder that reducing the spread of this virus is a shared endeavor. We have to work with the city, the university, and all stakeholders to take meaningful steps in this direction.
Based on the information that I have received, I am not convinced that we have to wait until a vaccine is available to return to in-person instruction. The best estimates put widespread vaccine distribution "well into 2021." Waiting until then, I don't think, is a tenable solution.
I do think that this is an opportunity for us to be creative and engage our educators and families in developing options as we navigate the realities of this pandemic--a pandemic with which we will have to live for the next several months.
I know folks want answers now, immediately. I know people want a specific date. But pandemics, as we have learned, don't operate on our preferred schedules. How do we move forward? One step at a time. Here are some of my thoughts moving forward:
1. Continue to monitor relevant data and evaluate it in our community context. This includes being mindful of community transmission. The response cannot be "UK doesn't count" if the UK data tell us that there is widespread transmission of the virus in our community.
2. Collaborate and communicate with the University of Kentucky, LFUCG, and other stakeholders to work toward reducing rates of community transmission.
3. Avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Again, we must be creative. Does this include creating opportunities for small pods of students who need additional supports? How can we make creative use of our facilities during extended closures to support families? We have an incredible pool of talent to tap into: our educators--the people who know our students the best. We must engage them and our families--who know what's happening "on the ground"--to work toward solutions as we move from remote to in-person instruction. They absolutely have to be included in this conversation.
4. To that end, how can we maximize our supports and resources to our students and families--especially those who need special education services and who rely on our schools for so much more than learning?
5. Speaking of being creative, we have to consider that there may be families who opted into NTI-2DL because of their commitment to our specialized programs or other services but who won't be comfortable with a return to in-person instruction. Likewise, there may be staff who aren't comfortable returning. I will continue to advocate for a "third option" that involves some form of virtual learning for those families who are not in the Virtual Learning Academy when a decision to return to in-person instruction is made. We have seen this approach in other districts, including where I teach.
6. Communicate clearly, consistently, and meaningfully. I know that this is a difficult time for all of us. I never imagined when I ran for this position I would be serving in the middle of a global pandemic. But I didn't ask for you to place your trust in me because I thought it would be easy. I recognize my obligation to be as open and transparent as possible. I will continue to engage in that conversation. And I will continue to expect clear and consistent communication from the district to our stakeholders.
7. The challenges presented by this pandemic do not excuse our obligation to be kind and civil to each other. This is not a political debate. This virus does not discriminate in terms of political party, although we do know it disproportionality impacts our Black and Hispanic neighbors. That, too, is an important consideration as we think about the impacts on our children, our staff, and their families in FCPS. Families have lost loved ones because of this pandemic. We defile their memory if we use this pandemic to devolve into political pettiness. And my number one commitment through all of this noise must be the health and safety of our children, our staff, and their families.
Our choice, ultimately, is not "NTI" vs "in-person." It is, at its core, about the safest path forward for our community in the context of a global pandemic. We won't be in this pandemic forever. And developing solutions will require all of us working together now and moving forward.”
