Space to Return

Many educators have already started thinking about the coming changes for schools as we look to an uncertain fall. There are many scenarios that may play out to maintain the health and safety of students, and only the realities on the ground in our locales will dictate the exact solutions. In developing potential solutions, whether temporary or permanent, there are many questions that need to be considered by school leadership, parents, and the overall community as plans develop for a space in which to return. Our answers to these questions will dictate whether we have a safe space or a space shrouded in fear when the time to return is upon us.

What will transportation look like? How many students can safely ride on a bus simultaneously? Will this require start times to be staggered or adjusted?

How will the morning begin? How do we shift our morning routines to avoid students gathering outside of the building or in a centralized location before the school day begins? Will all students need to be scanned for symptoms each day?

What if we identify symptomatic students in the morning? Will we need to expand the medical space in the building to include quarantine spaces? How can this be balanced with normal morning duties for the school nurse? Can we have school without a nurse or medical professional in our building?

What is an acceptable capacity for our school buildings? Can we safely have 30%, 50%, 75% of students in our buildings simultaneously? Can we have visitors in the building? Will all parent interaction need to be virtual? What partnerships and service providers will be allowed?

What guidelines will we be using for distancing? Can we maintain six feet between students as they learn or transition between classes? Will students remain in one classroom the entire day to limit distancing? How can students collaborate and create within these perimeters?

Will classes need to be split between spaces with half of students in the same space as the teacher while other students are watching the class on a screen from another location? Will we be asking students that can’t come to school because of health issues, current contagion, and/or fear to participate synchronously with their classes? How do we make the technology work for these scenarios?

What spaces in the building will need to be redesigned and repurposed for issues around spacing? What spaces will serve as cafeterias? What spaces can be recaptured for learning in smaller groups? Does the library need to be subdivided into learning spaces? Does the gym need to become smaller learning spaces? How will you staff all of these subdivided spaces?

Will we allow students to come to the library? How do we handle touching books? What about STEM spaces and makerspaces? Can any of this equipment be used safely? Does the library need to be mobile or have “curbside” service?

Will the teacher’s lounge be open? Can teachers gather for PLC meetings or do they need to do video conferencing from their classrooms? How will you limit gatherings in offices and near mailboxes and copy machines?

Unfortunately, this is the beginning of the questions, but I’m certain that a lot of solutions will be emerging from thoughtful conversations by amazing teachers and leaders over the next months. This isn’t a time for everyone to craft their solutions in a silo. Please share ideas, so that we can all be best prepared, for as many scenarios as possible, before we return to our physical learning spaces.