Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism
CT VIEWPOINTS -- opinions from around Connecticut

Everyone is doing their part to continue schooling in Connecticut

  • CT Viewpoints
  • by Miguel Cardona
  • November 9, 2020
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

In-school teaching and learning continues to take place across the state thanks to the implementation of effective mitigation strategies.

We all know remote learning will never replace the classroom experience.  We also know that the health and safety of our students, staff, and their families must be the primary consideration when making decisions about school operations.  The two are not mutually exclusive.  In an effort to promote the best continuity of education in Connecticut, whether in person or remotely, we must use the resources available, plan accordingly, and act responsibly.

Miguel Cardona

To assist in the development of local school plans, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), in partnership with the state Department of Public Health, has developed and made available numerous resources to guide decisions around health and safety as well as educational policy and supports for social emotional well-being. CSDE’s various COVID-19 Resources for Families and Educators can be found in an accessible, central repository.

Planning for school success includes scenarios for remote learning as well as in person learning.  Of particular importance  are:

Addendum 4 Interim Guidance for Decision-Making Regarding the Use of In-Person, Hybrid (Blended),
or Remote Learning Models in Connecticut Schools during COVID-19,
Addendum 5 Interim Guidance for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios in Connecticut School Districts, and
Addendum 9 on Contract Tracing Scenarios in Schools…

…all of which contain specific protocols and district, school, and classroom criteria for a uniform approach to managing and responding to COVID cases in schools, and guiding decisions about learning in school or remotely.

By adhering to these documents, there is much less probability that spread will take place in the school or workplace.  Thankfully in Connecticut, public health officials indicate that school cases reported are typically traced back to events outside our schools.

The commissioner on a recent visit to Farmington’s West District Elementary School. This is what in-school teaching and learning looks like these days.

Guidance around attendance, school engagement, and remote expectations have also been established and shared widely by CSDE.  While students, educators and parents alike desire certainty of programming, decisions about school models are influenced by community infection rates so it is conceivable that a change in model can take place at any point this year.

Each district must be ready to employ quality remote learning if necessary and communicate with families their efforts around food services, access to special programming, and other critical information to meet the academic and nonacademic needs of their students. Taking the lessons learned from last spring, we are confident that the time we have had to prepare and develop remote learning practices will result in a vastly improved experience in the future that keeps our students moving forward.

Our schools would not be open if it were not for the commitment, hard work, and resolve of Connecticut’s educators.  Their dedication to an ever-changing landscape over the last nine months has been inspirational.  We owe it to our students to continue those strategies that allowed Connecticut to open the doors to our classrooms and keep transmission spread out of our school buildings.

Now is not the time to let our guard down. We must stay vigilant on what is working. The use of face coverings in schools at all times has helped reduce transmission. Regular washing of hands and the use of sanitizer have also helped.  School personnel maintaining physical distance from one another where possible and using face coverings even when not around students helps ensure that quarantining is less likely in the event of a colleague being infected.  On the playing field, with friends and extended family, and in the community, the use of these same mitigation strategies can also ensure our schools remain open.

We know we cannot control the actions of everyone in the community, but if we do our part following the guidance of our health experts, we can increase the chances of the students learning in the classroom where the most effective learning takes place.

We have never had a time in which our actions impact others more than this point in time – but together, we got this!  Let’s rise to the challenge, stay committed, and play our part for the more than half a million students of Connecticut. They deserve it.

Miguel Cardona is the Connecticut Commissioner of Education.

CTViewpoints welcomes rebuttal or opposing views to this and all its commentaries. Read our guidelines and submit your commentary here.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

A just stimulus package is a start toward true racial inclusion
by Carlton L Highsmith

For centuries Blacks have been denied full participation in the American Dream. But for the sake of our collective progress, as we recover from the crippling economic effects of COVID-19, our country has a mandate to acknowledge its history of systematic institutionalized exclusionary practices and not repeat them.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Opinion Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Opinion Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Opinion Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO