Schools plan for multiple COVID-19 scenarios

Deputy DPI Superintendent Mike Thompson says schools are planning for the fall semester under different scenarios for COVID-19.

ADRIENNE: WELCOME BACK TO"UPFRONT."FOR THOUSANDS OF WISCONSINSTUDENTS, COVID-19 BROUGHT ANABRUBT END TO CLASSROOMLEARNING.THE ACADEMIC YEAR IS EFFECTIVELYFINISHED, WITH STUDENTS NOTRETURNING TO THEIR SCHOOLS THISSPRING AND LEARNING WHAT THEYCAN FROM HOME.WE’RE LOOKING AT THE IMPACT ONSTUDENTS AND SCHOOLS WITH MIKETHOMPSON, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENTAT THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OFPUBLIC INSTRUCTION.THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH USTODAY.SO STUDENTS WILL BE MISSINGALMOST THREE MONTHS OF SCHOOL ATTHIS POINT, AND PARENTS ANDGUARDIANS ARE DOING EVERYTHINGTHEY POSSIBLY CAN.BUT WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAKEUP FOR THAT LOST LEARNING?DEP.

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THOMPSON: THAT IS ADISCUSSION SCHOOL DISTRICTSACROSS THE STATE ARE ENGAGED INNOW, AS THEY KNOW THEY ARE NOTCOMING BACK THIS SCHOOL YEAR ANDHOW THEY WILL MAKE UP THIS LOSSOF LEARNING?THEY ARE CREATING PLANS NOW FORHOW TO MOVE INTO SUMMER SCHOOLTO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THAT LOSTTIME, AND AS WE MOVE BACK INTOTHE FALL, WHAT IS THE FALL GOINGTO LOOK LIKE?IS IT GOING TO BE BACK TONORMAL?

LIKELY NOT ALL THE WAYBACK TO NORMAL, SO IN THATENVIRONMENT, WHAT IS THE BESTWAY WE CAN MEET THE NEEDS OFKIDS, CATCH KIDS UP THAT HAVEFALLEN BEHIND, AND MAKE SURETHAT EVERY KID CAN CONTINUE TOPROGRESS?THAT IS A QUESTION BEING ASKEDACROSS THE STATE.ADRIENNE: WHEN YOU TALK ABOUTTHE FALL NOT LIKELY BEING WHATWE CALL "BACK TO NORMAL," WHATDO YOU EXPECT AT THIS POINT?DEP.

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THOMPSON: WE NEED TOPLAN FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENTSCENARIOS.WE NEED TO PLAN FOR A HYBRIDSCENARIO, WE NEED TO PLAN FORGOING BACK TO FULL OPERATIONWITH THE BRICK-AND-MORTA, ORIF WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN ANALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENT, WHICHIN SOME CASE IS VIRTUAL AND SOMECASE IS LEARNING PACKETS, HOWWOULD THAT LOOK?THAT IS THE PLANNING PART THATWILL GO ON OVER THE NEXT SEVERALMONTHS.WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE IN THEFALL?HOW TO WE MAXIMIZE THE LEARNINGEXPERIENCE FOR KIDS NOW THAT WEHAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TOPLAN FOR WHAT COMES UP NEXT?ADRIENNE WHAT ARE HEALTHEXPERTS TELLING YOU IN TERMS OFTHE POTENTIAL SPIKE WE COULD SEEAGAIN IN THE FALL AND WHAT COULDTHAT MEAN FOR SCHOOL YOURPLANNING?-- SCHOOL YEAR PLANNING?DEP.

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THOMPSON I HEARVARYING REPORTS AROUND THAT.THE IDEA IS THAT WE SHOULDFOLLOW THE ADVICE OF HEALTHPROFESSIONALS AND MAXIMIZE THESAFETY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ANDKIDS AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN DOI--.BUT WE HEAR FROM EVERYBODY THATIT IS NOT SIMPLY GOING TO BE,YOU ARE NOT IN SCHOOL TODAY ANDTOMORROW, YOU ARE INSCHOOL.THAT PHASE-IN MIGHT COME IN OVERTHE SUMMER, WE WILL SEE WHERE ITIS THAT IN THE FALL, AND ITMIGHT CONTINUE IN THE FALL.ADRIENNE IN TERMS OF SUMMERSCHOOL, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITHTHAT?DEP.

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THOMPSON: DISTRICTSARE STARTING TO PLAN FOR SUMMERSCHOOL.THE ORDER IS THAT SCHOOLS ARECLOSED FOR ALL ACTIVITY,ACADEMIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR,UNTIL JUNE 30.IF THAT STAYS THE WAY IT IS,SCHOOLS MIGHT ENGAGE IN SOMESUMMER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES IN ANONLINE FORMAT IN JUNE IF THEYCHOOSE TO START THEN.THEY MAY CHOOSE TO START SUMMERSCHOOL IN JULY.THEY COULD CHOOSE TO STARTSUMMER SCHOOL ANYTIME THEY WANT.ADRIENNE: I KNOW THIS --THERE IS CONCERNS THAT THIS WILLPUSH STUDENTS, MAYBE CERTAINSTUDENTS BACK FURTHER.MAYBE STUDENTS THAT HAVEDIFFICULTY LEARNING OR DO NOTHAVE ACCESS TO THAT TECHNOLOGY.HOW ARE YOU MAKING SURE STUDENTSDO NOT GET LEFT BEHIND IN THIS?DEP.

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THOMPSON: THAT IS AGREAT QUESTION, AND IF NOTHINGELSE, IT SHOWS THAT WE HAVEEQUITY ISSUES AROUND WHAT KIDSCAN ACCESS AND WHAT KIDS HAVEACCESS TO ONLINE, ACROSS THESTATE, WHETHER PEOPLE HAVEACCESS T INTERNET, WHETHER THEYCAN AFFORD INTERNET OR ACCESSTHE COMPUTER.YOUR ARE GREAT INEQUITIES AROUNDTHAT.IF -- THERE ARE GREAT INEQUITIESAROUND THAT.IT HAS REALLY POINTED OUT WHERETHOSE INEQUITIES EXIST ANDWHERE WE CAN TACKLE THOSE AS WEMOVE FORWARD, AND WE WILL HAVETO LOOK AT THAT IS WE GO FORWARDINTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, HOWWE MINIMIZE THOSE INEQUITIES FORKIDS.THAT IS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OFPUBLIC EDUCATION.EVERY KID HAS THE RIGHT TOBECOME COLLEGE READY, REGARDLESSOF CONDITION.THAT INCLUDES A PANDEMIC, ANDTHAT IS WHAT WE ARE WORKING FORNOW.I THINK THERE HAS BEEN SOME GOODTHINKING AROUND THAT, HOW THEYCAN MAXIMIZE SOME OF THERESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE, HOWTHEY CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF KIDS,BUT THAT IS ONE OF THEIR TOPPRIORITIES IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.ADRIENNE ANY TALK OF GETTINGTHESE KIDS MORE RESOURCES?LOCALLY IN MILWAUKEE, STUDENTSRECENTLY RECEIVED CHROMEBOOKS,EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN OUTOF SCHOOL FOR A MONTH.DEP.

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THOMPSON: YEAH, THEREIS A RECOGNITION THAT THERENEEDS TO BE RESOURCE SUPPORT ANDIN FACT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTIS STEPPING UP WITH SOMERESOURCE SUPPORT AND ALLOCATIONTHROUGH THE TITLE I FORMULA THATWILL PROVIDE ADDITIONALRESOURCES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTSTO REALLY ADDRESS ISSUES THATWERE CAUSED BY COVID-19.THAT INCLUDES KIDSGETTING BACK TO, MAKING SURETHEY ARE CATCHING KIDS UP,MAKING SURE THEY HAVE EQUALACCESS TO RESOURCES.SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES WILL BEHELPFUL IN THAT REGARD.ADRIENNE: MIKE THOMPSON, DEPUTYSTATE SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOUSO MUCH.ADRIENNE: THANK YOU, HAVE AGREAT DAY.ADRIENNE: COMING UP, HUGENUMBERS OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS CASTIN WISCONSIN’S MOST RECENTELECTION.DID IT AFFECT THE OUTC