This is not the post I had planned today. But we educators know sometimes we must shift on the fly based on what is happening on any particular day.
Throughout the week, I receive updates from a variety of resources. One of those is Chalkbeat. The organization has several local specific updates and one that is more national. This morning there was an article about South Carolina and a recent measles outbreak. It discussed how a measles outbreak occurring over this past Winter Break showed how a contact tracing procedure did not seem to be in place for when schools are on break.
Regardless of one’s political beliefs or stance on vaccinations, we are in an era in which more families are opting out of vaccinating their children. One of the main reasons cited is religious objections, with many states only requiring a signed notarized form completed by the family with no doctor or religious denomination personnel signatures required. Personally, I do believe families should be given leeway in how they raise their children; but, when that decision affects the health of an entire school and community, the pastor or equivalent should have to also sign the form to affirm the exemption—a conversation for another day.
For our part, in helping to keep students in our schools and classrooms as safe as possible, we need to be ready both proactively and reactively. Here is what came to mind in thinking on preparedness in this type of situation:
- Is my family contact information up-to-date and when was the last time I confirmed with families?
- Are there multiple ways to reach my families, i.e., main number, e-mail, other emergency contact?
- Does the school or district allow for a telephone contact chain? If so, do I have one in place for my families and permission for other families to have telephone numbers of other families?
- What is my back-up plan if none of my numbers work? Do I know where family members work or live?
- Are there siblings of my students at my school (or within the district), and do we have the same contact information?
- Are there any custody agreement concerns or requirements I need to consider?
- If no family member responds to my contact attempts, when do district policies about contacting child protective services or district police officers need to be considered?
- Do I know or should I know if one of my students has an exemption?
- If I know one of my students has an exemption, are their extra precautions I should be taking in the classroom to help limit the spread of disease?
Some of these questions are harder to answer than others. For me it is the extra precaution question because it is a balance in not judging a family for not vaccinating, limiting disruption of learning, keeping myself and my students healthy, and other factors. If we learned nothing from Covid, which wasn’t that long ago, it is the importance of hygiene and proximity.
What other suggestions or questions might you have in terms of being prepared should a medically related outbreak occur in your classroom or school?
You can find more information and archived posts at our Show Your Caring website: https://showyourcaring.enchantedllc.net/.