It is highly irregular for the USDOE to communicate directly with school-based administrators. They usually deal with the state, sometimes the district, but not with us at the schools. In fact, I have not seen it in 13 years as an administrator.
I don’t remember any March communication from my new email buds, Margaret and Michael. My PPF is climbing.
Dear Colleague:
In March, the U.S. Department of Education wrote to you about making emergency planning for pandemic influenza a priority and asked members of the education community to work with their community planning team to create a pandemic flu strategy that could be activated as part of local schools’ overall crisis plans. It is our hope that you and your team have made good progress.
At the Federal level, we have been diligently working to implement our own plans, as well as researching and collecting promising state and local practices from the field. To assist your efforts, the U.S. Department of Education has collected some sample plans, which can be viewed at http://www.ed.gov/emergencyplan/pandemic/. These plans may serve as examples to help you formulate your own successful pandemic flu plan.
To assist in your efforts, we have also made a determination that funds from Title IV, Part A, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act State Grants program, may be utilized for general pandemic influenza planning activities. Please review the program guidance, which is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/dvpformula/legislation.html, for additional information about administering these funds.
A brochure that identifies some of the prominent issues that you should consider in planning for seasonal flu, a mild or moderate pandemic flu, or a severe pandemic can be accessed at http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/pandemic/planning-guide/planning-guide.pdf. We encourage you to share this pamphlet with your local planning partners.
This brochure, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “School District (K-12) Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist,” sample pandemic preparedness plans, and other planning guidance all can be viewed at www.pandemicflu.gov. This Web site is updated regularly with new information and ongoing developments.
We have created an outline to identify some of the common elements that may be central to your plan. As stated in the White House’s “Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza” and the “Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan,” an important issue for educators during a pandemic will be the decision of whether to close schools. School closure might be necessary to protect the health of students and school personnel, to limit the spread of the virus, or in response to student and/or staff absences. Depending upon the underlying circumstances, the duration of school closure could range from a few weeks up to three months. School closure decisions will require the careful consideration of many factors and coordination with all stakeholders. We are aware that many educational organizations have included the possibility of a prolonged school closure in their pandemic and/or all-hazard preparedness plans, and we strongly encourage you to do so as well.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of prolonged school closure in mitigating the effects of a severe pandemic. We intend to share additional guidance on school closure and other effective community-wide intervention strategies in the coming months. In the meantime, because school closure for any length of time would have significant ramifications, we ask that you engage your state and local governments and other partners to develop a school closure strategy for your schools.
We thank you for making pandemic flu planning a priority. Your diligent preparation now will help us do our best in a crisis. Please contact Camille Welborn at the U.S. Department of Education (202–401–0051 or camille.welborn@ed.gov) if you need further assistance.
Sincerely,
Margaret Spellings Michael O. Leavitt Secretary of Education Secretary of Health and Human Services
So they’re saying the districts must have a plan, but telling it to school-based people, who are subordinate to the district.
I need to go have some coffee and calm down. Too early for BBRWFK.
But I read it as a total positive - the more you get it to the front-line people I think the more likely it will be that stuff will get done. I’d much rather have a principal and teachers working on things than the superintendent or definitely vs at the state level. They see these kids everday, their colleagues, etc. It becomes more emotional and personal and, thus, more actionable. Of course, they may throw it in the round file like many others, but it’s a good step.
On the otherhand, like you, it does make you wonder “what do they know?”
Prepperbabe - Help me out - you are an administrator and you received this letter cited above? Is it posted online anywhere? My school district is now engaged in reviewing pandemic plans, but administrators need this information. I hope this letter is going out everywhere.
LauraB- Exactly. It is positive. But it does make you wonder what they know.
InKy- I can’t speak to what the USDOE does or does not do, or with whom they choose to communicate (Har!) :) You could always share the web sites (not the whole email, please). I kind of went out on a limb here for you, my Wikie brethren. I think it is significant info, though and so sharing is the least I can do to repay all that I owe the group.
prepperbabe - Thanks. I’ll make judicious use of the information with my administrators and hope that they, too, receive the same message.
InKy- Thanks for being cool. You rock!
Off to pick up kid from slumber party then to barn for riding lessons. Mom’s taxi service begins another day.
Bless you, prepperbabe. (I’d swap you out here in a heartbeat, but it wouldn’t be a fair trade to your school.) Will now make a pot of coffee in your honor.
Thank you for the websites.
wow — prepperbabe — I just read the email you were sent.
It sounds like the Dept. of Education wants to be sure principals put the pressure on higher ups to get a plan for “extended school closures” in place.
What did you think of the Dept. of Education webcast? Did you get a chance to see it? Do you think your district will ask teachers to view it? They were discussing very seriously 6 to 8 weeks of closed schools, which I thought was gutsy.