Answers to Employees' Frequently Asked Questions from the Town Hall Meetings
Can employees use sick time to care for family members?
Yes. Employees can use sick time to care for a sick family member. If there is a need for an extended leave of absence to care for a family member, longer term leave options may be available.
What is the appropriate documentation needed for vulnerable employees?
CPS has implemented all the best practices to make workplaces as safe as possible. Notwithstanding these best efforts, there are some CPS colleagues who may not be able to work in this environment. In that case, employees should request a doctor's certification recommending that you are not to return to work. The district has been exploring leave options and other accommodations for vulnerable employees.
Can teachers work from home on Mondays when all students are learning remotely?
No. Staff will report on Mondays.
Will a school nurse be in every building?
Yes. A nurse from the Cincinnati Department of Health will be in each school throughout 2020-2021.
Can employees report a safety concern anonymously?
Yes, employees can report safety concerns anonymously by calling the Safety Hotline, (513) 363-0671.
Where will the plastic barriers be placed in the schools?
All schools have plastic barriers in high-traffic areas, such as the front office.
Will students be permitted to take a mask break?
In our work with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the district established some guidelines for providing students a mask break:
- Outdoor mask breaks are preferable
- Mask breaks in the classroom should be rare and infrequent
- Student must be seated and greater than 6 feet apart
- Should be a quiet time
- No shouting, yelling or singing when a mask is off
- Student may remove mask for a couple breathes and replace (sanitize hands)
- Student who require longer breaks should be provided a space separate (i.e., in the back of classroom) where a student can remove their mask for up to one minute at a time. Sanitize hands and clean area after break
How are mask requirements going to work in physical education?
Exercise is one of the few exceptions to the mask policy. Masks should only be removed during the time students are actively exercising, maintaining social distance, preferably outside.
Do parents have to give permission for their child to be tested for COVID-19?
Yes, CPS requires parent or guardian consent prior to a student being tested for COVID-19.
Is CPS testing students for COVID-19, and what kind of test will be given?
CPS will test only students who become ill at school and for whom we have parent guardian permission. If we test a child, the school nurse will do a nasal swab test.
Explain the protocol for a student testing positive. Who has to quarantine?
Per the district's Confirmed Case Protocol, we would review who has been in close contact (6 foot proximity for at least 15 minutes). The persons — students and adults — who are determined to be close contacts would be asked to remain home for a period of 14 days, after the last close contact with the individual confirmed with a positive test result.
What if a parent sends a child to school with COVID? What are the consequences for a parent?
A public school does not necessarily have the ability to withdraw a student or to otherwise "penalize" a parent. We are learning about positive cases from the Cincinnati Health Department. This is in addition to the testing we will be doing at our schools — and getting results from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. We have temperature checks for students, and if a student appears unwell during the day, we would have the ability to send a student home. Students who are confirmed or suspected case will have to follow protocol before they are allowed to return to school.
When there is a positive COVID case, I heard the classroom will need to be sanitized for two days. Where does that class go while the room is being sanitized?
CPS will begin cleaning and sanitizing the space immediately. Whenever there is a confirmed case, the process calls for the district to consider a short closure — especially if there is any evidence of community spread in the school. The scope and duration will depend on the circumstances — could be just the class or it could extend to the whole school. In that case, we would temporarily return to distance learning for that group of students.
I've heard that CPS will be returning to distance learning between Thanksgiving and winter break. Is this confirmed by CPS? Is this already scheduled?
This has not been scheduled. The district continues to track data daily. It is possible that the district as a whole — or individual schools — could have to return to remote learning at some point, but there is no scheduled return.
Will the 1-2-2 model continue throughout the 2020-2021 academic year?
The district is monitoring data on a daily basis. If data shows an uptick in positive cases in our community, CPS could switch to full remote learning. The same is true if the data moves downward, more days could be designated for in-person learning.
How will lunch being served?
Lunches will be delivered to each classroom on a cart. Students will pick up their lunch items and return to their desk. Each student will have a plexiglass barrier on their desk during the lunch period.