Communication and Accountability

• Conduct training on prevention at all levels, focused on COVID-19, including hygiene (e.g., handwashing), and preventative care (e.g., wearing face coverings).
• Train staff on how to wear, maintain and dispose of protective gear safely.
• Provide support for self-isolators due to confirmed cases and symptoms.
• Provide information and support for the impact of not being physically close, being able to read emotions or social cues with faces covered, and how to share thoughts and feelings for others to understand what is needed for both students and staff.
• Train staff on how to identify students struggling with trauma and refer them to mental health professionals for additional support.

• Provide communication on prevention of infectious diseases for students, staff, and parents.
• Regularly remind staff, parents, and students of the need to stay home if any signs of illness are present.
• Communicate to staff, students, and parents about COVID-19-related protocols, including proper use of PPE/EPG, cleanliness and disinfection, transmission prevention, guidelines for families about when to keep students home from school, systems for self-reporting symptoms.
• Target communication to include vulnerable members of the school community.
• If a school has a positive COVID-19 case, contact the Safety Manager at the district to report, track, and trace infections in coordination with public health officials to begin the notification process.
• Notify staff and families immediately of any possible cases of COVID-19.
• Review legal responsibilities and privacy rights for communicating about cases of the virus.
• Provide guidance to parents, teachers, and staff, reminding them of the importance of community physical distancing measures while a school is closed, including discouraging students or staff from gathering elsewhere.
• Advise sick staff members and children not to return until they have met CDC criteria to discontinue home isolation.
• Inform those who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms, and to follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop. If a person does not have symptoms follow appropriate CDC guidance for home isolation.
• Communicate regularly with all stakeholders regarding academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement.
• Communicate regularly with students and families about resources, and continue to focus on equity and access in critical areas, such as nutritious meals, appropriate technology, language accessible learning options, academic as well as mental health supports, and community resources to ensure basic needs are addressed.
• Engage the Superintendent's Teaching and Learning in Safe Environments Advisory Committee (TLSEAC), on developing specific teaching and learning plans for the 2020-21 school year. Each subcommittee will meet concurrently and provide information and updates to the TLSEC throughout the process. The TLSEAC is an advisory committee for the Evergreen for Evergreen School District appointed by Superintendent Dr. Flores. This committee is comprised of parents, community partners, principals, teachers, and support staff.
• The TLSEAC works alongside three subcommittees--Education Services, Facilities & Pupil Services, and Human Resources--as well as a student focus group. Learn more about each committee's responsibility, process, and focus.
• Provide communication on potential contacts to cases following the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) requirements.
• Notify parents and the school community about school meal service and options.
• Use a variety of communication methods, such as telephone, text, social media, newsletters, and school websites, and use the following template notifications provided by SCCPHD for different scenarios.
• Positive cases will be reported to the local health authorities and recorded and displayed on the district’s COVID-19 Dashboard. We will need to create a dashboard. I have examples of this--some are complex, some are easy.

Image: ESD COVID-19 Dashboard

In the interest of protecting the Evergreen community and workplace health, any student, parent, staff and community member shall report in writing any known or observed unsafe condition in the working environment, or work issue related to COVID-19 to the designated site administrator or District supervisor. The site administrator/district supervisor shall respond as soon as possible, but not to exceed two (2) working days, with a written response to the individual who submitted the written complaint. The investigation process will include the following:

• Unsafe or unhealthy work conditions, practices or procedures will be documented on the Appendix B: COVID-19 Inspections form found in the ESD COVID-19 Prevention Plan, and corrected in a timely manner based on the severity of the hazards, as follows:
  • The severity of the hazard will be assessed and correction time frames assigned.
  • Individuals are identified as being responsible for timely correction.
  • Follow-up measures are taken to ensure timely correction.

The District takes all concerns and complaints seriously. The District values the concerns of our staff, students, parents and community members. Complaints are respected and honored; there are no negative consequences for filing a complaint. No reprisals or retaliation shall be invoked against any staff, student, parent or community member for filing a complaint, either on an informal or formal basis, or for participating in any way in the complaint process.

• Work with the California Department of Education (CDE), Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE), Santa Clara County Department of Public Health (SCCDPH), and related authorities to follow the most up-to-date recommendations regarding screening and testing, contact tracing, and isolation and quarantine measures, as well as ongoing prevention measures including frequent hand-washing and physical distancing.
• Coordinate with partnering childcare providers to ensure safety protocols for participating students and families.

• Prevent and address discrimination and inappropriate behaviors related to COVID-19.
• Provide awareness and emphasis on cyber citizenship, prevention of cyberbullying, and teasing, as provided in the digital citizenship curriculum.
• Implement a one-to-one device model so that all students will have access to a device. WiFi is available on our campuses and provided on an as-needed basis to students off-campus.
• All students and staff must abide by all ESD technology usage guidelines. This includes reproduction, distribution, or public transmission of teacher-created lessons and materials, which is strictly prohibited.
• No person shall be discriminated against for wearing a protective mask or other personal protective gear, such as face shields, goggles, or clothes covering.
• Refrain from stigma and/or discrimination associated with COVID-19.
• Continue to focus on equity and access in five critical areas:
  1. Nutritious meals
  2. Appropriate technology
  3. Language accessible learning options
  4. Mental health supports
  5. Community resources to ensure basic needs are addressed

• Engage employees on COVID-19 plans and provide necessary training and accommodations, and work collaboratively with representatives of labor groups.
• Ensure staffing levels are sufficient to meet unique facility cleanliness, physical distancing, student learning, and health and safety needs to address COVID-19.
• Develop and provide staff training or utilize state-provided training on disinfecting frequency, and tools and chemicals used in accordance with the Healthy Schools Act, CDPR guidance, and Cal/OSHA regulations.
• Provide training for staff who use specialized hazardous chemicals for cleaning.
• Provide confidentiality around health recording and reporting.
• Provide training on trauma-informed practices and suicide prevention.
• Designate a staff liaison or liaisons to be responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns.
• Protect and support staff who are at higher risk for severe illness (medical conditions that the CDC says may have increased risks), or who cannot safely distance from household contacts at higher risk, by providing options such as telework or negotiated change in classification or duties.
• If reasonable accommodations are not practicable, the LEA should work with the employee to develop a flexible leave plan that endeavors to avoid exhausting the employee's earned leave.
• Provide information to parents regarding labor laws, Disability Insurance, Paid Family Leave, and Unemployment Insurance.

• Students identified with COVID-19 one or more symptoms are to be reported to a designated school staff, separated from the school population by campus supervision and escorted to the isolation room until they can be transported home or to a healthcare facility, as soon as practicable. For serious illness, call 911 without delay.
• Contact thermometers should only be used when a fever is suspected and if appropriate PPE can be used (face mask, eye protection, and disposable gloves).
• The secretary or a designated school staff is to use existing procedures to contact the parent or guardian and request a school pick up. It is very important for all student emergency contact information to be current.
• If transportation is not immediately available, the school staff will hold the student in isolation for the remainder of the school day. The school staff will provide a resting place for the student.
• A designated school staff may arrange transportation to a healthcare setting, if necessary.
• A designated school staff will file necessary forms, per existing procedures for return of the possible COVID-19 infected student to a parent or guardian.
• School Administrators should report any confirmed cases of COVID-19 to the Safety Manager.
• School Administrators are to notify the SCCPH immediately of any positive COVID-19 case by emailing coronavirus@phd.sccgov.org and calling 408-855-4214.
• Per California Public Health Directive: Reporting Details of Positive Cases, Required COVID-19 Case Reporting By Schools (January 14, 2021): “Schools are authorized under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to disclose personally identifiable information without parental consent to local health departments regarding COVID-19 testing and cases. (20 USC § 1232g(b)(1)(I).) Specifically, the local educational agency or private school shall report the following information:
  • The full name, address, telephone number, and date of birth of the individual who tested positive;
  • The date the individual tested positive, the school(s) at which the individual was present on-site within the 10 days preceding the positive test, and the date the individual was last on-site at any relevant school(s); and
  • The full name, address, and telephone number of the person making the report.
  • This information shall be reported to the local health officer by telephone within twenty-four hours from the time an individual within the local educational agency or private school is first made aware of a new case.
  • This reporting shall continue until this directive is modified or rescinded.
  • Information reported to the local health officer pursuant to this directive shall not be disclosed except to (1) the California Department of Public Health; (2) to the extent deemed necessary by the local health officer for an investigation to determine the source of infection and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including with health officers in other jurisdictions as necessary to monitor, investigate, prevent, and/or control the spread of COVID-19; (3) if required by state or federal law; or (4) with the written consent of the individual to whom the information pertains or the legal representative of the individual.”
• All staff and families in the school community must be notified of any positive COVID-19 case while maintaining confidentiality, as required by state and federal laws.
• The CDPH recommends routine testing for all staff. Testing is now widely available at testing sites and through healthcare providers. In addition, ESD is investigating options to provide routine testing at a designated site(s).

Positive Test Results

• Students and staff are required to get tested as soon as possible after they develop one or more COVID-19 symptoms, or if one of their household members or non-household close contacts tests positive for COVID-19.
• Parents/guardians and staff are required to notify school administration immediately if a student or staff tests positive for COVID-19, or if one of their household members or non-household close contacts tests positive for COVID-19.

Negative Test Results

• Symptomatic students or staff who test negative for COVID-19 are to remain home until at least 48 hours after resolution of fever (if any) and improvement in other symptoms.
• Asymptomatic non-household close contact to a COVID-19 case will remain at home for a total of 10 days from the date of last exposure, even if they test negative.
• Asymptomatic household contacts should remain at home until 10 days after the COVID-19 positive household member completes their isolation period.

Return to School After Exclusion for Symptoms at Home or in School

• Ensure that students, including students with disabilities, have access to instruction when out of class, as required by federal and state law.
• Testing of symptomatic students and staff can be conducted through local health care delivery systems or other testing resources, as fits the context of the local health jurisdiction.
• Advise staff members and students with symptoms of COVID-19 infection not to return for in-person instruction until they have met CDPH criteria to discontinue home isolation for those with symptoms:
  • At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications; and
  • Other symptoms have improved; and
  • They have a negative test for SARS-CoV-2, OR
  • A healthcare provider has provided documentation that the symptoms are typical of their underlying chronic condition (e.g., allergies or asthma) OR
  • A healthcare provider has confirmed an alternative named diagnosis (e.g., Streptococcal pharyngitis, Coxsackie virus), OR
  • At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset.

• When either a school or local health department (LHD) is aware that an outbreak may be underway, the LHD should investigate, in collaboration with the school, to determine whether these cases had a common exposure at school (e.g., a common class or staff member, bus ride, or other common exposures outside of school).
• The CDPH defines a school outbreak as 3 or more confirmed or probable cases of staff or students occurring within a 14-day period who are epidemiologically- linked in the school, are from different households and are not contacts of each other in any other investigation cases (e.g., transmission likely occurred in the school setting).
• The objectives of a school outbreak investigation are to identify and isolate all cases and to identify, quarantine, and test contacts to prevent further transmission of COVID-19 at the school. In addition, the investigation will attempt to ascertain whether the cases had a common exposure at school (e.g., a common class or teacher, bus ride, or other common exposures in the school setting). The investigation may also reveal common exposures outside of the school setting.
• As noted above, an outbreak investigation is also an opportunity to understand the circumstances that may have allowed for transmission in the school setting. It is recommended that investigations determine whether there is adherence to key mitigation strategies to prevent school transmission. If gaps are identified, schools should take steps to strengthen strategies to prevent future outbreaks.
• If an outbreak investigation occurs, the involved school(s) will notify parents/guardians and affected school staff members of a cluster/outbreak investigation related to the school(s) and encourage them to follow public health recommendations. The school(s) will follow additional directions per the CDPH guidelines and local public health department.

Please have all COVID-19 media inquiries forwarded to Johanna Villareal jvillareal@eesd.org, at the District Office. All inquiries will be shared with the Superintendent.