Editorial: Improve plans for reopening Hawaii’s schools

Four months ago, when COVID-19 brought classroom instruction in Hawaii public schools to a jarring halt, students lost nearly four dozen in-person instructional days.

Now, with plans in the works for the launch of a new school year, the state Department of Education (DOE) — in tandem with the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) and individual school communities across the islands — must move forward with resolute aim to balance public health while keeping students on track academically to recoup learning losses.

But with the 2020-21 year set to start in less than two weeks — for teachers, next Wednesday — some elements in the back-to-school plan are in need of more clarity and others are prompting valid questions about feasibility. Given these concerns, state officials should opt to delay the Aug. 4 start for students by up to a week, while tasking school faculties to hammer out, absorb and train up on more-thorough plans.

The HSTA is seeking detailed answers to some basic questions such as: What happens on a campus if a student, teacher, school employee — or someone’s household member — tests positive for the coronavirus? And if a school shuts down due to virus infection, how will educators move to full-time distance learning?

Given the expected surfacing of at least some COVID-19 cases, the DOE, in close coordination with the state Health Department, must map out a guidance plan and share it robustly with all schools, and the public. In this unsettling time of pandemic there are many unknowns. Safety cannot be guaranteed, but thoughtful risk management, well communicated, can establish the balance needed for schools to move forward.

In regards to distance-learning readiness: Following an uneven delivery of virtual lessons during the final quarter of the 2019-20 year, some teachers have undergone voluntary training. For the sake of ramping up equity in education, as the new year gets underway, plans and time must be set for mandatory training in this learning model.

Parents will have the option to choose distance-learning entirely for their child, and so far about 16% of students are expected to opt for that model. Most campuses will offer a mixed instructional approach, with students spending some days on campus and some learning at home to reduce the head count on campus and enable social distancing.

It’s encouraging that the school system has procured more than 23,000 devices, such as computers and tablets, for high-needs students; and that it will staff a tech help desk for families. However, still vague are funding plans for the steady purchase of items such as personal protective equipment as well as the hiring of more registered nurses.

HSTA’s president, Corey Rosenlee, on Tuesday called for pushing back the Aug. 4 start date, maintaining that more time is needed to ensure safety and smooth transition to alternative learning models. That’s a reasonable request. However, the delay must not be open-ended.

On Monday, Board of Education Chairwoman Catherine Payne rightly pointed out that delay could harm students socially as well as academically, especially those with higher needs. Further, with tourists not expected to return in force until after Sept. 1, August is an opportune time to test drive the back-to-school plan.

Payne said the first few weeks of school serve as a “time when we can have the children and the teachers build some relationships. … If we want distance learning to be successful, we have to have those relationships.” Agreed.

Given Hawaii’s ranking among states with the lowest count of COVID-19 cases, all involved in this unprecedented public schools challenge must move swiftly to address lingering reopening concerns. Moving forward with a sense of flexibility and cooperation will be key to successful steps into this new-normal territory.