COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Student and Educator Reentry Planning and Preparedness Services

Ambiguity and uncertainty have added unprecedented stress on all students and educators under stay-at-home orders. Many school administrators and their teams have been struggling day-to-day to keep crisis online learning operations afloat while navigating ever-changing future predictions.  While we applaud their valiant commitment, planning for today will not be enough. School leaders must begin planning and preparations now for the eventual return of children and educators to their schoolhouses.

For example:

• Will school bus drivers greet students at their stops wearing masks and offering on-board hand sanitizer dispensers or will we train them to address student and parental anxiety, and social-emotional needs?
• How will school nurses deal with children and staff having psychosomatic health episodes?
• Will schools be prepared to record and track mass illness reports and absences to detect potential clusters of health concerns?
• Are the schools adequately staffed with school health professionals to manage these needs?
• How will principals manage large number of teacher and/or support staff absences for those who are afraid to return the first week of school? Will there be enough substitute teachers?
• What will students be told when their favorite school police officer got reassigned, abruptly retired, died, or chose not to return to their jobs as school-based officers?
• How will these issues be communicated to parents?

These, along with many other fundamental operational questions and issues, need to be talked through now as part of a major strategic planning effort for student and staff reentry to school when COVID-19 restrictions are eased. Waiting until the week before schools reopen will not suffice. The social, emotional, physical, and educational well-being of students and staff on their first day of return to school will best be determined by the success of school leaders’ planning today.

We know the direction federal and state officials are headed in terms of the type of guidance they will give schools. We know what will fall upon the shoulders of district and individual school leaders. We know the importance of starting reentry planning NOW, and steps that can be taken at each school NOW to empower school leaders and their reentry planning team.

Expert Webinar Keynote and Panel Presentations

Ken Trump and colleagues are available to serve as keynote and panel presenters for national, state, regional, and professional association online events. Most recently, Ken was a featured panelist for the State of Alaska program for school administrators statewide who are planning for safe school reentry. He has designed and facilitated dozens of Zoom school reentry planning sessions with school district and building administrators. Ken is skilled in live and recorded on-camera presentations, is active in chatrooms as a panelist, and has clear key messages to help empower school leaders to take control of school reentry planning.

Online Facilitated Tabletop/Action Planning Reentry Services

You know you are strong instructional leaders. But are you prepared to ask the right questions to best prepare for the non-instructional, operational challenges that may arise in the first days of student and staff return?

We have adapted traditional tabletop exercises with scenarios typically focused on active shooters, teen suicides, or natural disasters, and refocused on the current crisis issues related to COVID-19 safe student and staff reentry planning and preparedness. We deliver these facilitated tabletop/action planning services online in Zoom sessions that allow district and multiple building administrators and their teams to participate from home. Ken and his team have designed and facilitated dozens of Zoom school reentry planning sessions with school district executive leadership, operational department leadership teams, building administrators, first responders, and other community partners. 

Our tabletop/action planning exercise facilitators are school safety professionals experienced in managing school emergencies and crisis leadership in high ambiguity and uncertainty contexts. We have conducted rapid research and needs assessments related to COVID-19 school closures nationwide. We are ready to help you and your teams beginning reentry planning today for a successful reentry tomorrow (whenever that tomorrow may be).

Online Cabinet Briefing and Single-School Planning Support Services

If tabletop exercises won’t work for you now, we can tailor an online briefing and action planning discussion for your school district cabinet leadership meeting. We also work with single-school leaders and their reentry teams.

We know you are the instructional leaders. Whatever your district size, or if you lead a single-school site, we can help.

Let us help you prepare now for the other safety and operational questions that might otherwise not be on your radar the first day students and staff return. 

For more information on these services, contact Ken Trump