Story provided by Stillwater Public Schools
An SPS Safety Protocols Committee, consisting of district administrators, site administrators, and an SPS health official, met with Oklahoma Department of Health officials and local health professionals in September and recommended a set of safety protocols for instruction that were utilized for the remainder of the fall semester. These protocols adjusted the method of instructional delivery for Traditional Learning students each week based on the spread of COVID-19 within Payne County.
This same committee met with multiple teachers and gathered feedback from parents prior to recommending safety protocols for the spring semester. The feedback gathered from both teachers and parents indicated a strong desire for consistency.
To address the issue of consistency, the committee is recommending safety protocols to the Stillwater Board of Education in which students enrolled in Traditional Learning would receive in-person instruction under an Alternate (A/B) Schedule at all alert levels except “Red” from January 4 – February 12. The board will consider this recommendation and possibly take action at its regular December meeting on Tuesday, December 8, at 6:30 p.m.
The district will continue to use the State Department of Education’s safety protocols’ guidance and the county-level COVID-19 case data as reported by the State Department of Health.
The proposal is identical to safety protocols utilized in the district earlier in the fall semester, from September 28 to October 24.
“We feel this proposal will help provide consistency from week to week,” said Superintendent Marc Moore. “Knowing we will be on the A/B schedule unless we are in the red will allow teachers and families to better prepare and establish routines.”
“I’m proud of how the district responded to the pandemic during the fall semester,” said Moore. When numbers went up, we reacted. As we learned more, we adjusted our protocols. The numbers of cases and quarantines in our schools compare favorably to other districts of similar size.”
The Stillwater Board of Education will approve safety protocols at a later date for the remainder of the spring semester.
