Dusty Binders and Battle Plans

My first experience with a pandemic came early in my career as an administrator. I think it was back in the middle 2000s when I was a building principal. The virus was called the H1N1, and it too was designated a pandemic by the WHO. I remember at that time being directed (I can't remember by whom) that all schools needed to develop and implement an educational plan for dealing with pandemics 'just in case'. I dutifully completed my plan and promptly filed it away. Luckily this virus didn't have the same impact on our global community as COVID-19. Yet in the final analysis, the CDC estimates that more than 500,000 deaths (worldwide) could be attributed to this infection. That was just during the first year of circulation.

I do remember at the time thinking this was being blown way out of proportion and that the need for a pandemic plan was an exercise in futility. I mean, this is modern civilization right? In my mind there was no way with modern medicine and the advancements that had been made in the treatment of illness we could possibly expect to experience a pandemic on a scale of historic proportions. Right? Well, in that particular case, at least in my little corner of the world we seemed to come through it relatively unscathed. My pandemic plan remained on the shelf in my office and began to collect dust. But considering where we are today those optimistic views of modern medicine seem a bit misplaced.

Fast forward to roughly eight weeks ago (yes, it's been that long). The first week in March was when things really started to develop with the COVID-19 here in the United States. It was on March 11, 2020 when the WHO designated this a pandemic and all the school superintendents in the Cedar Valley metropolitan area penned a message to our community. In that message you will recall our commitment to continuing normal operations for the foreseeable future. We were all confident that with spring break just around the corner, it would give us all the time we needed for this to blow over, clean our buildings, and be prepared for schools to reopen following spring break. The very next day I asked the directors who were in New York City with music students to turn the bus around and head for home.

It was also during those early days where we all turned to those dusty binders that had been sitting on our shelves for the past decade and a half for guidance. I also began to rely a bit on my former military training, and I know several of my colleagues and immediate subordinates have done the same. As a Navy guy, I can recall a former commanding officer telling us that our battle plan likely wouldn't survive first contact with the enemy. (He said some other things too, but probably not suitable for an educational blog.) A quick perusal of the document made me realize that he was right. This plan was not going to be helpful. Decisions needed to be made quickly and I didn't have time to refer to (Section 14, paragraph 6, subparenth 'c'). 

Instead, I have found all of you to be much more helpful than this dusty old binder. I am deeply appreciative of your support, patience, and words of encouragement as we navigate these choppy waters (that's the Navy reference again-or maybe Pirate?) I am amazed at the way my team has operated and somewhat normalized operations, ranging from the delivery of instruction to the delivery of meals. I am incredibly fortunate and lucky to have a Board of Directors as a body of counsel and governance, giving me the space to make decisions and asking questions that need to be asked as we plot our course. 

All of these things give me reassurance that, although our plan did not survive first contact, we will be victorious. Know that I miss you all and look forward to seeing you in person again real soon. 

Our Journey Continues: COVID-19 Update 4/20/20

Good evening. I had sincerely hoped to be providing you with better news today Pirate Nation. Unfortunately, the Hudson Community School District will remain closed for the remainder of the year based on the latest guidance provided by the Governor of Iowa which came on April 17, 2020. Sadly, we are now in our fifth consecutive week that our facilities have been closed. This follows a closure of all outdoor facilities that was enacted on April 6, 2020. Those closures are extended and continue to include all buildings and facilities in the Hudson Community School District. All activities remain cancelled through the duration of this closure including any open gym, athletic practice, rehearsal, or any other activity otherwise sanctioned or not by the school district. Our facilities will reopen only when it is deemed safe to do so working in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Black Hawk County Health Department, the administrative leadership team, and the Hudson Board of Directors. Facilities remain accessible only to those personnel essential for continuity of operations including administrators, clerical staff,  custodians, maintenance staff, and contractors. 

While the decision for schools to remain closed for the remainder of the school year was expected, at the same time I found myself at a loss for words. Over the course of the last several weeks, I have been playing out many ‘what if’ scenarios; but still felt woefully taken aback by this decision. Right now you have many questions. When can you get into the school building to collect your things? How are we going to handle computer turn in? What about check out? The list goes on. I am thankful for the gift of this past weekend because it gave me an opportunity to reflect and begin formulating a framework that will help us to figure out tomorrow. Granted, a ‘framework’ is a long way from an executable plan so I’ll ask for your patience. 

This will be a big week for us as we begin to grapple with the understanding that the 2019-2020 school year is going to end without us being together. But we need to remember this school year has not yet concluded and that we still have important work to do. To the faculty and staff who are hearing this message: Our students and our community are counting on us to continue the delivery of our voluntary learning opportunities. To our community: We will not let you down.

I am very sad and disappointed in the way our school year will end. Our inability to bring closure to our time together this spring breaks all our hearts. We are missing our friends, our colleagues, and even some members of our own families. But most of all, I feel great empathy for the Class of 2020. This is not the ending you, or your parents had envisioned. I understand it feels as though the pinnacle achievement of your time as a Pirate has been taken away from you. In many ways it has. I feel terrible that I can’t fix this for you. But I take great comfort in the way in which you have conducted yourselves during this time of uncertainty. You have shown grace and strength in your response to these troubling events. This experience will serve you well in your future and will leave an indelible mark on your lives. Seek out the lessons you can learn and apply them. Take notes or write in a journal so you can remember this moment in our collective history with clarity. Decades from now you will tell your children and your children’s children about the spring of 2020 and how the world came to a halt.

Nevertheless one of the biggest concerns for me right now is how to close out an educational career for the 47 students that make up the Class of 2020. Graduation is the culminating and most important event of our school year, and one that you all have a part in whether you are a member of this class, an educator, parent or community member. This all began when those students walked through our doors for the first time as 5 year olds. We are working on a way to honor that achievement not only for them, but to show our entire community that the business of education continues. 

Again, many questions remain. Some of them remain unanswered. Others have answers that are difficult to hear. Regardless, we make the decisions we do out of our care for you and your safety. I ask for your continued patience in the coming weeks.

Academics

We will continue to offer voluntary educational opportunities for our students and have no plans at this time to move to a required model. That stated, I would strongly encourage your participation. Make no mistake, once our doors reopen we will have our work cut out for us. A gap will exist and it will be our intention to close that gap as rapidly as possible for our students. Preliminary modeling suggests this gap will be significant. Our plan will be more than aspirational and rooted in the idea that we can close that gap within one academic year. But we can’t achieve that goal without you. This is a time where we hope and encourage parents to become active partners with our teachers to help ensure learning continues. The teachers are working hard to do their part. But how big that gap is is dependent on how engaged we all are as we work to close out this academic year . With your help and participation in our voluntary learning program, we can move forward with all expediency at flank speed once the 2020-2021 school year commences.

Plan for Entering the Building to Retrieve Personal Items

We have fielded many requests for students and families to come to the building to retrieve their personal items from their lockers. I suspect this will become even more important to people since we now know that our physical buildings will not reopen this year. Because of the extra safety measures for this region of the state, we are going to hold off on the majority of these visits until some of the restrictions are lifted; we are hoping this is sometime around the middle of May. You can expect a coordinated and choreographed procedure for obtaining access. We will do everything we can on the back end to make your visit quick and strategic. More information will be coming about this in the coming weeks.

Food Service

Meal service continues in the district and is available on Mondays and Thursdays at either Country Terrace or behind the elementary school.  You can still sign up by visiting our website and you do not need to commit to every day. This is a service that is available to any child in the district age 18 and under. At this point, over 10,000 meals have been served since this program began in mid-March. 

Activities

The balance of our activities for the remainder of the school year are now cancelled, which include all spring sports, concerts, and prom. A decision regarding summer activities will be announced June 1st, which could include plans for our musical which at this point remains postponed. Later this week, we will be meeting virtually with the Class of 2020 to discuss alternative plans for graduation. Please be watching your inbox for an invitation to this meeting.

Board Action

The emergency resolutions adopted by the board on March 23 remain in full force and effect for the duration of this emergency. 

These are no doubt difficult times and the decisions that are being made are being done with great deliberation and care. It is with a heavy heart that our school year is ending in such a fashion. We want you all to be safe and I very much look forward to the time we can be with you and see you again. Stay strong, stay safe, and please stay home.