Taking Care of You
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We have two goals at Wylie ISD:
- Take care of kids.
- Take care of teachers and staff.
Rest assured that we have taken teacher concerns to heart in our process of re-opening schools. Your and your family’s safety is a priority. All of our plans have been made in close collaboration with area districts, the County, the State, and TEA. We have presented every part and taken feedback from your campus administrators. We have actively sought best practices with you and your students in mind.
We want to do all we can to support you in your classroom, whether you are an instructor for On Campus Learners, Remote Learners, or both.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Personal Protective Equipment
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Will employees be required to wear masks?
Face masks will be required while the Governor’s Order is in effect, after expiration – face coverings will be highly recommended and encouraged for staff and students. The requirement must be followed anywhere where a person cannot socially distance.
It does not includes anyone eating or drinking or seated at a restaurant to eat or drink. This includes school cafeterias. The order also excludes people who are exercising outdoors or maintaining a safe distance from other people not in the same household.
This is our current order, as rules change, we will follow health and safety guidelines that may require employees to wear a mask.
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Will students be required to wear masks?
Governor Abbott’s order does have exemptions including children who are younger than 10 years old, anyone with a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering. Please see the Mask Protocol on our Back to School website for additional and up-to-date information.
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What if we forget to bring our mask? What about students?
Wylie ISD will provide masks to those free of charge. Each campus will be provided with a supply of disposable masks. A student who may need a replacement mask during the day will be provided one based on teacher discretion.
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What if a student or employee refuses to wear a mask?
Every Texan is required to wear a mask or facial covering when out in public, this includes schools. The requirement must be followed anywhere where a person cannot socially distance. A mask is required to enter or remain on at Wylie ISD campus.
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Will there be a dress code for masks?
Face coverings will be allowed to be worn in school. They must follow the guidelines below to be worn at school or at school activities:
- No bandanas will be allowed as face coverings.
- Pictures, emblems, or writings are allowed as long as they do not depict violence or are lewd, vulgar, or obscene in nature.
- Face coverings must not advertise or depict tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other prohibited substance.
- Any mask that in the administration’s judgement may reasonably be expected to cause disruption or interference with normal school operations is prohibited.
- Face coverings should be worn as intended and should not cover eyes.
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Will class sizes be smaller to accommodate a six foot distancing?
No, class enrollment will remain at their traditional capacities. Teachers will spread desks and students out as much as possible for social distancing purposes.
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What about teachers with tables instead of desks?
Each campus administrator will work with teachers to determine best room arrangement and classroom seating that supports best possible social distancing.
Sanitation
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Will teachers be responsible for cleaning between classes?
Disinfectant, in spray bottles, and paper towels will be made available for teachers to use.
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Who will provide the cleaning supplies?
Cleaning supplies will be ordered through our custodial department.
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How often will staff restrooms be cleaned?
Restrooms will be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day.
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Will staff members be required to sanitize staff restrooms after use? If so, how?
No, but disinfectant spray will be available for use.
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Will biohazard boxes be placed in each classroom, so we can dispose of masks appropriately?
No, according to health and safety officials, disposing of these items in a regular trash receptacle is safe.
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Will we move to paperless learning due to contamination?
Paper will continue to be used for learning as needed. Wylie ISD will follow health and safety guidelines regarding possible spread as it relates to paper. Teachers and students are required to sanitize their hands regularly to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Screening
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Will student temperatures be measured as they come in? By whom?
Students and parents will be required to self-report.. Teachers will monitor students during the day for signs of illness, and they may send them to the nurse for temperature checks if necessary.
Contact Tracing
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What is the policy for contact tracing?
Wylie ISD will identify any individuals who had regular or close contact with the affected participant at school. Wylie ISD Student Health Services and Risk Management will work with the employee and/or student to determine the last date the employee and/or student was physically present in any district facility.
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If someone in my class is exposed to COVID, who is quarantined?
The exposed individual will follow isolation protocols and monitor their symptoms. If the exposed individual develops symptoms or tests positive then contact tracing will take place.
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If I have to be quarantined, does that use my sick days?
In general, District employees are eligible for up to two weeks of paid sick leave for COVID-19 related reasons through the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSL).
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What if I’m quarantined again, we don’t have that many sick days?
If the employee has exhausted their allotted Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSL) days, they may be eligible for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
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If my spouse or child is exposed, am I quarantined? Does that use my sick days?
If the employee lives with someone who has been exposed, and the family member has no symptoms, the employee is not required to quarantine. Sick days will not be required. If the family tests positive or starts to show symptoms the employee will then be required to quarantine. (see answer above)
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Will students and teachers be required to test and show proof of testing after quarantine?
No. Students and teachers must follow the protocol for Returning to Work/School, which includes being fever-free for 72-hours and symptom free.
COVID Testing
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What happens when parents can’t pay to have their children tested?
Parents will not be required to have their student tested.
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Will COVID testing be available at schools for staff and students?
Not at this time.
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What number of students and teachers have to become infected with COVID-19 before campuses are required to close?
The district will make this decision in conjunction with guidance with the Collin County Health Care Services Department.
Substitutes
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Am I required to make plans for a substitute if I am under mandatory quarantine?
No. As a teacher you do not have an accommodation option to work from home, so you are out on leave, and we are unable to require you to work.
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What are my professional responsibilities while quarantined?
None, unless you are an office member that is eligible to work from home if that accommodation is approved by HR.
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What happens when we don’t have enough subs?
We will have to assign the students to another teacher or have an instructional aide assigned to the class.
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Will substitutes earn more money since the risk of infection is so high?
No change in pay will be implemented.
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Will substitutes be trained on new protocols?
Substitutes were assigned the coronavirus training in SafeSchools and will be emailed additional safety and technology information by HR.
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Will teachers be discouraged from taking any days off throughout the year?
No. We ask that teachers attend work regularly. If a teacher is ill or needs to take off for family or other obligations, they will need to enter their time off for approval in Frontline.
Specific At Risk Concerns
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What if a teacher becomes pregnant? Are they still required to teach in person?
All staff will return to working on-site on the dates designated by their contracts starting in July and August. An employee accommodation request form should be completed by any employee who is requesting an accommodation due to being classified as a "higher risk" employee or has someone in their household classified as "higher risk" under CDC guidelines. By completing this form you are indicating that you or another in your household meet one or more of the "higher risk" characteristics for severe illness from COVID-19. Accommodations range based on the level of risk.
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Will small children and babies be viewed as high risk and their parents considered for remote learning or accommodations?
No, unless they have a medical certification and go through the leave process.
Lunch & Passing Periods
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How will Power Hour/Mega Lunch be modified?
At this time, Power Hour has not been modified. High school administrators are working closely with Nutrition to determine if any changes should occur.
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Will recess be modified? Lunch?
Elementary campuses will limit the number of students at recess at one time and create different play areas for activities to further reduce student interactions. Students and staff will be required to use hand sanitizer and wash their hands before and after recess.
The physical setup for the cafeteria and the schedule will be adjusted to reduce the number of students in the cafeteria at one time. Some students will be eating in the cafeteria, spaced according to the recommended guidelines, and other students may eat in the classroom if necessary.
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Will teachers be guaranteed their 30 minute duty free break?
DL (Legal) Each classroom teacher or full-time librarian is entitled to at least a 30-minute lunch period free from all duties and responsibilities connected with the instruction and supervision of students. The implementation of this requirement may not result in a lengthened school day. Education Code 21.405 [See DC(LEGAL) for definition of classroom teacher and DEA(LEGAL) for definition of librarian]
Teachers may not be required to spend their 30-minute duty-free lunch break on school property. Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. JM-481 (1986)
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Will teachers be guaranteed their conference period?
Yes, teachers will still be given a duty-free conference period with a minimum of 450 minutes over a two-week period.
Remote Learning Teaching
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How will teachers be chosen regarding virtual teaching?
Wylie ISD will first assign immune compromised teachers to Remote Learning as appropriate and based on need. After that, if more remote learning teachers are needed, edtech coaches will be utilized. If additional remote learning teachers are needed after both immune compromised and ed tech coaches have been assigned, administration will be asking for volunteers.
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Will teachers be in charge of Remote Learning and On Campus Learning?
Ideally, we would prefer not to ask teachers to do both. However, some content areas have teachers with specialized skills. If a teacher is in a situation where they are asked to do both Remote and On Campus Learning, technology tools and training will be offered to help that teacher to be successful.
In case of school closure, all teachers would be expected to teach online.
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If a teacher does not feel comfortable coming into school due to potential exposure, can they opt to teach from home? Will they be guaranteed their job?
No. Teaching from home is not an accommodation for classroom teachers. If there is a medical certification that requires a teacher or staff member to not report to campus, please contact Cindy Dering.
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What are the options for staff who may live with immunocompromised individuals that are not immediate family members?
The employee can request an accommodation using our online form.
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Should officials call a Stay-At-Home Order and Wylie ISD pivots to Remote Learning, can I bring my personal children to work with me?
Teachers would be permitted to bring their school-aged children with them. They should stay in your classroom, socially distanced from others. This applies to the Pivot Learning Plan only – where we are in a situation that we are 100% remote, not to teachers teaching remotely under normal circumstances.
Grading & Academic Policies
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How will we hold students accountable that choose Remote Learning?
Students will be required to log in daily to direct, live instruction. All Remote Learning students will follow the same curriculum, take the same assessments, and follow the same grading guidelines as on campus students.
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Will we be using a “grace over grades” policy again?
No. All Wylie ISD students will follow the Wylie ISD Grading procedures.
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How will Remote Learning expectations change for students and teachers?
Remote learning will be the same pace, rigor, and high standards as on campus learning, but will be done digitally. Remote Learning and On Campus schedules will be very similar. Remote Learning will be a much higher expectation than Online Learning from spring 2020.
Transfer Requests
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Will consideration be given to allowing staff to enroll their own children in the district where they work in order to allow their children to follow the same schedule as the employed parent?
Wylie ISD will follow their current transfer policies. Employees are eligible to apply to transfer their children into the district.
Student Services
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How will we encourage parents not to send their children to school sick? Will attendance be flexible?
Parents will be trained and expected to perform daily screening for their children. Attendance is not flexible.
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Will families need to sign waivers of disclosure if they’ve been exposed or tested?
Not at this time.
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Can a teacher ask a student if they have been tested for COVID-19?
The teacher should refer personal COVID-19 related questions to the campus nurse.
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If a child is exposed to COVID at school due to the child taking their mask on and off during the day, is the teacher responsible for this? Would families be allowed to sue?
The District and the teacher would both be immune from liability under the Texas Tort Claims Act.
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Will staff meetings and professional development be done virtually?
Principals may decide to have face-to-face staff meetings with appropriate social distancing, sanitization, and PPE per TEA and state guidelines. Professional development would follow the same standards. When appropriate and possible, staff meetings and professional development will be offered virtually until the COVID-19 cases decrease. As soon as it is safe, Wylie ISD will return fully to face-to-face professional development.
Transportation
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Will buses be sanitized after each use? Will students be skipping every other seat? How are bus drivers going to monitor distancing, masks, etc. while driving?
All buses will be thoroughly cleaned daily, focusing on high-touch surfaces. Students are expected to use hand sanitizer dispensers located at the front of the bus when loading and unloading the bus. To support contact tracing, students will be assigned seats, and a seating chart will be maintained by the bus driver.
Teaching & Learning
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Guided reading groups are composed of small groups in the early grades. Will we still be expected to form guided reading groups if small group instruction is discouraged/not permitted? How will teachers conduct 1-on-1 reading assessments?
Wylie ISD will continue to utilize best practices, including Guided Reading, with modifications to follow health and safety guidelines. Frequent hand washing, face shields or masks, and reasonable social distancing will be used until the risk of COVID 19 decreases. One-on-one assessments will be conducted with the teacher wearing a face shield and/or mask and with the student distanced 6 foot away, when reasonable.
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How will teachers stay in the Power Zone and adequately monitor students while staying six feet apart?
TEA guidelines state that social distancing of 6 feet apart is to be used when possible. We know that to appropriately instruct students, there will be times when the teacher has to be less than 6 feet away from students. When teachers are within 6 feet of a student, they should be wearing a face shield and/or mask and sanitize their hands if they touch a student’s desk, paper, or other supplies. Teachers will be expected to appropriately monitor student learning and behavior while using health protocols to stay safe.
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How will science labs be handled? It is hard to distance during a lab. Will the teacher be responsible for sanitizing aprons and goggles between each class as well as any lab materials? Can we use kids to help sanitize?
Because science labs are valuable experiences for our students, we recommend continuing to do labs in class. Space students out as much is as reasonably possible for lab participation. If supplies are not able to be sanitized between classes, remind students to sanitize their hands before and after use. Because of student allergies and chemicals in clearing products, guidance is that students will not be doing the sanitizing.
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How will culinary, music, band, and choir be held without risking students’ and teachers’ health?
Appropriate spacing and medical safety recommendations will be followed in these courses. Teachers will follow personal health and safety guidelines such as wearing face shields and/or masks, social distancing where appropriate, and extra cleaning and sanitizing of equipment
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How will CTE classes, art, and PE be held without community supplies?
Every effort will be made to limit sharing of supplies. However, we know that there will be situations that arise where students will have to share supplies. In that situation, students will be reminded to sanitize their hands immediately afterward and supplies will be sanitized as soon as possible. Appropriate spacing and medical safety recommendations will be followed in these courses, as well.
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If I am a “singleton” teacher and the only one who teaches my content and I have underlying health conditions, will I be required to teach in a face-to-face setting?
Those teachers who have medically certified underlying health conditions and are required to teach remotely but are the only available teacher for a specific course, campuses will accommodate. On campus students will be assigned to a classroom where they will be able to go remote with their teacher for the class and have an adult in the classroom available for support.
Safety & Security
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Will we still be having fire drills? Lock down drills? Those require students to be closer than six feet.
All drills are required but will be modified. The modifications include masks being worn and maintaining 6 feet of distance during fire drills. The drill will be slower and not reflect how an evacuation would occur in an actual emergency. However, in the event of an actual fire the imminent or substantial threat to life takes precedence over COVID-19. Lockdown drills will include the locking of the door and turning the lights out but students should remain at their seat. The instructor will “tabletop” or explain how and where the students would hide in the room and how they would gather closely together out of sight from the door in an actual emergency. Weather drills should be conducted in smaller groups to accommodate safe distancing. These drills could be conducted by classroom, grade or hall. An actual fire or active threat situation poses an imminent or substantial threat to life and must take precedence over the possible health risk posed by COVID-19.
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Will we have staggered start times? At the high school level, how will we handle passing periods? Will teachers be required to be in the hallways during passing periods?
Wylie ISD is not planning to have staggered start times. Teachers should be in the hallway and when possible they should hold their door open to help limit the number of students that would need to touch the door in order to enter the classroom. Fire code does not allow for doors to be propped open by a door stop or other object.
Teacher Evaluations
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Will teachers be evaluated? Will the evaluation tools be altered for a less collaborative environment?
Wylie ISD will follow the standard T-TESS process and timeline unless a state waiver is granted.
Special Education
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Will ARDs and 504s be conducted over the phone to limit the number of people coming into the building?
Until the COVID-19 situation improves, all ARDs and 504s will be conducted via Google Meets.
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Will there be an anonymous/safe place to report other professionals who do not adhere to safety guidelines?
Please report any unsafe behavior to your campus administrator.
Athletics
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If sporting events are held, will there be a communication tool for schools to use to inform each other of infection and exposure?
Yes, there will be a protocol in place. Districts will be acting under guidance from the UIL regarding communication and COVID-19 cases.
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Can a school legally inform another school of a COVID infection of a student in a specific program?
Wylie ISD will communicate per the guidance of the UIL. Specific student names are not included in that communication.
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How will contact sports resume safely? What will be the protocol for the locker rooms?
When districts receive guidance from the UIL, Wylie ISD will put appropriate practices in place. We do not have that guidance at this time.
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Will students who choose Remote Learning be able to participate in activities like golf, football, debate, etc?
Wylie ISD will follow the standards and guidelines of the University Interscholastic League. Currently, UIL guidelines allow Remote Learning students to participate. Please check with your coach or sponsor for updates.
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Are families allowed to change their mind and bounce back and forth between online and in person learning?
Due to the scheduling complexities inherent in these two options, parents will be asked to make a commitment for at least one full nine-week grading period. Special circumstances that affect a family will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the campus principal. Please note that if a student switches between On Campus Learning and Remote Learning, then that student may not have the same teacher(s) or course schedule, as teachers may or may not be teaching both On Campus and Remote Learning classes. Students may not be guaranteed to be assigned to their home campus based on staffing and grade level/course seat availability.
Teachers are encouraged to be planned at least two weeks in advance and use Google Classroom to post assignments, videos, and other instructional materials for students. If a teacher does this consistently, students who are absent or quarantined at home would have the opportunity to participate in learning that day.
Breaks & Travel
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Will the 2020-2021 calendar be changed to provide one long break from Thanksgiving to January?
At this time, the district calendar has not been altered.
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Will staff be permitted to travel? Will staff need to inform the district of any travel?
Personal travel is at the discretion of the employee. Wylie ISD employees are expected to follow state requirements and CDC guidelines.
Travel to professional conferences will be limited until the COVID-19 situation improves. Discuss with your supervisor before committing to attending a conference that requires travel.
State Accountability
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How will students take district assessments if they are remotely learning? How will they take STAAR?
Academic honesty is a high priority for us. Wylie ISD is working on a plan to require Remote Learners to make an appointment to come to campus for major assessments at least once per grading term. Other assessments will be given online with parameters, such as the student being required to be on camera and the microphone on during the assessment.
The state has not yet provided guidance on Remote Learning students taking STAAR other than stating that this assessment will be given this year.