Wicomico Recovery Plan 2020 -2021

8 RECOVERY PLANNING WORK GROUPS Task force membership reflects diverse perspectives and actively involves stakeholders in the reopening planning process, taking into consideration MSDE’s COVID -19 Checklist. (Requirements #3, #11 and #12) Wicomico County Public Schools used the COVID-19 Checklist found in th e Maryland Together: Maryland’s Recovery Plan for Education (June 2020) throughout the Recovery Plan process, and indeed many items later included on this checklist had been used throughout Continuity of Learning in the spring. Immediately upon the closure of schools on March 13, 2020, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donna Hanlin met with the Crisis Team initially consisting of Assistant Superintendents of each organizational division and broadening to the Directors of each WCPS department. In May, when it was determined that schools would not reopen for the remainder of the school year, the team considered the work that was necessary for reopening and began to determine next steps. Recognizing the complexity of planning and carrying out return to instruction for our school system for the 2020- 2021 school year, the Superintendent of Schools in late spring launched three diverse and knowledgeable work groups with representation of parents, teachers, school administrators, Central Office personnel, healthcare and safety organizations, and education support agencies (see Appendix A). These collective stakeholder groups seamlessly worked to collaborate, communicate, and identify the factors necessary to safely, strategically, and equitably reopen all schools with adequate resources and supports in alignment with the most current guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the state of Maryland. Throughout the ongoing work of these groups, tasks and responsibilities were identified and were assigned to individuals to complete and report back to the full group and ultimately to the Superintendent. One essential task for each of the groups was to identify resources needed for a successful transition back to school, including technology. Another important task was to determine the professional development needed for staff, especially in the area of digital competence. Throughout the work of all three groups, processes and procedures were identified to address concerns created by the pandemic. Each WCPS work group, under the direct supervision of WCPS Assistant Superintendents, contributed to the initial design and implementation of the curricular components, schedules, and structures further developed in this document. Key contributions were made and continue to be made by many others to the Recovery Plan process. The elected Board of Education, the Superintendent and district staff regularly communicate with constituents about reopening schools. The Superintendent and staff frequently communicate with state and county leaders and remain receptive to feedback and suggestions. The district website, rapid notification system for calls and emails, the school system emailbox (comments@wcboe.org) and Public Input Line (410-677-5251); and social media platforms, including WCPS Facebook Messenger, are used to share information with the community and the media and to receive input. Communications staff members were part of each planning group, guiding how best to coordinate communication within the system and to the broader community through social media platforms, phone messaging, and other digital means. Part of the work of the communication staff was to continuously update the school systemwebsite, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) based upon questions from staff, parents and the community. Regular contact was scheduled with major media outlets in the community through Zoom news conferences to ensure that communication was ongoing with constituents.