Title
Authorizing the Committees on Children and Youth and Education to conduct joint hearings on protocols and decision-making processes in place to protect the health and safety of young people as the School District of Philadelphia navigates a return to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the City's role in bridging the digital divide for children and families in the 2020-2021 school year.
Body
WHEREAS, Article III of the Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees the right to a "thorough and efficient" education for Pennsylvania's children; and
WHEREAS, In July, the School District of Philadelphia released its Advancing Education Safely plan, which detailed a phased plan to reopen schools where families are given the opportunity to choose to return to in-person school on a staggered, hybrid basis or remain fully remote. The hybrid model, which was originally slated to begin November 30, was delayed indefinitely on November 10; and
WHEREAS, Though the Philadelphia Department of Health and the School District of Philadelphia have developed an abundance of guidance documents and informational materials, details regarding certain critical processes are not fully articulated; and
WHEREAS, It is essential that City Council and District parents, students, and staff have a clear understanding of the specific criteria, thresholds, and process guiding The School District of Philadelphia's determination of when it is safe to reopen for hybrid learning, as well as under what conditions the District would revert back to fully digital and remote instruction in the event of worsening conditions; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, the process and thresholds guiding similar decisions at the individual classroom and school levels must also be clear, including regarding the role of teachers and principals in making determinations regarding the capability for safe operations and potential closure of classrooms or schools; and
WHEREAS, Building ventilation plays a cri...
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