School districts across the state are still struggling to determine the best method to both educate and protect our students in a post-pandemic society. Some schools are going with a “play it safe” approach, continuing with an all-remote learning method for the first few weeks of the new school years. Other districts are opting for a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning, hoping that the balance will meet both the healthy and social interaction needs of students who miss their classrooms.
Fairfield County school district officials announced last week that the current plan for students will be to start the 2020-2021 school year off working part-time in the classroom and part-time remote learning from home. According to an article in Patch, elementary school students will be spending close to half of their instruction time in class, while middle and high school age students will spend two to three days depending on their schedule. If all goes well by September 25, the school district plans to reevaluate the option of full-time classroom learning.
With back-to-school only a few weeks away, it’s important for Connecticut parents to start preparing students of all ages for the many changes that the upcoming school year may bring. These are just a few of the topics parents can use to start the conversation about staying healthy and safe, regardless of which model of learning their children will be participating in this fall.
Connecticut school districts have gone back and forth since May 2020 regarding how much exposure is safe for students this school year. While it’s still unclear as to which methods will prove most effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19, knowing the basics of how each model works can help you prepare your students for which safety practices they need to concentrate on the most.
Schools following the in-person reopening model will be allowing students to return to school for the traditional five-day week in the classroom. This model has become popular among small districts and some private schools, where class sizes are kept at a minimum, and there is typically only one teacher per grade level. Schools choosing to go with only in-person classes at this time are typically choosing to reduce class sizes even smaller and eliminate the traveling of students to specialty classrooms.
Hybrid schooling has gained popularity in a number of districts who believe in the importance of both in-person and online learning. Students in this model will attend school two to three days a week with a small class, and continue the remainder of the week’s lessons at home remotely.
Cohort learning involves assigning a small group of students to one teacher who remains together as a class unit throughout the entire school year. This method aims to limit exposure to students and teachers to a small setting as opposed to large groups of students throughout the day. Some schools are utilizing this method in conjunction with the hybrid model, setting up cohorts of students in school on assigned days and gathering the same group of children in a home setting on remote learning days.
Schools that are continuing the all-remote model of learning will require teachers to distribute work and lessons via online sources or packets of information handed out to families prior to the beginning of classes. Several schools are adopting this model temporarily for the first month of school to give teachers and staff more time to adjust to the new norm of post-pandemic learning. Parents who prefer their children to participate in remote learning as opposed to returning to in-person class can apply for Voluntary Remote Learning directly through their school district. According to the Connecticut State Department of Education (C.S.D.E), school districts must provide the opportunity for voluntary remote learning and develop models for families interested in using this option.
Despite some confusion, remote learning and homeschooling are not the same models of learning. Parents who are officially choosing to homeschool are not upheld to the curriculums chosen by the district, or able to access the remote learning options provided. Homeschool can involve a range of at-home and community activities, online curriculums, and multi-media sources that are chosen by the parents and guardians as opposed to assigned by a teacher. Parents who are interested in homeschooling must follow the Connecticut Homeschooling Laws to ensure they are meeting the requirements.
The unpredictability of COVID-19 may require school districts to change learning models weeks or even months after the start of the school year. According to the C.S.D.E.’s Adapt, Advance, Achieve initiative, schools will be expected make class determinations based on the following statewide trends of virus activity:
The type of learning model your school is offering this year will determine the daily safety practices your children are expected to follow. However, parents participating in all learning models are advised to educate their children on how they can best reduce the spread of COVID-19 to others in their community.
The C.S.D.E. has issued new safety guidelines for all schools to follow in Connecticut to help protect students and teachers. In accordance with these recommendations, these are the topics parents should be addressing with their children before classes begin:
As safety and health advocates, our team at Jacobs & Wallace will continue to keep you updated on important changes and news covering schools reopening in Connecticut. We wish all families across the state a safe and happy start to the new school year!
It only takes a second to become a victim of negligence. If you or a loved has been injured in an accident due to the fault of someone else, you may be eligible to receive compensation for any damages suffered. Contact our experienced team of accident attorneys at Jacobs & Wallace for a free consultation and to explore your legal rights.
Connecticut workers who previously contracted COVID-19 may now be eligible to apply for workers’ compensation benefits!
According to a recent executive order issued on July 24 by Governor Lamont, essential employees who contracted coronavirus before statewide shutdowns ‘presumably’ became infected on the job. Similar to other serious work-related illnesses, the new order Executive Order NO. 7JJJ now qualifies COVID-19 as a condition workers may file a claim for in accordance with Connecticut’s Workers’ Compensation Act.
Workers’ compensation benefits are vital to keeping Connecticut employees financially afloat when out of work due to an illness or injury, especially with an illness as unpredictable as novel coronavirus. For some patients, COVID-19 treatments range anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars in medical expenses. Additionally, recovery requires a mandatory two weeks of self-quarantine and the possibility of more time to recover from life-threatening symptoms.
Executive Order NO. 7JJJ could be monumental in providing workers who have been financially crippled during the pandemic some much-needed relief. If you believe your COVID-19 case may qualify for financial assistance through workers’ compensation insurance, these are the details you need to know.
Employees who qualify for COVID-19-related workers’ compensation benefits under Executive Order NO. 7JJJ must have received an official diagnosis of COVID-19 between the dates of March 10, 2020 and May 20, 2020 that resulted in at least one missed day of work. It’s not necessary that the missed workdays be the result of hospitalization or intensive medical treatments to qualify; however, the period of work absence must be directly related to the adverse symptoms a worker experienced due to contracting the virus.
Other requirements workers must meet to qualify for benefits include:
Essential employees currently included in the executive order are primarily in industries that work directly with individuals with known positive cases of COVID-19 or who work for establishments required to remain open during statewide shutdowns. Essential businesses and workers, as defined by Executive Order 7H issued on March 20, include:
For a comprehensive list of who qualifies as an essential worker, find more examples here.
There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a number of businesses for a loop. Yet, that being said, there is no need for employees to suffer the burden of a company.
Employees must be aware that it is illegal for employers to discharge, discriminate, discipline, or deliberately provide misinformation to avoid paying a workers’ compensation claim. These types of behaviors against workers could constitute the need for further civil action to secure benefits such as the reinstatement of a job, payment of back wages, or the re-establishment of employee benefits that should have been active at the time an employee was wrongful discharged.
The Workers’ Compensation Act states that the Connecticut General Statutes is to provide benefits for employees who have become ill, injured, or have died as a result of work-related factors. While Executive Order NO. 7JJJ currently only addresses essential workers affected by COVID-19, non-essential employees whose illnesses were a direct result of their work environment may still qualify under the right conditions.
Workers who believe their illnesses do qualify for a COVID-19-related workers’ compensation claim should take the following steps to prepare:
Our attorneys at Jacobs & Wallace have over 40 years of experience fighting for the rights of Connecticut workers. If you or someone you love has contracted COVID-19 on the job and require assistance in filing for workers’ compensation benefits, our knowledgeable team of workers’ compensation attorneys is here for support. Contact our expert team today for a free consultation to explore your legal rights.
