Coronavirus Information for Schools

Contacting AWSA Staff

Due to Governor Evers' Safer at Home Order, the AWSA staff is working remotely.  However, you may call the office at 608-241-0300 and leave a message (messages are being responded to during regular business hours).

Or feel free to email us at any time.

AWSA Events: Virtual Only Through May 29, 2020

All of AWSA's professional learning sessions through May 29, 2020, (e.g. academy sessions and Aspiring Administrator Workshops) will be provided virtually.  Registrants will be notified via email about the virtual resources and reminding them that in-person attendance will not be an option. 

AWSA Forums

AWSA, along with education leaders from around the state, will begin posting templates and plans for their schools and districts in the AWSA Member Forums. We encourage AWSA members to look over these plans, post their own, and/or ask any questions they may have. 

All AWSA members have access to the Member Forums. If you are having trouble joining or posting in any of our Forums, please contact our Communications and Technology Coordinator Jena Sebald at [email protected]. 

Communication Support

The Donovan Group, which provides communication support to AWSA members, has created a webpage for information and guidance on how you can best communicate with parents, staff, students and community members regarding the coronavirus issue.

This page will continue to be updated as more information becomes available regarding confirmed U.S. cases of coronavirus. If you have any further questions we encourage you to contact the Donovan Group at 414-409-7225 or at [email protected].

Announcements

• NEW! (3/27/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson 3/27/20 COVID-19 Updates Including
• School Meal Flexibility 
• Educational Programming Announcement
• Waivers from DPI
• Past Email Updates from Mike Thompson
• (3/26/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson 3/26/20 COVID-19 Updates Including
• Connectivity at Home
• COVID-19 Federal Stimulus Package
• English Learners
• Graduation 
• Past Email Updates from Mike Thompson
• (3/24/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson 3/24/20 COVID-19 Updates Including
• (3/23/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson 3/23/20 COVID-19 Updates
• (3/23/20) Gov. Evers Issues Stay at Home Order 
  
• (3/20/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson 3/20/20 COVID-19 Updates
• (3/20/20) DPI Update on Extended School Closures for Students with IEPs
• (3/20/20) The US Secretary of Education announced that the Department will grant a waiver to any state that is unable to assess its students because of the ongoing national emergency, providing relief from federally mandated testing requirements for this school year. 
• (3/19/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson 3/19/20 COVID-19 Updates Including
• (3/18/20) The Dos and Don'ts of Distance Learning in a Pandemic, FutureEd
• (3/17/20) Gov. Evers Announces Schools Will Remain Closed Through Health Emergency
  
• (3/16/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson 3/16/20 COVID-19 Updates Including
• Waivers
• Testing
• School Meals
• Virtual Learning
• (3/14/20) K-12 School Closure FAQs from Governor Evers
• (3/13/20) Wisconsin Department of Health Services orders all schools to close
• (3/13/20) Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson on COVID-19 and Resources
• 3/13/20) Stanford Taylor Statement on Gov. Evers’ Executive Order
• (3/12/20) Press release from Gov. Evers' office about the coronavirus and Public Health Emergency declaration

Links to Resources

• CDC Resources
• Promotional Health
• Guidance for School Settings
• Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Program
• Mitigation Strategies
• IDEA related Q&A
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Resources
• Assessment
• Food & Nutrition
• Special Education
• Virtual/Online Learning
• All DPI Resources  
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 Information
• Templates for families have been provided the Donovan Group (see other communication resources here)
• Guidance from the National Association of School Psychologists about talking to children and families
• Policy and Human Resources Information from WASB
• Education Week Coverage of Coronavirus and Schools
• 5 Ways to Lead When Your School is Closed
• Google resources in response to COVID-19
• The Dos and Don'ts of Distance Learning in a Pandemic, FurureEd
• Student Connectivity: Offers for Services
• University of Wisconsin Center for Healthy Minds COVID-19 Well-Being Toolkit
• I 90/94/ CESA 2 Webinar: Pandemic Planning Learning Continuity

  This video captures a recent meeting of the I 90/94/CESA 2 curriculum leaders networking meeting (thank you for sharing!).  Check out these portions of the video:  

  • From 46:40 to 1:14:00 the group discusses pandemic planning and includes links to resources. 
  • From 1:14:00 to 1:44:00 Washington State Elementary Principal Denise Waters presents how her school built its online learning system after feedback from parents (Washington State was the first state grappling with the Coronavirus).
• If you are looking for assistance in a particular area please use your AWSA resources:
  • For legal issues contact AWSA's Attorney Malina Piontek
  • For communication support and resources contact AWSA's partner, the Donovan Group
  • For practical resources and questions post a question to an AWSA Forum.  
  If you don't receive the resources or answer you need please complete this support form.

Free Online Resources That Can be Sources of Activities and Inspiration

• Share My Lesson: www.sharemylesson.com
• National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/resource-library/?q=&page=1&per_page=25
• Field Museum: https://www.fieldmuseum.org/educators/learning-resources/plants-animals
• Lesson Planet: https://www.lessonplanet.com/
• The Learning Network: https://www.nytimes.com/section/learning
• Statistics in Schools: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/2020census/2020-resources.html
• EdEx: https://www.edx.org/
• Global Digital Library: https://www.digitallibrary.io/
• Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/
• Learning Equality: https://learningequality.org/kolibri/
• Student Connectivity: Offers for Services
• Scholastic:
• Learn at Home
• Home Base
• Virtual Book Fair

Ideas for Home Learning 

• Send books home with students and/or print out articles, poetry, and writing prompts.
• Assign a long-term research-based project aligned to multiple standards.
• Put together learning packets to review or enhance material already taught. 
• Assign simple science projects that could be done at home. 
• Review textbooks and print the supplemental lessons that one often does not have time to do in class. 
• Use any online resources available to teachers and print assignments to do at home. 
• Have students write reflection essays about a movie watched or a book read and scaffold the assignment for different age ranges.
• If your school district is providing grab-and-go meals or meal delivery, make take-home packets available at the same location or through the same delivery mechanism.