A message from the Superintendent

Superintendent's Update #1

July 13, 2020

Dear CCSD Parents and Staff,

I hope this email finds you well and that you are enjoying your summer. I am writing to address the reopening of our schools this September. I understand there are many questions about the beginning of the school year and I would like to use this opportunity to share information with you that I received today.

We received general guidance this morning from the NYS Education Department on reopening our schools. We also received guidance from the NYS Department of Health this afternoon. We anticipate that we will receive additional guidance from the NYS Education Department on Wednesday that will also inform our planning.

The District will prepare to support three models of instruction and may shift between these models as necessary. These models include:

  • In-Person Instruction: Where all students return to school and learn in our classrooms.
  • Hybrid Instruction: Where some students would be in school while others are learning from home simultaneously.
  • Remote Instruction: This would mean all students are learning from home with the understanding that plans must include substantial daily interaction between students and teachers.

We also learned today from Governor Cuomo that the infection rate will determine whether or not we will be able to have students on campus. The infection rate guidelines are as follows:

  • Schools Opened: “If our region is in Phase IV and the daily infection rate remains below 5%, or lower, using a 14-day average since unPAUSE was lifted.”
  • Schools Closed: “If our regional infection rate is greater than 9% using a 7-day average after August 1st.”

The District will meet with representative stakeholders, including our District physician, architect and other experts in the field, to analyze the guidance documents and outline our next steps. On Friday, I will share our broad thinking for September so you may begin to plan accordingly, with the understanding that we may need to change course based on Governor Cuomo’s metrics and guidance.

I appreciate how difficult this uncertainty is for families as we all struggle to prepare for the new school year. The principals and I will continue to share important developments in our planning as we work through the summer. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we strive to provide the best possible instructional model for our students.

Sincerely,

Christine Ackerman, PhD
Superintendent of Schools