Review‌ ‌the‌ ‌latest‌ ‌information‌ ‌related‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌coronavirus‌ ‌disease‌ ‌2019‌ ‌(COVID-19)‌ ‌pandemic.‌ Our special education attorneys and advocates can help you and your child prepare for the return to school.

Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) 

  • On Jan. 14, 2021, VDOE released Interim Guidance for Re-Opening PreK– This document incorporates and replaces the Phase Guidance for Virginia Schools, which was last updated in July 2020, and the Interim VDH Guidance for Mitigation Measures in K–12 Settings, which was last updated in October 2020. Some of the key updates include the following:
    • Consideration of the “Level of School Impact” for schools that previously have been open for in-person instruction. This includes a description of how the level of COVID-19 impact can be assessed for a particular school.
    • A decision matrix to help leaders understand how to consider multiple factors in decision-making.
    • A step-by-step guide to thinking through school program decisions and the factors to consider.
  • The VDOE cautions schools to “carefully balance the risks associated with operating during a pandemic and the long-term effects of students not attending school in person.”

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) 

  • Teachers and staff have begun receiving vaccinations. ACPS hopes that everyone will be vaccinated within the next couple of months.
  • ACPS has also announced that schools will remain 100% virtual for the week of Jan. 25, 2021.
  • They are updating their decision matrix to match the updated guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health and will release it during the week of Jan. 25.

Arlington Public Schools (APS) 

  • APS announced that certain groups of staff will be returning to school shortly.
    • Week of Jan. 25, 2021
      • Level 2, Phases 1 and 2
        • Pre-K–2nd grade teachers
        • All countywide elementary special education program teachers and staff
          • Classroom- and non-classroom-based teachers and staff supporting Level 2 and all elementary special education countywide program teachers will report in person and teach from their classrooms on their in-person assigned days.
    • Weeks of Jan. 25 and Feb. 1
      • Central Office staff begin reporting in person on a rotating basis.
    • Week of Feb. 1
      • Level 3
        • Secondary teachers and staff
        • All countywide secondary special education program teachers and staff
          • Teachers and staff supporting Level 3 students, which includes all middle and high school students selecting hybrid/in-person learning, will report back beginning on Feb. 2.
          • Professional learning for Level 3 will be provided Feb. 4–5.
    • Thursday, Feb. 4
      • In-person School Board meetings will resume with modifications. Details will be communicated during the Jan. 21 School Board meeting
  • Staff will return before students because they will be preparing to teach from their classroom. Giving this extra time will allow staff to feel confident about the mitigation measures APS has put in place.
  • There will be some changes to the instructional learning model for 3–5 grade students, which will take effect once in-person learning transitions begin.
      • Students will be transitioned to a “concurrent instruction” model, which is similar to the model for secondary students. In this model, they will be able to continue their current class with their current teacher regardless of whether they are attending school in a hybrid model or virtually.
      • Teachers will instruct both groups of students (in-person and virtual) simultaneously, whether the teacher is themselves working in-person or virtually.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) 

  • The COVID-19 vaccine will be available to FCPS employees in a series of groups, ranging from the week of Jan. 16 to Feb. 12, 2021.
  • Since the Return to School plan has been paused, the new bell schedule will not begin yet. The next Return to School meeting is scheduled for Feb. 2.
  • FCPS’s newest timeline continues their measured, phased-in approach. It will be discussed in detail during the Feb. 2 School Board work session.
    • Jan. 26
      • Virginia High School League activities and high school co-curriculars
      • Intervention cohorts for elementary, middle, and high schools
    • Feb. 16 (new bell schedule begins for all)
      • Groups 1–4
        • Select Career and Technology Education (CTE)
        • Special education
    • March 23
      • Group 5: pre-K–K and special education
    • March 2
      • Group 8:
        • Grades 8, 9, 12
        • Poe, Glasgow, and Holmes middle schools: grade 8
    • March 9
      • Group 6: grades 1–2
      • Group 8:
        • Grades 7, 10, 11
        • Poe, Glasgow, and Holmes middle schools: grades 6–7
    • March 16
      • Group 7: grades 3–6

Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) 

  • FCCPS has announced changes to their reopening plans for the coming weeks.
    • Cohort 1 (Special Populations) will continue in hybrid instruction given the very small nature of the programs. It will work toward a gradual increase over the next couple of weeks to four full days per week, as appropriate for each program.
    • Cohorts 2 (Grades K–5) and 3 (Grades 6–12) will remain in virtual instruction until Feb. 22, 2021, when they will all return to hybrid instruction with a teaching force of staff who are fully vaccinated.
  • Upon our return to hybrid instruction, all cohorts will remain in hybrid. Any moves to virtual will be based on the need to “pause” isolated groups to allow for contact tracing or other similar issues. FCCPS will make these decisions in collaboration with the Fairfax Health Department.
  • This past week, FCCPS was able to vaccinate over 400 staff members with their first dose. They anticipate getting the second dose on or around Feb. 16.

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) 

  • LCPS is still teaching students in their 100% virtual model. They previously planned to return students to a hybrid model on Jan. 21, 2021, but that has been postponed indefinitely until community conditions improve.

Prince William County Schools (PWCS) 

  • PWCS staff have recently started receiving vaccinations. PWCS is planning to offer 2,400 vaccinations to staff during the weekend of Jan. 30–31, 2021.
  • PWCS updated their plan for returning 4th–12th grade students to in-person learning (for those who chose to do so).
    • Fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth grades
      • House A: Feb. 25
      • House B: Feb. 26
    • Seventh, eighth, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades
      • House A: March 2
      • House B: March 3
    • All teachers who will be providing in-person instruction will report to their schools Feb. 22.
    • Career and Technology Education (CTE) Phase 1 and Phase 2 students will resume Monday classes on Feb. 1. Monday CTE classes will continue until secondary students are phased in for in-person instruction.
    • All bell schedules, including for virtual-only students, will change effective Feb. 23.
      • High schools begin around 7:30 a.m.
      • Middle schools around 8:15 a.m., and elementary schools around 9 a.m.
      • Specific bell times and bus schedules for each school will be shared as soon as available.

Spotsylvania County Public Schools (SCPS) 

  • SCPS hopes to resume hybrid learning on Feb. 1, 2021. They will be meeting this week to review current COVID-19 case data and make that determination.

Stafford County Public Schools 

  • In order for their transportation department to manage the shortage of bus drivers and the necessary development of bus routes with physical distancing requirements in mind, Stafford’s middle and high school hybrid models will start phasing in on Feb. 9, 2021.
    • Feb 9: Middle schoolers and high school freshmen
    • 16: 10th–12th graders
  • The instructional hours for middle and high school students will change on Feb. 2, the beginning of the second semester.
    • High school students will begin instruction at 9:50 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m. ET
    • Middle school students will begin instruction at 11 a.m. and finish at 4 p.m. ET