As you might expect, I have been understandably inundated with emails and calls from parents, students, and community members about COVID-19, NTI, in-person instruction, and athletics. Up to this point, I have personally responded to almost every communication. While I will continue to read every email and listen to every voicemail, I can simply no longer respond to everyone personally. What follows is an explanation of my approach to the issues. If you have specific concerns please discuss them with your child’s teacher(s), coach(es), and school principal. If that does not work, please contact the assistant superintendent who works with your child’s school. The contact information and list of schools for each assistant superintendent is at this link.
No one in JCPS is under any illusion that NTI is anywhere near as effective as in-person instruction. We face this fact every day. With NTI, we are doing our absolute best in an unprecedented situation that has already killed tens of thousands of Americans, with tens of thousands more almost surely to come. In addition to having a regular paying job and being a member of the Jefferson County Board of Education, I am also the primary caretaker for our fourth-grader during the day, so I know first-hand how challenging NTI is for parents and families. My kid wants to go back to in-person school. In fact, last night he asked me to vote to let him go back. He also regularly instructs me to, “Tell Marty (Pollio) that NTI is too glitchy.” I deeply understand the frustrations families have because I experience all the same frustrations. Unless someone is doing their own job while trying to help their child with NTI, they just can’t understand how hard this is on families. It’s beyond hard. It’s basically impossible. I also recognize the validity of the arguments about the negative effects that a lack of in-person instruction might have on educational, social, and psychological child development.
The problem is that if we return to in-person schooling anytime soon, we will consign many of our fellow Louisvillians to serious illness, extended hospitalizations, lifelong pulmonary and cardiac problems, and death. As State Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack recently reported to the Kentucky Board of Education: “As we allow more activity to happen there is more disease. As there is more disease there is more death. We know this will happen.” And when people die from COVID-19 they suffer and die alone, isolated from loved ones. In short, even though NTI is a pale imitation of in-person learning, there is no workable alternative to NTI right now.
Among the many challenging things about COVID-19 is that there are many things about it we simply do not know and accepted scientific knowledge about the virus changes regularly. However, there seems to be an emerging consensus regarding a few key findings.
- As Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, states: kids may be less at risk of infection, “but not meaningfully different enough that I would take solace in it or use it for decision making.”
- As Dr. Stack states: “Kids very much get the disease and spread the disease. The viral load in infected children is higher than people in intensive care units. They definitely can infect other people.”
- As Dr. Megan Ranney, an expert in adolescent health at Brown University, states: “Death is not the only severe outcome. Many adults seem to have debilitating symptoms for weeks or months after they first fall ill.”
- Dr. Stack adds, “we cannot be confident at this time that negative COVID-19 health outcomes for kids will be rare occurrences.”
- COVID-19 induced myocarditis appears to be a legitimate danger to the long-term health of children, and could lead to sudden cardiac arrest in student athletes with undiagnosed myocarditis, which, as Dr. Stack notes, requires several expensive tests to identify.
If we return to school, we will be experimenting with children’s lives and long-term health.
Moreover, Louisville’s infections are more heavily concentrated in low-income and African American zip codes. We know that our neighbors in these groups already suffer worse consequences from COVID-19. As a result, if JCPS makes a decision that leads to more infections, our actions will have an especially negative impact on people in these groups. On top of this, many of our students in these communities live with older caretakers who are at much greater risk. Thus, many students from already challenging environments will lose their family members and caretakers, and many more of their families will take on mountains of medical debt that come with prolonged hospital stays and lifelong health problems.
If there is one thing public health experts seem to agree on, it’s that the positive rate in a community needs to be five percent or below to even consider a return to in-person instruction. The rate in Louisville has been at 10 percent for over two weeks. In fact, Louisville is now in the midst of what the CDC categorizes as an “uncontrolled spread” of COVID-19 that is overwhelming Louisville’s public health capacity. “Uncontrolled spread” is the most serious of the four different categories the CDC uses to designate the extent of the pandemic within a given area. Recently, Louisville Health Department Director Dr. Sarah Moyer warned of an “alarming” spike in local cases. “We have a quickly spreading wildfire on our hands,” Moyer has said, “and people seem oblivious to the flames.”
I will look for every opportunity to support a return to in-person instruction, but as an elected leader in our community in whom people have placed their trust, I cannot remain oblivious to the flames. Unless public health advice changes, I will almost surely not support in-person learning until the local positive rate is consistently below five percent. Sadly, local school districts have to rely on federal, state, and local governments to control the spread of the pandemic and, in my view, no governmental entity is doing nearly enough.
In addition, while the rate of COVID-19 transmission is so high I simply cannot ask teachers to choose between doing their jobs on the one hand and risking their own health and that of their families on the other. Many JCPS teachers have children of their own whom they must assist with NTI while they attempt to teach dozens of other people’s children using pedagogies that are not as good, using methods with which they are not as experienced, and using tools that are not always reliable. Teachers have long been overworked and underpaid, and they are especially so now. Asking them to risk their lives to do the jobs they love would not only be cruel, it would also drive many from the profession, worsening the nationwide teacher shortage to which JCPS is not immune.
I read up on COVID-19 and schooling every single day and I continually weigh what seem like hundreds of different factors against each other. Someone else sitting in my seat on the board may weigh the same factors and come to a different conclusion. However, my analysis of the ever-evolving information leads me to believe I am making the right decision in postponing in-person instruction.
JCPS staff and families are going above and beyond to do our part and many governmental figures from both political parties are failing to do theirs. It is a moral outrage that kids can’t be in school and parents and teachers are having to bear this burden so people can go out to eat at a restaurant and do other trivial activities that could be suspended. Moreover, it is deeply unfortunate that many private schools are acting in what I believe to be a deeply irresponsible and even unethical manner by holding in-person instruction. This makes me angry, but the answer is not for JCPS to adopt their irresponsible and unethical ways.
Though I was in the minority of a 4-3 vote on September 8, I also voted to suspend all JCPS sports activities except golf and pod conditioning where it is fairly easy to social distance. I did so after listening carefully to Dr. Stack’s testimony before the Kentucky Board of Education. I challenge anyone to assess the evidence Dr. Stack presented and come to the conclusion that we should even be discussing opening schools at the moment. For me, the evidence he presented also cast serious enough doubt on our ability to conduct activities safely that I voted to suspend most JCPS sports.
All over the country, we have seen that the resumption of in-person activities leads to flare-ups of COVID-19 even in the presence of strict guidelines, which then leads to the cancellation of activities. Thus, I can only conclude that it would be arrogant of me and of JCPS to believe we are somehow able to manage a situation that few if any other entities have been able to manage, including entities that are much better resourced than JCPS. Among my many concerns about in-person athletics is that, because it will almost surely lead to flare-ups of COVID-19, sports will prolong the period that we cannot return to in-person instruction. I was once a JCPS high school athlete. I love sports and I know how beneficial they are for kids. However, academics must come first.
Dealing with a completely unprecedented situation is not something I expected to face when I ran for school board. I fear that because no one has any experience we can draw on to help us make our way through this, many of us are too slow to adapt our thinking to a fundamentally changed reality. It’s not easy to adapt. Many of our foundational assumptions about how the world works simply no longer apply. I am trying my best to adapt, and I have spent countless hours researching, analyzing, and listening to feedback about COVID-19. Even if you don’t agree with me, I hope you see that I’m making decisions solely on my evaluation of the best existing knowledge we have about the virus.
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Sarah McClave says
Thank you for your time and thorough consideration and response. We appreciate you!
Margaret Carreiro says
I appreciate your thoughtful and science-based decisions about this unprecedented pandemic we find ourselves in. I agree with your analysis and conclusions, and am glad you made your reasoning thorough and transparent. Magical Thinking is never a solution to problems. I am grateful you are on the JCPS School Board at this dangerous time.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks so much, Margaret. I agree that there’s way too much magical thinking, as you call it, which is a good way to describe what’s going on I think.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Sarah. I really appreciate the positive feedback. — Chris
Karen Haycraft says
Very nicely written. I agree with you 100%. I am in support of keeping NTI in place until the rate is below 5%. Once in-person resumes, I may opt to keep my children learning at home virtually. I have the ability to support them at home and feel this will free up space for children to properly distance themselves in the classroom. Additionally, I fear for what unknown, long-term health issues may result from even a “mild” infection of Covid. I’m not willing to risk my children’s future just to get them back in the classroom.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Karen. Your thoughts about the future for your household give me some good food for thought. — Chris
Erica Grossberg says
Thank you, Chris. I agree with l everything you said. I am dying to go back to the classroom to get a break from this daunting task and the 10-12 hour work days, but I know that doing so is reckless and that NTI is the only safe option at the moment.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Erica. I can’t imagine how hard this is for teachers, in so many different ways. Thanks for all your work!
Gina says
As a teacher and a parent of a JCPS student, I appreciate the great deal of thought and research you put into your decision. Thank you.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Gina. It must be so hard to be both a JCPS teacher and parent of a student right now. Thanks for all you do!
Peg Darcy says
Thank you for your thoughtful, fact-based statement.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Peg!
Becca Joaquin says
Thank you for your straightforward reasoning and logic in the face of complex, competing community priorities. It is much needed and much appreciated.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Becca! Took me a while to work out how I felt about everything.
Lana says
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your advocacy and your sincere appreciation and consideration of all involved.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Lana. This is so hard for everyone and there’s no good answers right now.
Lisa says
Thank you for standing by science, valuing the lives of our community members, and not being swayed by those of us who are struggling and desperate to return to school. That’s what makes you a good leader.
At this point I wish I could invite all my students to my back yard to have class, but I will keep going.
Chris Kolb says
Tbanks, Lisa. It must be so hard for teachers. I can’t imagine all the emotions you must go through during the day.
Kat C says
Thank you Chris! For the thoughtfulness of this explanation and the significant work your doing on the board. I agree on so much of this – nobody wants to put our kids, teachers or community members in danger – but I can’t help but wonder when I see large school districts all over the country making an attempt at in-person. It may be that its not making my news feed but have districts that returned to in person in early August (in Indiana and Tennessee for example) experienced significant issues? I saw a few make headlines that didn’t have mandatory mask mandates but otherwise haven’t seen much else.
Could we consider sending the elementary school kids back? These seem to be the ones who lose the most through remote learning.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Kat. I don’t know about the specific districts you mention but I do know that none of the 76 largest school districts in the nation are doing in-person instruction at the moment.
Chris Kolb says
And, yes, I do think we should focus on getting elementary school students back first.
Lori Fox says
Thank you, Chris. As a teacher and parent in JCPS, I recognize the challenges and want nothing more than for things to get back to “normal.” However, I am not willing to die for something that no longer exists in our current status of this virus. This is HARD. There are days when my internet goes out, I can’t get an idea across to my students or my own kiddo is having a tough day. Some days this absolutely SUCKS and I second guess my own caution. I thank you for looking at the SCIENCE and the EVIDENCE and value ME and MY LIFE enough that you won’t vote to throw me back into a classroom with little to no protection and minimal resources. Thank you a million times.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Lori. I so appreciate everything teachers are doing. I sit with my fourth grader while he does NTI and I have no idea how his teacher remains so calm.
Stacie Wartts says
I appreciate how thoughtful your reasons are for your decision and how you are upholding the teachers…who are doing an awesome job! I would not want to be in your shoes and would not want to be responsible for having to consider so many lives and variables and dealing with criticism. Thank you for being considerate in your exercising of your civic duty.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Stacie. Staying up to date on COVID-19 research has become a big part of my day.
Helen Haverstick says
Thank you for your thoughtful, evidence based response and serving our community. As much as I know you and I both wish we could go back to in person, as always health and safety should remain the top priority. I’m lucky that as I teach at home my own three kids are teenagers and can mostly self manage. Take care.
Chris Kolb says
Thanks, Helen. I think we’re all getting pretty tired of dealing with this but we’ll just have to hold on a little (hopefully) longer.
Adriana McCubbin says
What about children in exceptional child education? Students with special needs should be back in the classroom, even if others are not. My son has an intellectual disability and is in the ECE program at a JCPS elementary school. He is not receiving the “free and appropriate education” that he is entitled to. He received none of his therapy services in the spring. He is certainly not receiving the special education outlined in his IEP. I don’t fault the teachers or therapists, as they can only do so much with the resources they have been given. Special education CAN NOT be done virtually. I have already spoken to the KDE and he will be due compensatory services from JCPS for all that they have failed to provide. JCPS will be playing catch up on services for special needs children for months, if not years. It would be much more logical to get these small groups of children back in a classroom by October. My son’s class has 8-9 students, it is far from overcrowded. Some school buildings are already open for YMCA CEP, so they could be open for special needs children. My son has a spot reserved at a private school and we will make a final decision next week. Our experience with JCPS (since my son was 3 in preschool) has been wonderful, until NTI. Althought NTI is not failing for many, IT IS FAILING for students with disabilities. Please speak up for these children. Thank you!
Chris Kolb says
Hi Adrianna — This situation has been especially difficult for families with ECE students and I am sorry for that. I will do two things. First, I will pass this message along to our head of ECE and ask them to have someone reach out to you. Second, I will advocate for getting ECE students back in the classroom first, alongside our youngest learners. I am very glad to hear that your experience in JCPS has been wonderful up to this point. Honestly, JCPS will be playing catch up with all children, but especially ECE students as you point out. Please stay in touch with me at chris@kolbforschoolboard.com and let me know how things develop for your family. Take care, Chris
Jill Sullivan says
Thank you so much for taking the time to research and consider all the options. I know, as a teacher, how important being in the classroom is. But I value my fellow Louisvillians, my students, my colleagues and their families so much more than being convenient. Thank you for supporting students and educators during this trying time. We appreciate you and your work!