October 29th Remote Learning Centers Update
Breakthrough Families,
As we come to the close of the 5th week of operating our Remote Learning Centers, the Breakthrough and Open Doors Academy teams want to share how much we are enjoying working with your scholars and supporting their remote learning from our campuses. Our routines and relationships get stronger every day.
While Governor DeWine announced today that Cuyahoga County has not reached Level 4/Purple on the state’s warning system, we know there are lots of questions about how we will move forward if that does occur. We are closely monitoring the county’s health data and updated guidance from state and local health experts and wanted to share how we are currently thinking about the situation:
- At this time, our health and safety protocols - including masks, small class sizes and social distancing, regular temperature checks, and frequent hand-washing - appear to be working. Since the remote learning centers opened, we have only had one positive case among students and staff across all of our six campuses. You can track our data real-time on our public COVID Dashboard.
- Our experience mirrors what the research suggests is happening in schools more broadly. With proper protocols in place, schools do not appear to be contributing to COVID-19 spread. And in Ohio, the governor has suggested that most spread is currently occurring as a result of family gatherings and other social activities.
As a result, we do not plan to shut down our remote learning center program if Cuyahoga County enters Level 4/Purple, unless instructed to do so by state or county leaders. However, we will continue to reassess internal and external data and guidance weekly and are prepared to shift course quickly if we no longer believe we can operate safely for our students and staff.
We want to reiterate that our remote learning centers can only continue operating if COVID-19 cases among participating students and staff remain low. Your actions matter. We must all adhere to and model the public health protocols that we know prevent the spread of COVID-19, including wearing face masks, keeping physical distance, practicing frequent hand washing, avoiding larger social gatherings, and keeping children at home with even mild symptoms. If we see a worsening of conditions in our community leading to increases in exposures and cases in our centers, we may have no choice but to close our campuses for at least several weeks.
Finally, please remember to contact your scholar’s school or complete the information in this form immediately if your child is exposed to, becomes symptomatic of, tests positive for, or receives a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19. Accurate data and the ability to respond quickly and advise any children or staff exposed is also critical to our ability to keep everyone in our community safe.
If you have any questions, please contact either of us at the emails below. And thank you again for your shared commitment to the health and safety of everyone in our community.
Best,
Tyler Thornton
Chief Operating Officer, Breakthrough Schools
tthornton@breakthroughschools.org
Dr. Vickie Person
Chief Programming Officer, Open Doors Academy
vperson@odacle.org