Cobb schools masks Archives

The Cobb County School District on Friday issued updated reopening plans that “expect” teachers and other school employees to wear masks and “strongly recommend” that students wear them.

That language falls short of requiring masks, and a district official did not say late Friday afternoon whether those words could be interpreted as a mandate.

When asked by East Cobb News to explain the difference between “expect” and “recommend,” John Floresta, the district’s chief’s strategy accountability officer, said he was reading from the district’s new guidelines.

On Friday the district launched a new website, called Cobb Learning Everywhere, that details what parents and students can expect if they choose classroom instruction or a remote option.

Earlier this week, Cobb school board member Charisse Davis said the board was notified by Superintendent Chris Ragsdale that a mask requirement was forthcoming. But a district spokeswoman said Davis was improperly making public information that had not been finalized.

On her Facebook page, Davis reiterated on Friday night that she and other board members got an e-mail from Ragsdale “communicating that the district would be communicating that under new guidelines masks would be mandatory. There was no mention of keep it to yourself, and I fully expected the link to go out at about the same time which is how things have been done. Well…between Tuesday and now the superintendent changed his mind.”

Marietta City Schools and the University System of Georgia announced mask mandates earlier this week.

The district released the new guidelines, and procedures for choosing an instructional option, as part of its weekly COVID-19 updates, which you can find here.

Starting Monday, and continuing through July 22, parents can make their choices at the district’s ParentVue portal for classroom or remote learning for the fall semester. A few more details:

Students who are new to the District must first register as a Cobb student here. Once the school approves the registration, a  ParentVue account will automatically be activated.

If parents already have a student enrolled in the District but do not have an active ParentVue account, the registering parent will need to contact the student’s school for activation.

“COVID-19 has brought more complications to schools than I have ever seen in over 30 years in Cobb County,” said Cobb Schools Board Chair Brad Wheeler. “The beliefs that have made our schools some of the best in the country will keep us that way. All students will have the opportunity to learn, and all students will see what a community can do when we use our differences to make us stronger.”

Cobb schools will be asking the Cobb Board of Commissioners this week for $8.1 million in CARES Act funding to expand distance learning capabilities in anticipation of students and their parents choosing to stay at home.

The district is delaying the start of classes by two weeks, to Aug. 17, to continue planning for both learning environments and to give families more time to make a choice.

The reopening update calls for the mask recommendations, social distancing and cleaning practices in place, and additional health and safety protocols that include hand sanitizing stations at schools.

Parents are encouraged to inform staff if their children get sick and to keep them home if they have symptoms or are diagnosed with COVID-19. There will be isolated areas at the schools for students and staff who show symptoms of the virus.

School buses also will have hand sanitizers, and field trips will be suspended until further notice. Buses will be wiped down and disinfected after morning and afternoon runs each day.

The reopening plans also include overviews and other details about remote learning which you can find here.