District Leaders

School leaders face unique challenges and opportunities as they work to reopen schools and create school communities that address the intersection between adversity, well-being, and academic success. This handout offers a self-assessment for school leaders that includes an array of trauma-informed strategies for fostering trust, wellbeing, and resilience for all in the learning environment during these unprecedented times.

During this webinar, Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers and Dan Domenech, Executive Director of the America Association of School Administrators share how collaborative problem solving within and among school districts will be essential to finding operational solutions that can balance safety, equity of access for all children, and budgetary constraints, while addressing the needs of working parents.

This guidance outlines what safety measures are required and recommended to reopen schools. It includes a decision tree for opening schools and templates for screening students to enter schools.

Remote learning requires adjustment for all students, but students with disabilities face additional challenges during the COVID-19 quarantine. In this episode of AIR Informs, Allison Gandhi describes some of these obstacles, as well as strategies to help students, schools, and families make the most of this time.

This web page includes essential actions and guidance for district and school leaders to plan and implement a safe and equitable return to school. It focuses on governance, wellness, instruction, facilities, school operations, and technology.

This plan from the American Federation of Teachers is based on five pillars and includes guidance handling emergent cases of COVID-19, entry process/screening, protections for staff and schools, and how to reorganize schools to promote social distancing. 

This guide provides a framework for helping districts develop guidelines for opening schools. It recommends developing a taskforce and work groups to develop recommendations and plans to open schools and guiding questions for each work group. 

Chiefs for Change developed guidance for returning to school in the fall. It include guidance on the school calendar, school staffing models, social and emotional well-being, and instructional materials. 

This guide outlines possible school configurations to re-open schools in the fall in light of COVID-19.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education develop preliminary guidance to help districts and schools open school. It includes guidance around developing health and safety plans and key considerations for each phase of re-opening.