As the Delta COVID-19 variant continues to surge around the country, masking policies in schools were major points of discussion at the September West Virginia Board of Education meeting.
As of Thursday morning, there were 82 outbreak cases in West Virginia K-12 schools — that’s up by 12 from the day before. Those outbreak cases total more than 620 individual positive cases of COVID-19 among students and staff — that’s up by nearly 100 individual cases from the day before.
The state’s education system is overwhelmed, officials said.
“The delta variant has not only overwhelmed our school system, but our local health departments,” said West Virginia Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Michelle Blatt. “So to encourage more of our counties, [we] along with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, have implemented that if you have a universal mask policy, then you do not have to do contact tracing.”
Blatt told state board of education members that the WVDE and DHHR are recommending that if schools in the state implement universal masking policies — meaning masks on at all times except in the cafeteria or outside — they will not need to do extensive contact tracing.
“That means we will not have the large number of quarantines,” Blatt told the board. “We will not have as many staff members out because we will have other protocols in place.”
Many schools are experiencing a record number of absences due to quarantines, and some schools have needed to temporarily close.
Whether to mask remains a local decision for county school districts in West Virginia.
Blatt said Wednesday that 29 counties have implemented universal masking policies, while 13 have issued a masking mandate that changes based on whether a county is orange or red on DHHR’s COVID-19 risk map.
Additionally, some counties require masks depending on the percentage of vaccinations in a school or the percentage of people who are in quarantine.
In total, there are 49 county school systems, as of Wednesday afternoon, with some type of masking policy.
“We have seen a dramatic increase in [outbreaks],” Blatt said. “Now with many more counties going to a mask mandate, we hope that numbers will decrease significantly.”
Following Blatt’s presentation, West Virginia Board of Education members had a lengthy discussion about whether to issue a statewide masking mandate and whether the state board has the power to do so.
“Our youngest children are vulnerable. They can’t get vaccinations,” said board member Debrah Sullivan. “They are the ones that are ending up now, nationally, in hospitals and dying. It just seems that we have a tsunami right now of cases, and if we could do anything to stop this flood, that we would do it … I wonder why we can’t take the decision [regarding masks] off the backs of the superintendents.”
Sullivan argued that prior to the availability of the vaccine, the state board of education did require masks of all 55 county school systems, and she argued they ought to think about doing that again. She equated masks as being no different than part of the dress code.
“It’s a piece of cloth. It’s a piece of paper,” Sullivan said. “And it protects everybody. Those who are unvaccinated, as well as those who are vaccinated.”
Another board member argued, however, it should continue to remain a local decision, because people will be more likely to comply.
West Virginia Board of Education President Miller Hall said a statewide mask mandate should be something they discuss at another meeting.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Hall said to Sullivan. “But right now, this is not a point for us to make a decision on whether today we should go back to masks or not. This is something that we have to think about. We have to discuss. Perhaps have an emergency meeting.”
Hall and other board members urged West Virginians to get the COVID-19 vaccinations. Several members called on residents to “step up” and get the shot.
Gov. Jim Justice announced in a press conference Friday that 30 of the state’s 55 county school systems are now requiring masking of students, faculty and staff regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
As of Friday afternoon, there were 375 individual positive cases among 58 schools in the state, according to the West Virginia Department of Education’s website. Calhoun County Middle High School has the most concentrated amount of those cases with 30 outbreaks.
Despite the numbers, Justice was quick to say he will not issue a statewide masking mandate for schools.
“Because one size does not fit all in this,” Justice said. “And that’s why we’re depending upon that local control to help us with what they think is the very best for their schools and their communities.”
Earlier this week, three mothers from Cabell County filed a lawsuit in Kanawha County Circuit Court against the governor and other state leaders for not requiring a statewide mask mandate in schools among other protections.
The lawsuit alleges that some schools are also contradicting local medical advice, and it argues online schooling is “functionally unavailable” in Cabell County.
In higher education news, West Virginia University’s faculty senate voted overwhelmingly this week to require students and staff to get the Pfizer vaccine now that it’s received full approval from the FDA.
WVU leaders, however, didn’t say whether they would change the current guidelines on their campuses.
“We always appreciate and consider input from our campus community,”a WVU spokesperson said in a statement. “Ultimately it is an administrative decision made in consultation with our Board of Governors … We continue to monitor conditions and strongly encourage students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated and wear masks where required.”
The statement highlighted that vaccinations among students has increased and sits at nearly 76 percent.
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**Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story said 375 individual cases of COVID-19 were defined as outbreak cases. This was incorrect. According to the WVDE, there were 58 outbreak cases and 375 individual cases of COVID-19. Outbreak cases are defined as “multiple cases comprising at least 10% of students, teachers, or staff, within a specified core group (e.g. classroom, extracurricular activity, sports team). Or, at least three cases within a specified core group.”
As West Virginia counties return to school, the debate over masks in classrooms continues.
Last week, Kanawha County Schools — home of the state’s capital city — was the first school system to return for the fall. The county was also the first district to issue a masking mandate for all students in pre-K-5th grade.
In this week’s episode of our summer education radio series, “Closing the COVID Gap,” Liz McCormick sat down over Skype with Kanawha County Superintendent Tom Williams to discuss the first week back to school and the challenges ahead.
The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.
LIZ MCCORMICK: Here we are at the start of a new school year, and this fall looks, in many ways, better from last fall. But we are still in the middle of a global health pandemic. Many things remain the same as they did last fall. Can you talk with us about how things are different this year compared to last year? And how did the first week of school go?
TOM WILLIAMS: Overall, the first week of school went well. We did have a couple of issues with HVAC and caused us to have to close two schools. But that meant that 64 of our schools were open. So that’s a positive thing. We are back with masks for pre-K through 5th grade. We also have many more students in our schools this year than last year. We don’t have e-learning, fewer students are on virtual, and most of our students are in-person. So those are all positive things.
MCCORMICK: Superintendent, I know that virtual learning may not be offered at all elementary schools in the state, and I understand that elementary-age students struggled more with virtual and remote learning compared to older students. Is Kanawha County offering a virtual option for elementary-age students?
WILLIAMS: Yes, we have virtual. We’re doing it a little differently this year. We are actually having live sessions in virtual with our elementary students, like for phonics and things of that nature. We also have teachers and coaches that check in with kids. I think it’ll be much better this year for our virtual students.
MCCORMICK: Kanawha County Schools was the first district in West Virginia to issue any kind of masking mandate, even before Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Department of Education issued their own recommendations. Why did your county ultimately decide to require masks of pre-K-5th grade? What led to that decision?
WILLIAMS: I think the reasoning behind our board’s decision on that was the older kids had had the opportunity to be vaccinated, and those who chose to do so did, and our elementary students didn’t have that option. So that’s why the board felt that it was important to make sure our elementary students were as protected as possible.
MCCORMICK: Last week, state officials came out recommending that school systems work with their local health departments to determine masking guidelines and protocols. But the governor has said that he will not issue a statewide mask mandate for schools. I’m curious if this is something you agree with. Should it be left up to counties even though the CDC has recommended masks for all K-12 students, faculty and staff regardless of vaccination status?
WILLIAMS: I’m not going to second-guess any of our leaders in the state, but they have left that decision up to each local county, and that’s what we’re doing.
MCCORMICK: We know that there has been nationwide pushback to masking in schools this year. Some states are even seeing large protests outside of state school board meetings. It’s a contentious issue. Have you seen this level of division in Kanawha County?
WILLIAMS: We do have folks who feel that it should be left up to the parents to make that decision. But you know, our kids are in school, they’re masked at the elementary level. We’ve had very few, if any issues, with that. And we’re excited to have our kids back where they belong, so that we can meet them where they are and take them to the next level.
MCCORMICK: Last week, the West Virginia Department of Education released last year’s test scores. West Virginia saw drops in math, science and English language arts during the pandemic. But we are not alone in this, of course, as much of the nation also saw similar drops in their school systems. However, we do know that West Virginia has been below the national average in many core subjects for some time.
What do you think it will take to help West Virginia improve student achievement on the national scale? And what I’m specifically interested in is what are some concentrated strategies that you have in mind to tackle this issue head on?
WILLIAMS: We are focusing on English language arts and math this year. We have interventionists in our schools that are able to pull students out and work with them in small groups. We have computer programs that work with students and build upon their knowledge to make sure they’re mastering the standards.
We also have a program that puts all of this information right at the teachers fingertips. It has their test scores and all data, attendance and discipline issues, etc. We also have extra teachers in the schools this year, based on using the federal ESSER money that was passed down from the federal government.
So we’re using all of our resources possible to hone in on students and the standards they are missing and make sure that we are able to get them caught up.
MCCORMICK: All counties in West Virginia are expected to be back in school by Sept. 7. Looking at the state as a whole, all 55 counties experienced struggles this past year and are looking ahead at some of the challenges they’re going to be dealing with this coming year. What do you anticipate may be some of the biggest challenges for our school systems in West Virginia this year as we continue as a nation and as a state to work through this pandemic and toward closing the gap in education that’s been created by COVID-19 impacts?
WILLIAMS: One of the challenges would be attendance. We need to have the students in school so that we can work with them, and I think that’s probably around the state.
We need to get kids back into the school mode. It’s difficult. Some have been out of the building for 18 months. So we are seeing a few behavior problems, especially in the little ones, because they don’t have any school experience to draw on. The older kids remember what it was like before COVID and know how they’re supposed to act.
We’re in the second week now, and we’re bringing that along, and it’s working well. You mentioned earlier, the politics of all of this. If we could just get rid of the politics of everything and just give us the kids and let us educate them, then I think everyone would be much better off.
K-12 education across the country has been through a lot this past year-and-a-half.
While this fall looks different from fall 2020, there are still many uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and schools.
In this week’s special, two-part installment of our summer education series, “Closing the COVID Gap,” education reporter Liz McCormick sat down over Skype with Grafton, West Virginia native and new head of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Chip Slaven.
They discussed the mounting challenges ahead in education, including the debate over mask-wearing, critical race theory, bans on transgender athletes and ways the nation can get past the pandemic.
This transcript from the original broadcasts has been lightly edited for clarity.
Part One: New Head Of National School Boards Association Talks Masks, Critical Race Theory And Ways Forward Post-Pandemic
LIZ MCCORMICK: You’ve come into this role as interim executive director and CEO at a very critical time in education for our country. We’re still in the throes of a global health pandemic. There are great political divides across our country. There’s a debate over mask-wearing in schools right now, and debates over the teaching of critical race theory, and there’s also debate about allowing transgender athletes to compete in school sports. There’s a lot in education right now. Do you feel prepared for what’s ahead?
CHIP SLAVEN: Well, yes, I do feel prepared. There’s certainly a number of challenges, as you just pointed out, to public schools right now. The word unprecedented gets used a lot, but it is an unprecedented time. Particularly so for public schools. Because never before have we had a national emergency like what we’re seeing right now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which schools are forced to make such drastic changes in how they do things and how they operate. It’s a huge challenge for anyone involved in public schools. It’s certainly a big challenge for me.
There’s also opportunities that can come out of moments like this, and so pivoting on how we can take the lessons we are learning during the pandemic and apply them in new ways to actually make learning an even better experience for students, particularly as we begin to focus on the future of what public school should look like.
MCCORMICK: Chip, you’re a native of West Virginia. Why do you think you’re uniquely qualified to represent school boards across the country? What do you think you bring to the table as a West Virginian?
SLAVEN: Well, what I bring in my background is that practical sense that West Virginians have about what we need to do to adapt during challenging times. And that’s what we’re in right now, a very challenging time. Schools have to be flexible, and they have to be adaptable to make the best decisions for their students, and then for their community, based on whatever the local conditions are right now. So I think it’s those kinds of things that will help me do my job.
Growing up in a state that’s got such a strong sense of community around it, in particular, I think is helpful. Being a native in Grafton, the schools were the center of the community, and I think you see that throughout West Virginia. My mother was a native of Grafton as well, my father was a native of Rainelle in Greenbrier County. One really important distinction is that whether you go to Grafton High School, or whether you go to Robert F, Kennedy High School in Los Angeles, some of the issues that are impacting public schools are the same whether you’re in a big district or a smaller district. There are still issues with the digital divide, with some students not having the access they need when they’re not in school, to technology and to high speed broadband that we now know is really important because of the pandemic. We know that there are challenges to attracting and keeping high quality teachers in schools.
Those are things you can point to. Two very different parts of the nation in two very different types of regions and say, ‘we’re going through the same issues.’ Same thing with students with disabilities. There are students in Taylor County that have disabilities, there are students in Los Angeles or Chicago or New York that have disabilities, and the teachers and the educators are all dealing with those same types of problems.
MCCORMICK: Here in West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Department of Education announced that mask-wearing in schools this fall would be left up to local school districts, and that no statewide mask mandate would be issued at this time. I want to ask what your stance is on this. Kids under 12, of course, are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and the much more contagious delta variant is surging across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that K-12 students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks. So I’m wondering where you fall on this issue. Do you think West Virginia should follow the CDC recommendations?
SLAVEN: Well, we believe at NSBA, that local decisions generally need to be made by local school boards. So the idea that West Virginia is letting local boards of education make that decision, I think is appropriate. Now, if there was a resurgence in West Virginia, to the point where there were outbreaks all over the state — and I know that the governor and the state board of education are looking at that — and the governor decided we have to issue some kind of mask mandate to protect everyone, that’s the thing kind of thing governors will do. Where I would be concerned is when a governor says, ‘your local school can’t make that decision and issue a mandate to wear masks based on local conditions.’ That would concern me more.
I think in terms of the CDC guidance, I do encourage school board members to very carefully think about that guidance when they’re making local decisions. They should consult with their local health department. They should be looking at the community transmission rate, and they need to weigh the risks. Now, I would also add that if we could increase vaccinations among those who are eligible to be vaccinated, and we can encourage people to wear masks where it is recommended, that will help us get to a point where we can return to a more normal state of operations.
Part Two: New Head Of National School Boards Association Talks Masks, Critical Race Theory And Ways Forward Post-Pandemic
MCCORMICK: Chip, I want to touch on a topic that has seen a lot of contention and that is critical race theory. What are your feelings on this instruction? Should schools in West Virginia consider it? I say this noting that we’ve seen divisive examples of school boards across the country being confronted by parents and even students. It seems like now more than ever, our school boards are under fire and under scrutiny. Can you speak to what you’re seeing at this tough time around the country?
SLAVEN: Sure. I would start off by saying, there are a lot of critical issues facing public schools right now, but one of them that’s actually not critical is whether or not they are teaching critical race theory. Critical race theory is not a public school curriculum. It is not being taught in public schools. Critical race theory is a law school theory debated by upper level law students and law professors, typically, concerning whether or not there’s systemic racism that occurs naturally throughout our government, our systems.
So I think it’s important first to talk about what it isn’t. It’s not something being taught in public schools, and so whenever I hear these concerns over banning critical race theory, or we’re not going to let it be taught in public schools — it isn’t being taught in public schools, as far as I know, anywhere. So while I appreciate the engagement that is occurring around that issue in the nation, it’s misplaced guidance on what we need to be focused on.
The actual critical issues in school are dealing with the pandemic and making sure students have a safe environment. It’s the critical shortage of teachers, and of keeping our teachers in the profession. It’s the millions of students — one estimate, last summer, had as many as 17 million students lacking internet — they needed at home, to be able to do their school, whether they were in a fully online environment, or whether they were simply trying to do their supplemental schoolwork using their computer. So those are the things that are really important to public education and the public schools. And I believe they’re important in every single school district.
MCCORMICK: So it sounds like this is a topic that should remain in the higher education levels. Is that your feeling on that?
SLAVEN: It is something in the higher education level. It’s not something that would be easily adapted to K-12 public schools. So I don’t even think you can debate whether it’s something that should be brought up in public schools. It’s something that’s brought up in law schools. It’s, again, it’s something that people who are aspiring to be lawyers, and are learning about the law and the legal processes discuss as a thought piece, as much as anything else, and there are different opinions from different scholars on whether critical race theory is accurate or not. I think it’s something that should be left to legal scholars to debate and not for us to try and debate in a local school board meeting, when it’s not something that local schools are doing.
MCCORMICK: Chip, one final issue that has shown up a lot in headlines and across the country, as well as in West Virginia, is this question over whether or not to allow transgender athletes to compete in school sports. West Virginia passed a bill this past legislative session that was signed by the governor that is related to this. Does the National School Boards Association have a stance on this issue? Where do you stand on this?
SLAVEN: Well, I mean, we’re following these issues. It’s not just West Virginia; it’s happening in other places. I think what’s important to note, I believe, in West Virginia, there’s now been a judicial ruling on the law that passed, and we’re seeing that other places. I think that school districts and legislatures and others involved in this issue need to realize they’re responsible for the education of every student in their system, however they identify. So my point of caution to local school districts, or states, in the case of West Virginia, is look at what’s going on in the courts. These are being overturned a lot of places, and I anticipate there’s going to be a lot more legal challenges. So as you’re putting into place a wall like this, you need to think about the constitutional ramifications of what is happening.
Every student is entitled to an excellent public education in the United States. And that’s what we really, really need to be thinking about going forward. What I would encourage policymakers to be thinking about as they’re implementing a new law, or restrictive law like this, is think about all of the ramifications, the moral ramifications, the equity ramifications for the smaller number of students that may be impacted by it. But you also have to think about the practical implications that you’re likely going to end up going to court over it and potentially losing.
MCCORMICK: Our summer education series at West Virginia Public Broadcasting has been about how we as a state tackle the impacts of the pandemic and close the COVID gap. Do you have any final thoughts for West Virginians on ways we move forward in doing that?
SLAVEN: I think my message to West Virginia would really be to focus on that future way forward. What are schools going to need to look like for our students to be successful in today’s world? It’s that concept of looking at, what can we do at a local high school or middle school or elementary school to really get at reaching every student so that that concept of personalized learning is, I think, the future for public education and public schools.
It’s how you can reach every child, you can learn more about what makes them tick, what they’re good at, where they may have challenges, where they can improve, what they like to do. Let’s talk about new ways to do things. And sometimes they won’t work, but sometimes they will work. And that’s really, I think, the spirit that we need to get to, as we think about the future of school in West Virginia and throughout the nation.
This week in our summer education radio series “Closing the COVID Gap,” we spotlight the latest news for K-12 schools in West Virginia.
State officials announced Wednesday that there will not be a statewide mask mandate for schools this fall — even as the Delta variant of COVID-19 surges throughout the country. Local school districts will make their own rules on masks.
The announcement was made at a much-anticipated press conference with Gov. Jim Justice and state Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch.
The governor made it clear — a mask mandate will not be issued for K-12 schools in West Virginia — at this time.
“I am not ready whatsoever to issue a mandate,” said Justice. “But absolutely, I’m gonna leave a tremendous amount of that decision to the locals.”
Justice said this could change, depending on COVID-19 case numbers. But as of now, masks are optional for schools.
Burch agreed with Justice, noting that it should be left up to school districts.
“If there’s any changes in that, of course, we would work with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to implement [a mask mandate], if they decide on their end there is a health need,” Burch said.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance for K-12 schools across the nation. Given the nature of the much more contagious Delta variant, the CDC recommends “universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of [COVID-19] vaccination status.”
Even though Burch took no statewide stance on a mask requirement, the West Virginia Department of Education did issue back-to-school guidelines Wednesday for all 55 school districts.
The guidelines call on local superintendents to continue working closely with their local health departments to make decisions that work best with their counties.
Burch said districts should monitor outbreaks, DHHR’s COVID-19 risk map and continue with all mitigation strategies such as social distancing, contact tracing and heightened cleaning efforts.
“[Districts] have learned so much about how to deal with this virus over the last year that we really want them to be in a position to make those decisions locally, of what they need, and be prepared to pivot and respond if we see an increase,” said Burch.
He acknowledged masks are important, however, and the superintendent recommends mask-wearing for children who are not yet able to be vaccinated.
He also encouraged anyone 12 and older who has not yet gotten the COVID-19 vaccine to do so.
Virtual schooling this fall is also changing.
All 55 counties will open to full, in-person learning. But virtual options will be available for all middle and high schools. Elementary schools, however, will not be required to have virtual options available.
Burch said elementary-aged students last year did the poorest in the state with virtual and remote learning. Additionally, he said 52,000 students in West Virginia did not attend any in-person school in the 2020/2021 school year.
“Many of those children have not been in a brick-and-mortar school since March of the beginning of the pandemic,” Burch said. “So that means if you teach first grade, you potentially will have children coming into your classroom in first grade who have never stepped foot into a school before.”
The social-emotional toll on children this past year was also substantial, and it’s for this reason state officials say in-person schooling is the best option for children, especially those in elementary school.
West Virginia’s chapter of the American Federation of Teachers President Fred Albert agreed that in-person is where kids need to be.
“We know that what works best is face-to-face instruction,” Albert said in a Skype interview. “Having the children in brick-and-mortar buildings, being there with their friends, being there face-to-face with their teachers. It’s just a much better situation for learning.”
Albert, however, cautioned that following the CDC’s guidelines, which encourages mask-wearing for all K-12 students and staff, ought to be considered on a statewide level.
Student testing data will also be available soon, according to state education officials.
Next week, the West Virginia Board of Education is expected to release grades and standardized testing data from the spring at its monthly meeting on Aug. 11.
In fall 2020, one-third of all K-12 students in West Virginia failed at least one core subject, according to the WVDE.
Schools in the state are set to return to in-person classrooms as early as next week, according to Burch, with all 55 counties back in classrooms by Aug. 28.
This episode of “Closing the COVID Gap” originally aired on West Virginia Morning on Aug. 5, 2021.
West Virginia University is asking its students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated for the coronavirus as it tries to keep pace with the rest of the state.
The university will develop additional enforcement and safety protocols for unvaccinated individuals if WVU does not reach an 80 percent rate of full vaccinations for its employees and students by Sept. 1. Those measures include increased testing frequency and penalties for failure to comply with COVID-19 related requirements, WVU said Tuesday in a statement.
Vaccinations are not required but are strongly encouraged for WVU students and employees.
The statement said 59 percent of WVU faculty and staff and 60 percent of students on the Morgantown campus have verified they are fully vaccinated. WVU said 59 percent of its employees and 34 percent of students on the Beckley campus are fully vaccinated, compared to 28 percent of workers and 26 percent of students on the Keyser campus.
About 57 percent of state residents ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated, according to health figures.
Students and employees who have verified they’ve been vaccinated will not be required to undergo COVID-19 testing at the semester’s start.