Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced the formula and metrics that will determine how and if school districts will reopen this fall.
Schools can reopen if they are located in a region where the daily infection rate remains 5% or lower using a 14-day average. This particular decision will be made by New York State during the first week of August.
Those decisions are subject to change and school buildings will need to close if a school region’s infection rate goes above 9% using a 7-day average after August 1.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) also presented initial health and safety guidelines to the Board of Regents regarding the reopening of schools. Additionally, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) released interim guidance for in-person instruction at PK-12 schools. You can find both the NYSED guideline and NYSDOH guidance below:
View NYSED’s initial Reopening Guidelines presented to the Board of Regents
View NYSDOH In-Person Instruction Guidance for PK-12 Schools
NYSED is expected to release more detailed reopening guidance tomorrow (Wednesday, July 15), which school districts must then use to make comprehensive plans. These plans must include scheduling options for in-person instruction, remote instruction and hybrid instruction (combining in-person and remote). School districts must then submit these reopening plans for state review by July 31.
2020-2021 Parent/Guardian Planning Survey Results
As part of the reopening planning process, the Reopening Task Force created and sent out the 2020-2021 Parent/Guardian Planning Survey to get feedback on reopening preferences and the student remote learning process this past school year. Pending state guidelines, we will incorporate as much of this feedback into reopening plans as possible. We thank all the families who participated in this survey and gave us their valuable input.
You can view the results of the 2020-2021 Parent/Guardian Planning Survey here.
Ichabod Crane Reopening Task Force and Sub-Committees
In preparation for reopening, we’ve created a Reopening Task Force and four Reopening Subcommittees with specific focuses. The four sub-committees are:
- Academics
- Mental Health
- Operations and Athletics
- Health and Safety
The task force is composed of every Ichabod Crane administrator, as well as the president of the Ichabod Crane Teachers Association to represent faculty interests. The four sub-committees are composed of Ichabod Crane administrators, teachers and also parents/guardians who offered their time when they took the recent 2020-2021 Parent/Guardian Planning Survey. Additionally, there is an internal Communications Committee solely focused on providing accurate and up to date information to Ichabod families
The task force and sub-committees are already working hard on preliminary plans in anticipation of NYSED’s further guidance tomorrow. After completing their work, the sub-committees will bring their plans back to the task force who will then use that information to create the comprehensive district-wide reopening plans to submit to NYSED by July 31.
We thank all the staff and community members who have volunteered their time and skills for our sub-committees.
You can view a full list of the Reopening Task Force and Sub-Committee members below:
Reopening Task Force
- Suzanne Guntlow, Superintendent Chair
- John Wilary, Ichabod Crane Teachers Association President
- Craig Shull
- Anthony Marturano
- Andrea Williams
- Michael Brennan
- Dan Doyle
- Todd DiGrigoli
- Steve Marotta
- Tim Stewart
- Paul Caputo
- Marcella Sanchez
- Tim Farley
- Patrick Paratore
- Peg Warner
Academic Sub-Committee
- Craig Shull – HS Principal, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Anthony Marturano – MS Principal, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Andrea Williams – PS Principal, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Paul Caputo – Director of Technology
- Jessica Berner – PS Parent & BOE Member
- Stacey Kelly – HS Parent
- Carrie Knudsen – MS Parent
- Meghan Brown – PS Parent
- Keira Noonan – MS Student
- Erin Curry – HS Student
- Melanie Moon – MS Teacher (Grade 6)
- Jeffrey Montague – MS Teacher (Math)
- Sue Mallery – MS Teacher (4th Grade)
- Susan Jermain – MS Teacher (5th Grade)
- Greg Miller – HS Teacher (Science)
- Ingrid Monaghan – HS Teacher (Special Education)
- Sandy Dwileski – HS Teacher (Art)
- Jennifer Beebe – PS Teacher (Grade 2)
- Maria Doubrava – PS Teacher (Grade 1)
- Mary Ann Gorke-Verro – PS Teacher (Grade 2)
- Amy Giammattei – MS Teacher (Music)
Mental Health Sub-Committee
- Tim Farley – MS Principal, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Peg Warner – Special Ed. Director, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Lina Baker – Parent
- Joe Alessi – Parent
- Michele Clarke – Parent
- Erin Mitchell – MS School Psychologist
- Amy Stephenson – PS Guidance Counselor
- Kelly Bins – PS Psychologist
- Laura Sarno – MS Psychologist
- Kasey Conklin – MS Guidance Counselor
- Dale Tuzcinski – MS Counselor
- Beth Ruiz – HS Psychologist
Operations & Athletics Sub-Committee
- Dan Doyle – Transportation Director, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Todd DiGrigoli – Food Services Manager, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Michael Brennan – Business Manager, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Tim Stewart – Athletic Director
- Dave Ames – MS & HS Parent, Coach @ ICC HS & collegiate levels, ICC Teaching assistant
- Alison Becker – PS Parent
- Christine Burke – MS Parent
Health & Safety Sub-Committee
- Steve Marotta – Director of Facilities and Operations, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Patrick Paratore – Questar Health and Safety Specialist, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Michael Brennan – Business Manager, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Marcella Sanchez – HS Assistant Principal, Sub-Committee Co-Chair
- Michelle Warner – HS Nurse
- Dan Funk – HS Teacher (Physical Education)
- Kate Cabral – PS Parent
- Jennifer Goldman-Westfall – PS Parent
- Frank “Chip” Wood – MS & HS Parent