Texas Education Agency Issues Guidelines for Reopening Schools

The Texas Education Agency released guidelines for reopening schools in the state on Tuesday. The guidelines addresses on-campus and virtual instruction, screening processes, responding to confirmed COVID-19 cases, health and hygiene practices and more.

School districts must offer daily on-campus instruction for all students who wishes to attend, but any parent may request for their child to receive virtual instruction from any school that offers such instruction.

Under the new guidelines, students and teachers will be required to wear masks that is consistent with Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order when they begin in-person classes. At the moment, masks are required in counties with more than 20 reported COVID-19 cases. Abbott’s order doesn’t apply to children under 10 years old. Schools can mandate students and teachers wear masks but they do not have to, education Commissioner Mike Morath told the Texas Tribune.

Teachers and staffs should self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms and must report to the school system if they have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.

The guidelines offers “operational considerations” and suggests that schools “should attempt” to have hand sanitizer or hand washing stations with soap and water at each entrance and every classroom. It also notes that campuses “should institute more frequent cleaning practices” and whenever possible, to open windows to allow more air flow.

The Texas State Teachers Association criticized TEA’s guidelines for not providing “more explicit guidance” and not including teachers and parents in the decision-making process. "Teachers who fear they will compromise their health by returning to campus should have the choice of teaching remotely, and it doesn't look like TEA guidelines will require that," Clay Robison, a spokesperson for TSTA told the Texas Tribune.

The guidelines require school districts to post summaries of their COVID-19 plans for the public a week before in-person classes begin. Read more on the guidelines here.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Missouri State University Debuts Construction Education Center

    Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., recently opened a new 10,000-square-foot addition and renovation to support the School of Construction, Design, and Project Management, according to university news. The Construction Education Success Center, built onto the existing Kemper Hall, provides academic space for the school’s construction managers and cost $9.6 million.

  • New eBook Shares Guidelines on Building CTE Centers

    Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum and resources provider iCEV recently announced the publication of a new eBook sharing guidance and insights on building new CTE facilities, according to a news release.

  • South Texas K–12 District Debuts Region’s First Electric Bus Fleet

    The Valley View Independent School District in Pharr, Texas, recently announced a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets to launch the district’s—and the region’s—first fleet of all-electric school buses, according to a news release.

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.