Laura Laird

Sherine Smith
EDA 610
Emergency Plan Reflection

Emergency Plan Reflection-COVID-19

We are in the midst of a pandemic that will last for a long period of time. When we think

about our current safety plans most of them revolve around instances that are smaller in scope

and shorter in duration. While some events like active shooters and natural disasters have lasting

effects on students, families, staff and the community, this event will have far more reaching

effects due to the sheer numbers involved. It is affecting the entire world.

I take seriously my ethical and legal responsibilities as a program specialist for special

education in a socio-economically challenged urban setting to ensure that there is equity for all

students. Before this virus it was a challenge, but there were procedures and laws to guide me.

Now it’s all new and fluid as we all figure out how we are going to serve children to the best of

our ability. I think daily about my highest needs students. How are they handling this mentally,

emotionally and physically. My students are going to be much more affected than students in

more affluent areas. So how do we create a plan and implement when it hasn’t been done before?

Our school is a single site charter school. The leadership team is responsible for

everything that a district would do. Our leadership team has and is (now via Zoom) daily

regarding updates from various news, health related agencies and of course the CDE. We started

to prepare students and staff that there may be a closure and that we couldn’t predict exactly

when but to prepare. Teachers created and staff made copies of 14 days of work for every

subject for every 1,250 6th grade-12th grade students on campus. Hard copies were kept in the

front office so that parents could come in Saturday and Sunday to get any missing packets and to
be reassured that will do whatever we can for our children. The message was clear that health

and safety was the priority for everyone involved. We reached out to students via social media,

phone, auto-dialers, letters, etc., as the events unfolded. Students are officially on spring break

right now. Our Director has sent out daily messages and videos of encouragement to staff and

students. The leadership team has been working on all the ways that we can continue the

progression of learning when that day arrives such as e-learning. They are doing an amazing job

just as many schools and districts are working together to solve the challenges of the new world

we are facing.

From the perspective of the role I fill, this is unchartered waters. I have been researching,

watching webinars, reaching out to our Selpa and various organizations for special education,

students with disabilities, and special education administrators. As a nation we currently will not

be able to serve our students with special needs to level that we have in the past. The laws when

written didn’t make allowance or foresee circumstances for a pandemic. As a school, state and

nation we will have to work together to innovate ways to provide services differently.

One aspect that has made me hopeful in the face of all of this is how willing educators are

being to work together to find solutions not just at my school. I was on a webinar Friday about

how to offer special education services online and there were educators from all over the world

on it. It reminded me that I had started to focus in as I should the students, families and

community I serve but as a leader I also need to keep the same focus on the larger picture as

well.