To the Editor,

As a Warwick resident for nearly 40 years, I have seen many changes in the school department.  My children attended Warwick Schools.  I worked in the school department as a substitute teacher for several years before being hired permanently.  I have since retired, and my grandchildren currently attend Warwick schools.

Warwick is complaining about needing more money, (which they have been for quite some time Even BEFORE this Covid 19), just like every school district in the nation.  How about thinking about a few ideas from someone who has been on both sides of the fence?  I pay taxes in Warwick.

NO Children in school until it is safe for everyone.

1. Teachers at each school have the choice of reporting to their respective school in person OR teaching from their own homes. They would work the same hours as if school were in session before Covid 19.

2. They would go through the same teaching process, staying as close to the lesson plans, lesson times, etc.

3. Itinerant subjects would be taught by the respective itinerant teachers. I obviously understand that some modifications would be needed particularly in the sciences.  If the itinerant teachers decided to “ work from school” and normally work at more than one school; they would need to pick ONLY one school (their choice)

4.  Students and faculty would have / take their normally scheduled lunch breaks as if they were actually in school, same time span.

5.  Teachers and students would have the same responsibilities as if they were in the actual classroom. Most students already have Chrome books. Some schools during this pandemic provided “bag lunches” as drive by pick ups.

SOME of the savings would be

1.  Little extra sanitary / cleaning supplies (masks, hand sanitizer, tissues, etc as the children would Not be in school. (Teachers could provide their own personal mask, tissues, and hand sanitizer) because they would be the ONLY person in a classroom or home office.

2. No extra money for bus drivers or monitors.

3.  No extra money for lunchroom personnel (exception would be those handing out the bags at several sites) and those preparing such lunches/ snacks.  Food would be prepared in ONLY one high school, (they are larger, more equipment, etc. and transported to a few locations.).  All other cafeterias would remove closed and locked saving cleaning supplies and custodians’ time.

4. The rooms that the teachers use for “in person / at school” could be limited to the smaller classrooms in each school.  Examples such as nurses’ office, guidance offices, smaller rooms normally used for reading specialist / speech therapists as much as possible.  Any unused larger rooms in each building could be locked also to prevent access and eliminate the need for cleaning on a daily basis.   OR perhaps the teachers could report to the high schools, and middle schools since these schools are larger and have more classrooms.  (A schedule would need to made, so they are spread out, thus social distancing, etc.  for all teachers “working in a classroom”

5. If Warwick can’t or doesn’t want to use the high schools and middle schools, as the classrooms, PERHAPS the normal amount of custodial personnel could be  assigned daily for each school to work the NIGHT shift.  The custodians would be able to social distance and get the whole done without interruptions.  By not using Every classroom at Every school or the cafeteria or gymnasium areas at Every school daily, it would save a considerable amount of time and supplies.

I can only hope people in charge can at least consider some of these suggestions.  

Ellen Clark

Warwick