Health & Safety Update for Staff
Understanding Our Priority
Dear TCS Family Members,
Planning for our response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is the top priority for the Tuscaloosa City Schools. The purpose of this communication is make sure we have direct information going to you as a valued member of the TCS family. The health and safety of our students and staff will always be our top priority, and this evolving situation will require us to work together, communicate regularly, and handle this in a calm, but responsive manner.
Health Practices
For Yourself
- Practice social distancing (6 ft from the other person)
- Wash your hands with soap. If soap is not available, then use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
- Stay home when you are sick and practice self-isolation. Follow the TCS Employee Leave Policy
- If traveling during Spring Break, follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance.
- If you are traveling out of the country with a COVID-19 risk transmission, please let your supervisor know ahead of time.
For Your Students
- If you suspect a child is sick or is presenting symptoms, send him/her to the school nurse to be assessed.
- If you have a child who has been sick and out of school for 2-3 consecutive days, please contact his/her parent and elay information to your school nurse related to the child.
- Discuss and practice prevention methods for the spread of illness with your students. e.g. practice fist bumping instead of a handshake to prevent the spread of illness or cough into your elbow
Cleaning and Disinfecting
Our incredible TCS custodians are on the front line of our prevention efforts as they are working to make sure our cleaning and disinfecting efforts are doubled. They have specific instructions to clean high-touch areas such as door knobs, water fountains, and light switches throughout the day. We also have teams that work in the evenings to provide school disinfecting using electrostatic sprayers. This rotation will reach every school through the course of a month. We will also prioritize schools where we see any spikes in student and staff absences.
Contingency Plans
Our team is developing and reviewing all options for contingency plans. We are reviewing flex calendars and the possibility of alternative learning such as online. Because we do not yet know how this situation will impact TCS, it is too early to determine how we will respond.
Communication
Communication in preparing for and responding to this situation is most important. We are committed to keeping you and our families in constant communication regarding this situation. That said, we believe this can become a rapidly evolving situation that will require following our plans as well as making rapid changes in response to the specifics. This could mean that we have to move quickly and may have to communicate decisions to you without much notice. We hope this will not be the case, but we ask for you to prepare for this and stay connected to our regular communications channels such as email, phone, and TCS website.
Note, if you do not have a current phone number on file with Human Resources, it is imperative that you do so today. We rely on phone communications in emergency situations, so we want to be sure you get that information.
About Us
Website: www.tuscaloosacityschools.com
Location: 1210 21st Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Phone: (205) 759-3700
Facebook: facebook.com/TCSBoardofEd
Twitter: @TCSBoardofEd