AAIE's SIX QUESTION, SIXTY SECOND SURVEY

In Support of International School Crisis Leadership

–"Balancing the Risks of Pupils Returning to Schools"–

(Thanks to the American School of Milan Board of Trustees)

–From the Report Summary

"As we move into a phase of continuously reviewing decisions to keep schools open or shut, we need to recognize there are risks from having schools open and risks from having schools shut. In open schools, the risks to pupils themselves from COVID-19 are very low, though there are risks to school staff, parents/caregivers and the wider community.

Closing schools causes loss of learning and deterioration in children’s mental and physical health, for example. Keeping schools shut increases inequalities, in both children’s education achievement and their long-term prospects. The goal of “leveling up” therefore needs schools to be open. Keeping schools open is also the key to unlocking the rest of the economy, allowing parents to leave teaching to teachers and return to their own jobs.  The evidence on the infection risk from school opening is limited, though to date it suggests that the risk from opening schools, relative to restarting many other activities, is not as high. The experience of most other countries which have already taken this step supports this. By contrast, the evidence on the negative impact of closing schools is considerable and robust.

The report sets out this case in detail. The aim is to provide an evidence framework for understanding the risks involved in re-opening and re-closing schools."

DELVE Initiative (2020), Balancing the Risks of Pupils Returning to Schools. DELVE Report No. 4. Published 24 July 2020

–Major Questions Considered by the Report

• What happened to infections in other comparable countries when they re-opened schools?
• What protective measures did other comparable countries take in schools, and did they help?
• What is the evidence on the level of risk to children, the prevalence of infection among children, and estimates of the level of transmission in schools between children / from children to adults?
• Are there significant additional risks for BAME (Black, Asian, Minority, Ethnic) families?
• How can we best improve our understanding of schools and infection?
• How much learning has been lost, and what is the impact on skill levels from closed schools?
• Why and how much does learning loss matter? 
• What is the likely impact on inequality?
• What are the other losses for the children from closed schools?
• What are the other losses for parents from closed schools?

"We can be essentially certain that Covid-19 infection typically produces milder symptoms in children, than in adults. This means that the risk of severe disease is less in children, but also that children may more often carry the disease without detection."

–Thursday's Leadership CONVERSATIONS 

with International School Leaders Around the World: 

All international school senior leaders are welcome.  A Weekly CONVERSATION  between School Heads and Senior Leaders– #24. Our discussions continue to be contemporary, important and a time we teach each other.  

With thanks to Will Richardson who has facilitated our Thursday CONVERSATIONS since the very beginning. 

The weekly Thursday CONVERSATIONS between Latin America school heads and senior leaders resumes in collaboration with Tri-Association and AASSA. All are welcome to join the discussion and we will also include guest speakers, specific to the Latin America circumstance and needs.  Our sessions, as before, are hosted by Sonia Keller and Dereck Rhoads.   

–Roadmap to Reopening from the

Overseas School of Colombo –

"We are doing our level best to balance the rigor of our intellectual and academic programs with social-emotional well-being, and to provide as many learning models as possible, while always prioritizing community health and safety and everyone's wellness."

Five principles that will guide decision-making–

two of the five focused on health, safety and science of the virus

The OSC reopening plan features an extensive FAQ section, covering a range of exigencies relating to keeping each other safe.  

AN A/OS ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: 

Excellence in Governance- Leading Together

Editor's Note: The Office of Overseas Schools, Department of State has set a priority to support excellence in overseas school governance. A/OS first worked with NESA in underwriting a governance development curriculum with seven learning modules, written by David Chojnacki and Rick Detwiler. The ideas and best practices were then embodied in the NAIS, International Trustee Handbook. 

An essential component of the NESA work was further researched, then resulted in the Leading Together- The Critical Relationship Between Board Chair and Head of School set of governance development modules, focused squarely on the importance of the relationship.  Our Tuesday sessions will focus on the essential partnership and ways to enhance productivity and community support.     

A FIRST SESSION– Tuesday, August 18 (8:00AM EDT)

A/OS and AAIE will sponsor an ongoing CONVERSATION  between school heads and board chairs (all trustees welcome, but please ensure your board chair joins in). 

From the International School of Basel, Board Chair Annette Palmer and Head of School Bradley Roberts will discuss how they have taken on the global pandemic challenge together.  David Chojnacki and Rick Detwiler will moderate, encouraging us all to share ideas and perspectives.  

–THE NEWS of COVID-19–

20,445,252 Cases Worldwide

(Johns Hopkins CSSE)

–with thanks to the New Yorker, August 10, 2020

...Now the News

A Synthetic Molecule to Stop the Virus in Its Tracks

As the world awaits vaccines to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, UC San Francisco scientists have devised a novel approach to halting the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease. Led by UCSF graduate student Michael Schoof, a team of researchers engineered a completely synthetic, production-ready molecule that straitjackets the crucial SARS-CoV-2 machinery that allows the virus to infect our cells. As reported in a new paper, now available on the preprint server bioRxiv, experiments using live virus show that the molecule is among the most potent SARS-CoV-2 antivirals yet discovered. In an aerosol formulation they tested, dubbed "AeroNabs" by the researchers, these molecules could be self-administered with a nasal spray or inhaler. Used once a day, AeroNabs could provide powerful, reliable protection against SARS-CoV-2 until a vaccine becomes available.

(Science Daily)

BioTech and Vaccine Production

Almost every antiviral vaccine ever sold works in a similar way: A dead or weakened virus, or a piece of one, is introduced into a healthy person. The weakened virus stimulates the immune system to generate antibodies, protecting the person when the real pathogen threatens to infect them. Over the decades, this tried-and-true approach has vanquished polio, eradicated smallpox, and reined in chicken pox, measles, and mumps. But vaccine production has never been simple or fast. Many flu vaccines are still grown in chicken eggs. Newer approaches draw on genetic engineering to eliminate the need for whole viruses, but their viral proteins are still grown inside live cells. The coronavirus vaccines from Moderna, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its German rival BioNTech SE propose to immunize people in a radically different way: by harnessing human cells to become miniature vaccine factories in their own right. Instead of virus proteins, the vaccines contain genetic instructions that prompt the body to produce them. Those instructions are carried via messenger RNA, or mRNA. (Bloomberg)

Marketing a Russian Vaccine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that the country has become the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, with production and tens of thousands of inoculations to follow. Officials have pledged to vaccinate millions of people, including teachers and front line health-care workers, with the experimental coronavirus vaccine beginning this month, raising global alarm that the country is jumping dangerously ahead of critical, large scale testing that is essential to determine if it is safe and effective. Russian officials have said that a second vaccine from the state research center in Siberia, Vector, is not far behind. (The Washington Post)

Undercounting COVID-19 Deaths in Russia?

The number of deaths in Russia rose 19% in June from a year earlier, with nearly half of the additional victims diagnosed with Covid-19. Russia recorded 25,521 more deaths in June 2020 than the same month last year, according to data from the Federal Statistics Service published Sunday. In the period, 11,917 of the fatalities had Covid-19. The figures are significantly higher than the fatalities initially reported by authorities. Russia has faced questions about the low number of Covid-19 deaths it registers compared to other countries with major outbreaks of the pandemic. (Bloomberg News)

More on Childhood Cases

Coronavirus cases among children and teenagers are surging in California, up 150% last month, a rate that outpaces COVID-19 cases overall and establishes minors as a small but growing share of the state’s COVID-19 cases. The increase also appears to outpace the number of coronavirus cases among children nationally, which grew 40% in the second half of July, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Assn. (via The Los Angeles Times)

Coronavirus cases among children and teenagers are surging in California, up 150% last month, a rate that outpaces COVID-19 cases overall and establishes minors as a small but growing share of the state’s COVID-19 cases. The increase also appears to outpace the number of coronavirus cases among children nationally, which grew 40% in the second half of July, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Assn. (The Los Angeles Times)

Spain Infections Highest in Europe

Spain has been plunged back into a coronavirus crisis as the soaring number of cases confirmed it to be the worst affected European country. Political leaders warned of economic devastation as medical chiefs said that the infection rates had quadrupled from 13.5 to 55.1 new cases a week per 100,000 people since mid July.

This was roughly half the rate of infection at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in late March, when nearly 120 new cases per 100,000 people were being recorded each week. The government reported that the number of active outbreaks was spiraling, as 100 new clusters were recorded in the past week to total 580 across the country.  (The Times)

Six Straight Days in India

India on Monday reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus deaths, the most the country has recorded in a single day since the pandemic began. The new toll put India’s total at 44,386 deaths, trailing only the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Britain.  The country has also reported more confirmed new cases than any other in the world for six consecutive days, including 62,000 on Monday. (VOA)

Biggest Daily Increase in Germany

Germany has recorded its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases in more than three months, as countries across the region struggle to contain a surge in infections.

The latest official figures showed a rise of more than 1,200 cases in Germany in the past 24 hours. Health Minister Jens Spahn said the increase was due, in part, to people returning from holidays. It came as Germany warned against non-essential trips to parts of Spain. The foreign ministry said it had added a partial travel warning to the Spanish capital Madrid and the Basque region on Tuesday amid rising infections there. Warnings were already in place for the regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra. Germany has recorded more than 9,000 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began. (BBC)

Mask-wearing Compulsory in Brussels

Wearing a face mask became compulsory in all public areas in Brussels on Wednesday amid a rise in cases. The order applies to those aged 12 and above. People were previously only required to wear masks in crowded public spaces and enclosed areas of the Belgian capital, such as shopping centers. Authorities said the enhanced rules were introduced because of a rise in infections, with Brussels recording an average of 50 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per day over the past week. Police checks are being ramped up to ensure that people follow the new rules. The mask-wearing regulation is one of the strictest currently in place in Europe. (BBC)

–Tracking the Virus– 

–FROM THE WHO and JOHNS HOPKINS CSSE–

A Final Note: The AAIE COVID-19 Briefing is provided to support your leadership for the school community you serve. We encourage you to use these resources in any way, shape or form that helps you, your communications and toward furthering close relationships across your community.  – The AAIE Board