Automating the Dismissal Process Adds Another Layer of Safety for Schools During Covid-19
Consider adding another layer of safety to your school’s current Covid-19 mitigation strategy—a technological one.
The key to safely reopening schools during Covid-19 is all about layering one mitigating factor on top of the other: Masking on top of physical distancing on top of washing hands and respiratory etiquette on top of cleaning and ventilating on top of contact tracing.
These layers of mitigation for Covid-19 are critical to the safety of school communities. Schools can do even more to protect their students, teachers, staff members, and parents by adding a technological layer to their strategy as well.
New guidance from the CDC
On Friday, February 12, 2021 the CDC came out with updated guidance to help school officials determine when it is time to reopen their schools. Pressure is mounting from some parents and political leaders, and the Biden administration is making the reopening of schools one of its priorities in its first 100 days, saying it is essential that we:
“...open a majority of schools in K through eighth grade, because they’re the easiest to open, the most needed to be open in terms of the impact on children and families having to stay home.” ”
It’s time to consider reopening elementary schools
Now that the pandemic is nearing its one-year mark, there is fact-based evidence that helps support Biden’s claim that reopening schools—particularly elementary schools—is becoming a good idea in communities with low transmission rates.
According to NPR, the pandemic is worsening the social, emotional, and academic toll remote learning has taken on children, especially in already vulnerable, low-income communities.
The CDC report concludes that "the type of rapid spread that was frequently observed in congregate living facilities or high-density worksites has not been reported in education settings in schools."
As well, the report emphasizes that proper mitigation does help to keep students and staff members safe at school, especially when coupled with the prioritization of immunizing school personnel.
Along with masking, physical distancing, and other layers of mitigation, adding an automated dismissal system can add an extra layer of protection for school communities, which can help young students, in particular, get back to school sooner.
Reopening elementary schools safely would be a salve for society
To be clear, the CDC isn’t mandating that schools reopen, but it is providing a plausible way forward. Which is very good news for struggling students, weary parents, and the economy—because, as Forbes stated clear back in May of last year:
“The reality is, until children go back to school, parents will have to remain at home looking after them, and it will be impossible to fully restart the economy.”
Automating student dismissals = Another layer of protection
But what if schools could put yet another powerful layer on top of all the crucial layers that have so far been proven to be effective in preventing the spread of Covid-19?
During Covid-19, tracking school dismissals has become an important way to help keep school communities safe.
How automating a school’s dismissal process can help stop the spread of Covid-19
Ed tech companies like PickUp Patrol Automated Dismissals offer school offices the ability to:
Keep track of hybrid scheduling
Stagger dismissal times by tracking cohorted groups
Establish multiple exit points to reduce congestion in hallways
Keep parents safely outside of the school building by automating the car line and providing contact-free check-in/out
Screen students for Covid-19 risk factors before they leave home for school every day
How does PickUp Patrol work?
Parents submit changes to their student’s regular dismissal plan through PickUp Patrol’s convenient app, eliminating the need for schools to track notes, emails, and phone calls. The system automatically compiles the plan change information for the school office through a central dashboard. It is school-administered with authorized changes and secure data protection.
Schools control the way students are dismissed and the amount of contact they have with parents by customizing the settings in the system for their particular needs.
It is highly adaptable to the creative scheduling schools are having to put in place to keep their communities safe.
Perfect for elementary schools, it is also used by middle schools, high schools, daycare centers and recreation centers.
It can also be used to screen staff members for Covid-19 risk factors as well.
“We are grateful for the team at PickUp Patrol and the support it gives us. Using this program every day helps to keep our school community safe.”
The PickUp Patrol Automated Dismissal System is not only revolutionizing the dismissal process, but it provides schools with a safe, efficient, and affordable way to add a technological layer of safety to help stop the spread of Covid-19 in school communities.