NASHVILLE - Facing criticism over state plans not to ask Tennessee school systems for information about coronavirus cases in their facilities - so it can be publicly reported - Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday his administration is now working on a data strategy that protects privacy.
"We're working a plan to in fact be able to report school cases," he said during his weekly briefing, a change in the state's policy to let local systems call the shots on disclosures. "We do want to protect the individual privacy of families and students. Patient re-identification is important. Transparency is also important."
There have been concerns that some districts won't share information with parents and the community about what is going on.
"We agree with that assessment, and we need to make certain that the reporting is accurate," the Republican governor told reporters.
A number of districts have already or soon plan to reopen schools for in-person education for students. Hamilton County Schools is set to reopen Aug. 12 using a four-phase response ranging from all-online to in-person education, depending on local coronavirus cases. As of Tuesday, the schools were projecting Phase 3, in which individual campuses are closed as needed to respond to the pandemic. But officials said the case volume indicates a transition toward Phase 2, in which all students alternate on two-day-a-week schedules.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks to reporters in June. (Photo by Andy Sher / Chattanooga Times Free Press)The Tennessee Education Association, which represents many educators, says the state's COVID-19 data doesn't support reopening school buildings or the resumption of in-person instruction "in any part of the state."
"Every school system should delay reopening of school buildings and begin the school year via distance learning, and if school buildings have reopened they should be closed," said TEA President Beth Brown, an English teacher at Grundy County High School, in a statement. "Unlike other states, the governor and commissioner cannot mandate school openings nor penalize districts for delay. This is a local decision, and we are putting out virus data to show there is no sound decision on resuming in-person instruction in Tennessee."
While educators "want to get back to in-person instruction," Brown said, it also "is prudent and not contrary to Tennessee law to delay reopening school buildings for the next several weeks, when hopefully the data shows new infections have slowed. Parents and educators should demand this delay."
Lee defended school systems' decisions to reopen, saying that statistics show that with schools no longer physically operating, reports of child abuse have plummeted some 25%. There are nutritional programs that low-income students depend on as well, Lee said.
The governor said the state is providing 80,000 "care boxes" to teachers across Tennessee. The boxes contain items such as masks, gloves and sanitizer, Lee said.
A number of critics say classroom instruction via the internet simply isn't up to par with having in-class instruction with teachers physically present.
As of Tuesday, Tennessee had 111,101 coronavirus cases, up 1,776 from Monday. The state has suffered 1,117 deaths, up 25 from Monday.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.