Podcast
In this episode of Schools In Focus podcast, I speak to Belinda Oakley, CEO of Chartwells K12 and Seth Ferriell, CEO of SSC Services for Education, about school food service during a pandemic.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 09/08/20
Reopening
New York City public schools are set to reopen on Sept. 10. However, the city’s teachers, principals, and staff say schools are unprepared to reopen and are pressuring Mayor Bill de Blasio to delay the start of in-person instruction by several weeks.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 08/19/20
HVAC
AI can change its instructions to your HVAC equipment based on the number of students in a room, the time of day, changes in weather throughout the day, and more, all while ensuring a comfortable environment for your building occupants.
Products
A company that produces technology for the food industry has developed a "welcome center" that schools can use to automate student and staff check-in.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/18/20
Cleaning & Sanitizing
Will a more methodical, well-thought-out approach be implemented for disinfectant use or, will they be once again randomly applied, essentially using a “hope for the best” mentality? Let’s hope application is not random, and here is why. In the U.S., disinfectants are considered “pesticides” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and rightly so.
HVAC
A Florida company with an office in Purdue Research Park has introduced a technology it said would help schools reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/12/20
Episode 5
Stu Rothenberger, Principal at DLR Group, discusses flexibility on a campus scale, the need for long-term resiliency plans, tackling equity issues, and creating smaller interaction spaces in a post-COVID19 learning environment.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 08/12/20
Safety and Security
Many of the CDC’s guidelines can be met through the use of technology, and schools should be investing in and implementing technology solutions that not only helps them adhere to CDC guidelines this fall, but bolsters their overall school safety now and in the future.
Access Control
A company that produces physical security products is repositioning its products to address the needs of facilities under new restrictions. The offerings from LenelS2 cover touchless access, occupancy management, enforced access control and screening solutions.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/03/20
Healthy Schools
An education technology company that produces training has compiled a set of videos to help districts prepare for school reopenings.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/28/20
Facilities
Emphasis on single sleeping unit spaces will probably dominate in residence hall design in coming months and years, along with common areas that encourage physical distancing, wider entrances and kitchens that allow for one-way traffic patterns. Those are the predictions of student housing design experts at KWK Architects.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/28/20
Technology
What does it mean for a learning space to support the use of technology? It means the space has been intentionally designed to make it easy for teachers and students to seamlessly use any technology they might need, without having to disrupt a lesson or cut into valuable learning time.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 07/27/20
Safely Reopening
Chicago Public Schools is conducting several virtual meetings this week to gather feedback on the district’s reopening plans for the fall. The first one was held Monday morning
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/27/20
Planning
Here are five ways that K-12 school districts can keep their learning space design projects on track in a world where social distancing rules and shutdowns interfere with normal operations.
- By Manuel Cordero and Dr. Christina Counts
- 07/22/20
Maintenance and Operations
As universities begin to welcome students back, directors of college recreational centers will need to develop plans, policies and protocols to maintain a safe and healthy environment. The many “moving parts” that make up college recreational center operations present some unique challenges for maintaining a safe and clean facility.
Dr. Brian Benson, a family physician and his wife, Kaley Benson developed a symptom-screening software for schools called Cleared4School.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/21/20
"ViralBarrier" from Precise Tooling Solutions is intended specifically for K-12 and higher education use.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/20/20
Furniture and Equipment
U.S.-based Hy-Lite said its new panels are made of architectural-grade acrylic blocks that allow light through while protecting privacy.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/14/20
Reopening Schools
Rural school districts in Wisconsin have asked the state to begin school earlier than usual citing concerns that the pandemic has interfered with student progress.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/14/20
Los Angeles Unified School District and San Diego Unified School District announced they will not reopen for in-person classes next month due to increasing COVID-19 cases.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/13/20
Reopening
School districts must offer daily on-campus instruction for all students who wishes to attend, but any parent may request for their child to receive virtual instruction from any school that offers such instruction.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/08/20
Reopening Schools
Overall, signage provides a cost-effective and direct solution to the question, “How does the coronavirus change our schools?” Signage plays a role in helping people feel comfortable in their environments and understanding what is expected of them in certain spaces.
Reopening
Texas A&M said it would convert non-traditional spaces into classrooms for the fall semester, which starts on Aug. 19.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/08/20
Building Blueprints
Sensory Rooms
The stimulating environment of a sensory room may heighten awareness, provide a sense of security and comfort, improve creativity, promote mental and physical relaxation, and even decrease aggressive behaviors.
Editor's Note
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 07/01/20
When students finally return to school after months of learning from home, there will be dramatic changes. Even when K-12 leaders are allowed to reopen their facilities, doing so safely and responsibly will require everyone to maintain proper distancing while they’re at school, experts agree — at least until there is a working vaccine for the COVID-19 virus.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 07/01/20
Reopening Schools
Gov. Gary Herbert approved the Utah State Board of Education’s requirements and recommendations for reopening schools in the state. As per the requirements, all Utah public schools must have reopening plans in place and posted online by August 1.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 06/29/20
Furniture and Classroom Spaces
Even before COVID-19 forced K-12 leaders to rethink the design of school spaces, versatility was an important design element for classrooms and other instructional environments. Once life returns to normal, versatility will continue to be a critical design element.
- By Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider
- 06/29/20
Planning and Design
How can higher education institutions incorporate student success in their resilience planning process as they consider future impacts on campuses? And how can design professionals use their knowledge and skills to support this effort?
- By Cindy Villarreal
- 06/23/20