On Friday, March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education and other federal partners held a conference call today with K-12 education leaders representing all 50 states and two territories to discuss the Administration’s whole-of-government response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Those who attended the call included representatives from the National Association of State Boards of Education, National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, and elected officials, among many others. During the discussion, subject matter experts answered questions about the process for approval of statewide testing waivers, meal delivery for students during school closures, lengths of school closures due to the outbreak, requirements for local education agencies to provide services to students with disabilities, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements during the outbreak.

Deputy Secretary Mitchell “Mick” Zais gave an overview of the Department of Education’s COVID-19 working group, which he leads, and encouraged participants to frequently visit the Department’s website, ed.gov/coronavirus, for updated materials.

Assistant Secretary Frank Brogan of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education briefed participants on the Department’s letter on the subject, a webinar on ensuring web accessibility for students with disabilities for schools utilizing online learning during the pandemic, and a fact sheet on how to protect students’ civil rights as school leaders take steps to keep students safe and secure.

Acting Assistant Secretary Mark Schultz of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services spoke about the Department’s guidance on how to provide services to students with disabilities during school closures throughout the outbreak. He announced clarifying information would be forthcoming in response to questions about implementation. Information on single points of contact for technical assistance to SEAs on best practices and models of instruction, accessibility, and data, will also be provided.

Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also participated in the call. Nancy Messonnier from the CDC discussed what schools, parents and communities can do while schools are closed, as well as what strategies school administrators and staff should consider when they begin to think about reopening.

For more information on all the efforts the Department is taking to address the COVID-19 national emergency, visit ed.gov/coronavirus

For more information about COVID-19, please visit the following websites: https://www.coronavirus.gov, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html and https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus

For the Readout of the U.S. Department of Education’s COVID-19 Conference Call with K-12 Stakeholders on March 20, 2020, go to: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/