EPISODE SUMMARY

Dr. Paul O'Malley shares how Butler 53 in Illinois was able to expand COVID-19 testing in order to keep students and staff in the building for most of the 2020-21 school year.

EPISODE NOTES

Dr. Paul O’Malley has always understood the foundational role of education—after all, he still remembers his teachers’ names decades later. When the pandemic hit, O’Malley knew that he would need to lead his district in a way that allowed schools to prioritize safe, whole-child education, even if that meant doing things differently.

To make this happen, O’Malley strategized with his team at Butler 53 and a neighboring district to leave no stone unturned in seeking how to make learning safer. This led him to initiate regular, school-based COVID-19 testing for the entire Butler community, an effort that would earn him recognition from other districts across Illinois—and trust from his community.

In this episode, O’Malley shares how rethinking how his schools served as bedrocks of the community allowed him to lead his district to reopen schools safely in October 2020.

If you would like to connect with Dr. O'Malley about how Butler 53 has implemented testing and other measures, you can contact him below.

Dr. Paul O'Malley (@D53ButlerSupt)

Butler School District 53 (@ButlerSD53)

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