How will the H1N1 virus impact schools this school year? Well, based on the results of our Home Page online poll, many of you think it will get pretty bad. As of Friday (September 18), about 30% think swine flu will force many school closings; 57% believe it will have only a minor impact; and only 13% believe it will just blow over and have virtually no impact.

Of course, there is no way we can predict how bad it might get, but we all agree we have to be prepared for the worst. That is why weac.org has compiled a resource page that covers everything from hygiene behaviors that can help stem the spread of the virus in schools, to sample letters from teachers or schools to parents, to strategies for maintaining continuity of learning in the event of school closings or large numbers of absences. The page also links to NEA articles focusing specifically on the role of school nurses and education support professionals.

The page also includes a video presentation from DPI Consultant Suzanne Todey, who wisely decided more than a year ago – long before any of us were talking about swine flu – that schools needed to prepare for the possibility of a flu pandemic. The weac.org page also links out to other resources from the Centers for Disease Control, the US Department of Education, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the NEA Health Information Network, and more.

Also, I would like to draw your attention to our Tech College Blog, where Andy Lyons’ latest entry addresses the issue of H1N1 in our tech colleges, where it seems to be making a very early appearance.

We hope you find this special weac.org resource page valuable. And we hope the 13% of you who believe the swine flu will blow over with little impact are the soothsayers among us. Best of luck, have a great early school year, and please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help.