ABCFT - YOUnionews - February 12, 2021
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - ABCFT ACTIVISTS AT WORK
Fifteen ABCFT members serve on CFT state-level standing committees to work on their areas of expertise to advocate and help shape the direction of CFT policies and procedures manual and create resolutions that are debated at the CFT convention and if approved will move their work forward by CFT. These committees also support the CFT legislative team by providing guidance and feedback in their specific knowledge areas. Thank you to these ABCFT activists for serving the last two years using their collective voices at the state level to support the needs of our local members and shaping education policy. Below are reports from the committee members.
Adult Education, Diane Jhun:
Committee members were happy to report the increase in enrollment for the state-funded classes. All members reported the classes are offered online. Community Education classes and Parent Education classes are not subsidized by the state fund. Only two committee members mentioned that the community education program and/or Parent Education program exist. It was noted that they should be included again.
Promotion of Adult Education Programs - Continue collecting students’ success stories with contact information to be used by the media for Adult Education promotion. All members agreed that the promotion with student representation is very important.
Early Childhood Education, Reema Sulieman:
A heated discussion around the proposition AB22 and SB50 bills of legislation took place during our session. CFT Legislative Director, Ron Rapp and EC/TK-12 President, Rico Tamayo invited a team of specialists to share the fine details of the proposal.
From their presentation, we learned that Bill AB22 suggested expanding Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) to all 4-year-olds and suggested continuing to improve the quality of California's existing TK program in several ways. The Bill proposed reducing the class size to provide children with meaningful interactions with their teachers to support their development. The AB22 statement suggested making the existing state preschool teacher join as a co-teacher. The proposal didn't share any exact details on how the workforce will look for the current State Preschool Teachers or their assistant. They didn't give existing teachers any incentives to pursue their education to improve their future careers.
Legislation believes that funding preschool and Transitional Kindergarten programs in our public schools allow young children to familiarize themselves with the school they will be learning for years to come. The expansion will make it more convenient for parents with multiple children to have one drop-off place and puts these early learners in front of educators trained to recognize their needs, especially those who need IEP support services.
As a preschool teacher, I feel that children 3-5 should learn and develop through a playful environment and socialize with their peers around the same age. Though the play is the majority of their day, it does work wonders in sharpening their cognitive abilities and emotionally preparing them for the classroom setting that they will be heading to in the future. When it comes to enrolling a child in TK, we expect them to be entirely ingrained in a curriculum focused on preparing them for actual kindergarten. These classrooms work with children in a classroom setting that is nearly identical to that of kindergarten and done to prepare them for the next educational stage adequately. To me, this doesn't align with the best-recommended practices for children.
Labor and Climate Justice Education, David Hind:
The committee continued its work on its twin missions of labor education and advocacy and climate justice education and advocacy. The group discussed potential virtual workshops for the virtual CFT Convention in March and agreed that we should have at least one workshop during the allotted time. The group received updates on ongoing projects to include labor education in the schools. The committee also discussed potential climate justice-related legislation in the current legislative term and debated whether to endorse certain bills. In addition, the group discussed and debated proposed resolutions to the CFT Convention. Group members agreed to submit three resolutions to the convention: 1. Calling on CFT to support and advocate for a Wealth Tax to fund a just recovery for California; 2. Calling on CFT to advocate for putting the greening our state’s public schools at the heart of a just transition to a sustainable future; 3. Calling on CFT to go on record in support of the PRO (Protecting the Right to Organize) Act and work with the labor movement to support its passage.
Technology, Michael Hartshorn:
The two main focuses of the Technology Committee has been protecting teacher privacy and intellectual property as well as addressing the “digital divide”. We have been working closely with Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on the privacy part. EFF is one of the leading non-profit organizations in protecting digital privacy, free speech, and innovation.
We are currently working on promoting free access to high-speed internet for all students and more equitable access to other pieces of technology to help disadvantaged students equitable access to a high-quality education.
PreK-12 Educational Issues Committee, Connie Nam:
Our committee has been working on the following issues: 1) Support staff for students with disabilities in the mainstream, 2) Monitoring kinder attendance, 3) Grade level-appropriate content for kindergarten pupils across all LEAs, 4) Union policy regarding stakeholder control of LCAPs. I had actually been working on LCAP and the lack of real teeth for stakeholders since much of the movement of the LCAP within the school setting is so controlled by the principal. The issue of the LCAP is now a CFT sponsored proposed bill “Make Education Stakeholders True Partners in Final LCAP and LCFF Funding Decisions” along with a proposal for limiting employee evaluations during times of school closure, “Prohibit Employee Evaluations During School Closures Due To Qualifying Events”
The goal of our committees is to propose changes to current policy through bill proposals, so we are very excited about these two proposals that would affect so many PreK-12 teachers in the state.
Retirement Committee, Jill Yasutake:
Committee resolution is for people to understand that there is an important issue of keeping track of our retirees. Why is this important? To keep retirees informed about changes that come down from the state or STRS.
Discussion on what happens when districts make errors in calculating sick days for retirees. STRS requires that retiree pay back any overpayment. STRS is considering that retirees payback 3 years max. Who is responsible? District? STRS?
Safe and Supportive Schools Committee, Rachel Santos and Diana Middleton:
Over the past 3 months, the Safe and Supportive Schools Committee contributed to the CFT Ad Hoc Vaccine Policy Committee, discussing the necessities of safety in schools and their potential reopenings as well as all aspects surrounding vaccines. Contributions of this committee’s members helped inform the CFT plan which was delivered to the Governor last week. Recommendations included accountability for districts, counties, and the state to ensure PPE, health and safety measures, and vaccinations for all staff on all sites.
Committee members were unanimously against AB 10 because of the lack of oversight, preparation, resources, personnel, and complete scientific evidence that it is based on. They expressed disappointment (amongst other less choice words) in education-friendly legislators supporting it, including the chair of the Education Committee. Members reported Covid outbreaks within their school communities that were creating hardships of all kinds, and schools and districts were struggling to address their needs. Re-opening schools would make this worse because the resources are simply not available.
In addition, the following resolutions and workshop are being planned for the CFT Convention in March:
3 Resolutions proposed:
Secure positions for Staff who cannot take vaccines;
Tech PD for staff (Health: Districts need to alleviate stress on staff, enable physically healthy conditions including repetitive stress issues);
Ensure continued online schooling option for students after the pandemic (to provide an adaptive environment for students with neurological and mental health needs)
Workshop proposal: Getting ready to go back to campus: Mental health preparations and practices for students and staff.
Shared quote defining entitlement, because of the disparity that the pandemic has uncovered: “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” (Waylon Lewis)
Special Education Services, Stefani Palutzke:
Committee members shared where their districts are in the “return to school” process. A few districts are back in person or in the process of being in person. They all described the PPE protocols and plans their districts have for in-person learning to take place. Most still need to be negotiated. San Francisco mentioned that there was litigious talk if a return was soon, turns out they were right! Most stated that in-person assessment was happening.
MEMBER BENEFITS - WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS
Maintaining our mental health and well-being is important for all of us. ABCFT will be offering Wellness Wednesdays from 3:00 to 3:30 pm members will have an opportunity to virtually participate in Guided Meditation and Chair Yoga. These weekly sessions will give members a chance to practice self-care.
In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, you can also access mindfulness resources for all ABCFT members. For Kaiser members, you have free access to the app Calm and myStrength which offers personalized self-care programs based on the cognitive behavioral therapy model. Please be kind to yourself and find time in your busy schedule to take care of yourself.
This week, Donna focuses on changing how we think about the world. Using “I am enough” as a statement of fact. Participants also engage in a variety of movement focusing on core strength.
TOSA TIDBITS
Rocket Tip Ever wondered what to do with the two (or more) Google Accounts you have? Tetzlaff Teacher, Greg Porter produced this easy to follow video on how to set up and use Chrome Profiles using different Google Accounts.
Thank you, Mr. Porter!
MEMBER ONLY RESOURCES
THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE: PRIMARY SOURCE SET AND TEACHER'S GUIDE
Photographs, authors' drafts, sheet music, an audio recording, and newspaper articles from the collections of the Library of Congress let students explore the artistic and literary legacy of the Harlem Renaissance. Also, a complete teacher's guide with background information and teaching ideas.
Enjoy this Harlem Renaissance resource?
Check out more free lesson plans and resources on Share My Lesson in the Black History Month Lesson Plans and Resources collection.
FEBRUARY ACADEMIC SERVICES UPDATE
This month’s academic service update is vital for all teachers. We hope that you will take a moment to look at this monthly report which discusses changes in academic services. This document provides the union with a means of giving the District feedback on the many programs or changes they are proposing at any one time. Without your feedback or questions on these changes, it is harder for ABCFT to slow down and modify the district’s neverending roll out of new projects. Please submit your comments and questions to the appropriate ABCFT liaison.
For Elementary curricular issues please email Kelley at Kelley.Forsythe@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
For Secondary curricular issues please email Rich at Richard.Saldana@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
For Special Education issues please email Stefani at Stefani.Palutzke@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
For Nurse issues please contact Theresa at Theresa.Petersen@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
Click Here For This Month’s Full Report
ABCFT PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Communication is a union’s most important tool for advocating for its members at the bargaining table. Every conversation with the membership is focused on the end result of negotiating for the future prosperity and wellbeing of ABCFT members. This weekly report aims to keep the membership informed about issues that impact their working/learning conditions and their mental well-being. Together we make the YOUnion.
This week, I received an email from an ABCFT member who was concerned that their voice was being drowned out by other members during the YOUnion Chats and that they weren’t feeling heard. When I wrote back to this member, I emphasized that her opinion was valuable and that by reaching out to me directly she ensured that her thoughts about opening were being considered. Right now you’re probably scanning among your twenty open tabs for the email icon and that’s okay. I’m not asking for each ABCFT member to write to me directly to be heard, but if you feel that your opinion is not being heard I encourage you to reach out to either ABCFT@abcusd.us or to me directly.
What did this member write to me about, you ask? She expressed her desire to return to in-person teaching as soon as possible and convincingly argued that anchoring our students again to some sort of in-person option was critical for her students’ well-being and academic success. This is a completely valid opinion and quite frankly is exactly the sentiment we are hearing from the community, seeing on social media, hearing on the news, or around our dinner tables. There is no doubt that the balance between the safety and well-being of our students and fellow teachers is part of a national debate on opening schools again. I feel strongly both ways but the one thing we can all agree on is that getting teachers vaccinated should be a number one priority in facilitating a return to in-person instruction.
It is Friday and we have not yet had an update on how negotiations are going at the state level concerning the guidelines for reopening schools. The governor put out an ambitious plan in December but his strategy did not fully include labor unions, state legislators, or community leaders along the way which is why his first plan has been scrapped. This new plan will include all stakeholders in the decision-making process but there is the agreement that teachers who will be teaching in-person instruction should be at the front of the vaccination line (not behind cannabis distributors right hehe). However, there are many local districts that are already preparing for their in-person openings in the next four to six weeks. This is going to put unbelievable pressure on the ABC School District to follow suit. The wild card in all of this is what the State will unveil as the new plan for reopening schools. It might be finalized later today or sometime next week but it will eventually signal a plan to move forward and hopefully will provide additional funding to meet these new expectations. There is also expected to be a plan to vaccinate the 266,255 California teachers, classified employees, and administrative staff in the 977 California school districts.
So where are we? We are waiting. Waiting for the Governor’s new plan. ABCFT is taking a balanced approach to reopening schools and find common ground with both sides of the argument but we are laser-focused on the safety of our schools for our members. Therefore, over the next couple of weeks, ABCFT will begin safety training so that all ABCFT members will have an opportunity to understand the legal guidelines, what is outlined for classroom safety, and the protection of our members. This training will begin with the ABCFT Executive Board, the ABCFT Site Representatives and will culminate in training, surveys, and dialogue with ALL ABCFT members. No voice is too small and every opinion is essential. Stay posted for more information as things develop. In the meantime, enjoy another three day weekend.
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
The latest CFT articles and news stories can be found here on the PreK12 news feed on the CFT.org website.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
California teachers continue to grapple with grading
As schools grow more familiar with distance learning, one key element continues to baffle even expert teachers: how best to assign grades in an online teaching environment. Many California school districts altered grading policies when schools abruptly closed last spring so that students’ grades could only improve from where they were at just before the sudden stay-at-home order. However, this school year, most schools are back to traditional A-F grading scales, creating an all-new learning curve for teachers who must now grade students from behind a computer screen. State law around distance learning does not require districts to return to letter grades. However, most districts reverted to their traditional grades this spring to increase student motivation, which some teachers said fell off under a pass/fail system. They also want to align with the University of California and California State University systems, which typically require A-F grades in student transcripts. At the high school level, some teachers are being more flexible to accommodate students who have weak Wi-Fi or other responsibilities at home. They may accept late work or assign research projects that aim to show mastery of a topic rather than a simple multiple-choice test. In Los Angeles USD, as teachers were gearing up for report cards in December, the district announced it would extend the “no-fail” policy it used last spring and gave students until January 29th to bring up their grades. Teachers in Fresno USD, meanwhile, can issue grade changes for students who need more time and are able to display that they have mastered a concept taught in a previous term within the same school year. “Grades are important because it’s data that helps you track where you are,” said Gabriel Chilcott, director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at West Contra Costa USD. “But we are talking about kids and how we can help them become the best people they can be.”
----- TEACHER VOICES -----
East Bay teachers hold press conference to oppose reopening schools
East Bay teachers and parents met Wednesday afternoon to speak out against the Biden administration’s plans to reopen the majority of schools within its first 100 days of office. During the virtual press conference, teachers and parents expressed their opposition to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discussed remote learning, the safety of students and educators, and the impact of the pandemic on students of color in the East Bay. East Oakland Pride Elementary School teacher Adarene Hoag touched on the implications of the pandemic and its effects on marginalized students within her community. “Most students live in multigenerational households, depend on grandparents, and have multiple people working with the public in jobs where they are put at risk,” she said, adding that instead of focusing on reopening schools prematurely, school districts should ensure each student is provided with the necessary technology and internet connection to properly participate in remote education.
Teacher demoralization is not burnout, academic asserts
Doris A. Santoro, a professor of education at Bowdoin College, and author of "Demoralized: Why Teachers Leave the Profession They Love and How They Can Stay," asserts the importance of separating teacher demoralization, which occurs when teachers cannot reap the moral rewards of their work, from "burnout," which she suggests happens when teachers are "pushed to the brink of exhaustion" and are entirely depleted. "Critics on social media and in traditional media are painting teachers as selfish and unwilling to perform their jobs," Santoro laments, however, the current predicament has many educators running on empty, grappling to learn new online platforms, calculate the health risks to themselves and their families if their classes are meeting in person, and also managing elder and child care while stemming the economic freefall of their families.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
CDC expected to publish new guidelines for reopening schools
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to release highly anticipated new guidance for getting children physically back to school during the coronavirus pandemic. The five key strategies to reopening campuses are expected to include hand washing, masking, social distancing, cleaning, and ventilation, as well as contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. However, it is thought unlikely that there will be a requirement for staff to vaccinate, with this consider another strategy to “layer”, since many schools were able to safely reopen before vaccines were available. Beyond new CDC guidance, two more items are “absolutely essential” to help schools reopen, said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University professor who specializes in public health law. Federal funding for testing, protective gear, well-ventilated spaces, and other safety measures is one. The other is a media and political campaign” to reassure the public that reopening can be safe and is necessary, he said. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says he thinks it is likely that the vaccine will be authorized for elementary-aged children by September. “By the time we get to April, that will be what I would call, for better wording, ‘open season’—namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated”, he said. However, Lee Savio Beers, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the medical director for community health and advocacy at Children’s National Hospital, said that while she would be “delighted” to see young students vaccinated so quickly, it’s an “aggressive” timeline given the information she’s seen so far. “We’ve not been seeing the manufacturers approach the pediatric trials with quite the same urgency as with the adult trials,” she said. “We’ve been seeing the foot come off the gas a little.”
CNN New York Times Politico Education Week
Cardona nomination moves forward
Miguel Cardona took a key step towards becoming U.S. secretary of education Thursday when the Senate education committee voted 17-5 in favor of his nomination, moving it to the Senate for a final confirmation vote. Committee Chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray cited Mr. Cardona’s “clear qualifications” in advancing the nominee, while Sen. Richard Burr, the committee’s ranking Republican, said: “Cardona has the background, qualification, and temperament to serve as secretary of education. He’s stressed the need for students to be back in school, and that’s now, finally, a bipartisan mission.”
Education Week The 74 USA Today
One in five educators have been vaccinated, NEA says
About one-fifth of teachers who belong to the National Education Association (NEA) have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus, while another 18% have scheduled their first shots, according to a poll by the nation’s largest teachers’ union. The survey of 3,305 active K-12 members and 117 higher education members, conducted January 5 through February 3, also showed that white members are nearly twice as likely as Black members to have been vaccinated, at 20% compared to 9%. In a statement released alongside the survey, NEA President Becky Pringle said that “educators want nothing more than to be back to in-person learning with our students.... [But] most schools, especially those attended by Black, brown, indigenous, and poor white students have severely outdated ventilation systems and no testing or tracing programs to speak of. It’s time to fund proven mitigation strategies, and it’s far past time for every governor to prioritize educator vaccinations.”
Biden administration quizzed on school reopenings
As President Joe Biden and his administration navigate the political and practical implications of trying to help U.S. schools reopen their doors to students in the first few months of his presidency, concerns are rising that the White House’s definition of reopening schools doesn’t perfectly match what many people are picturing. Since Biden’s inauguration, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has been quizzed regularly about the administration’s position on the issue. On Tuesday, a reporter asked for more details about the administration’s idea of what it means to reopen schools; whether that meant teachers in classrooms teaching students in classrooms, or whether it just meant kids in classrooms, but still on screens with teachers at remote locations. After noting that it meant in-person classes in the majority of schools, without specifying K-8 schools, by day 100 of his presidency, Ms. Psaki said, “That means some teaching in classrooms. So at least one day a week. Hopefully, it’s more.” Martin R. West, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who’s looked at polling data on reopening schools and written about the issue, comments: “It seems like they are making the target less ambiguous, but also less ambitious than what I think many people had interpreted it to mean. I think what it means is parents and advocates hoping for a major federal push to reopen schools in a more robust manner in the 2020-21 school year are going to be disappointed.”
How Biden’s stimulus plan would work for schools
High-poverty school districts would gain the most from President Joe Biden’s proposal to send $128.6bn to America’s K-12 schools, according to legislation released Monday. The plan, which could shape school budgets for years to come, represents a massive federal effort to address the academic consequences of two disrupted school years and to help schools reopen their buildings. The funding amounts to about $2,600 per public school student, although the exact amount would vary by district. The proposal says that dollars would flow to states and districts in the same way they did in the last relief package, largely following Title I rules, which sends money to school districts with more low-income students. The legislation stipulates that 20% of the money received by districts must be spent helping students catch up academically, with “summer learning, extended day, or extended school year programs” mentioned as possibilities. School districts would still have a deal of leeway to spend the money, on reopening buildings and ensuring operations run as close to normal as possible. States would also have a role in helping districts with learning loss, with 5% of the total pot sent to states for them to use to help districts implement learning loss programs. The proposal is set to go before the House education committee today, where it could be amended. Congressional leaders say they want to finalize and approve the stimulus package by mid-March.
Fewer children attending school
More children have been absent from school this academic year than a year earlier, with attendance declining as the pandemic wears on, according to data from PowerSchool, a company that helps schools track grades and attendance. Districts showed a 2.3% decline in average daily attendance nationally from September to November of last year, compared with the same period in 2019, with attendances down in 75% of the districts as the year wore on, dropping by 1.5% on average each month. The data deepens concerns that the lengthy school closures will widen the pre-pandemic academic achievement gaps between poor students and others.
----- STATE NEWS -----
New bills could eliminate cost of school lunch for families in need
In response to the increasing rates of child hunger in California, California State Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, introduced a bill Wednesday that aims to provide all public school students with free meals. SB 364, or School Meals for All, was created to reduce the extensive application process that often dissuades families from applying for free or reduced-price meal plans. “Many kids have been locked out of the program,” said Robert Gammon, Skinner’s communications director, and policy advisor. “During the pandemic, schools have been providing lunches to basically any family that needs it, both during summer and during the school year. This bill extends that concept.” According to Bonnie Christensen, director of nutrition services for Berkeley USD, the complex application process is not the only problem families face in the current system. As the eligibility criteria only look at the national poverty level without taking into account the regional cost of living, many ineligible families are left unable to feed their children, according to Christensen. She also noted that offering meals for free would reduce the stigma of free lunch. Separately, AB 508, spearheaded by Assemblywoman Luz Rivas from Los Angeles, states schools between kindergarten and 12th grade will provide eligible students with meals free of charge.
The Daily Californian 10 News Now
CA schools struggling to test English learners’ progress
Students across California who speak another language at home are starting to take tests this month to see how well they are learning English. For many students it will be the first time they’ve been tested in two years; if some students are not tested for the second year in a row, teachers and district officials worry they may not know how much English learner students have progressed over the last two school years. “It means we’re really not clear on how we’re serving those students and what kinds of language services they might need,” said Nicole Knight, executive director of English Language Learner and Multilingual Achievement at Oakland USD. One of the biggest obstacles to testing students during the pandemic is scheduling, whether the test is done at home or online. When school is in-person, teachers and staff schedule tests during the school day and pull children out of class to take them. The test is federally mandated and parents cannot opt-out. But with most students taking classes from home, staff have to schedule tests with parents and guardians, many of whom are unfamiliar with the English test or why it is important.
EdSource
Newsom: school reopening deal could come this week
Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature are getting close to a deal on reopening elementary schools and hope to announce a final plan this week, the governor said yesterday. A key sticking point has been vaccines, and whether teachers will need to be vaccinated before returning to classrooms. Teacher unions argue schools shouldn’t require teachers to return unless they’ve been offered the vaccine. Newsom says that won’t be possible because there are simply not enough shots available to inoculate all teachers and school employees before the end of this school year. At this point, Newsom says negotiations on schools are focused on statewide standards for vaccinations, protective equipment, testing, spacing, and other safety measures. He and lawmakers are also negotiating over possible extensions to the school year to make up for lost learning. Newsom said he’s hoping to also reach a deal on allowing more youth sports this week.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Chicago Teachers Union Votes To Return Gradually To Classrooms
The AP (2/10, Babwin, Tareen) reports that the Chicago Teachers Union has “approved a deal with the nation’s third-largest school district to get students back to class...union officials announced early Wednesday.” According to the AP, “The vote, which closed before midnight, ends the possibility of an immediate teacher lockout or strike,” and “follows months of negotiations with Chicago Public Schools, which had intensified in recent weeks, with plans that included more teacher vaccinations and metrics to allow school closures when COVID-19 infections spike.”
The New York Times (2/10, Taylor, Taylor) reports that “more than 20,000 ballots were cast, with 13,681 members voting in favor and 6,585 voting against.” The Times adds, “Under the agreement, prekindergarten and some special education students will return to classrooms on Thursday. Staff in kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms will return on Feb. 22, and students in those grades will return on March 1. Staff members in sixth- through eighth-grade classrooms will return March 1, and students on March 8.” CNN (2/10, Holcombe, Sutton) reports district CEO Janice Jackson “said staff who live in medically vulnerable homes will be offered Covid-19 vaccinations beginning this week. Moving forward, CPS will aim to vaccinate 1,500 CPS employees each week at its own vaccination sites.”
The Washington Post (2/10, Balingit) reports union officials “accepted the agreement begrudgingly after concluding that they would be unlikely to gain additional concessions from the city.” CTU President Jessey Sharkey said in a release: “Let me be clear. This plan is not what any of us deserve. The fact that CPS could not delay reopening a few short weeks to ramp up vaccinations and preparations in schools is a disgrace.”
Also reporting are the Wall Street Journal (2/10, Subscription Publication), NPR (2/10, Chappell), CBS News (2/10), and The Hill (2/10, Mastrangelo).
Districts braced for pandemic-related special ed litigation
The difficulties of transitioning individualized special education academic and behavioral services to online and hybrid formats have been challenging for teachers and school administrators since the onset of the pandemic. Aside from the complications of teaching students from a distance, districts are at risk of legal action for the potential violation of students’ rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Although special education lawyers and administrators interviewed by K-12 Dive say they haven’t seen notable increases in litigation rising from pandemic-related disputes, several predict an uptick may emerge once more schools move to a fully in-person status and can determine how far students have fallen behind academically or behaviorally. Matt Cohen, a Chicago-based attorney who represents families in special education disputes, said a majority of calls to his office have been from parents saying their child is struggling to participate and engage in online learning. He added while federal and state guidance has clearly indicated schools must adhere to IDEA requirements during the pandemic, specific guidance on how to meet the needs of kids with disabilities, especially harder-to-serve students, has been vague.
LA schools need 25,000 vaccines to safely reopen, says Beutner
Los Angeles USD Superintendent Austin Beutner said yesterday that the district’s elementary schools could safely reopen if 25,000 COVID-19 vaccines were made available for its teachers, administrators, janitors, and bus drivers. Getting them inoculated will put the district on a path to reopening elementary schools that serve about 250,000 children, which in turn will help about half a million parents return to work, Beutner said. LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday her department is working with all 80 school districts in the county to provide vaccines to school employees, but noted that supplies from the federal government remain unpredictable. “We can’t make any commitments for vaccines to anyone district until we know how much vaccine we will be getting,” she said. Unlike neighboring health departments such as Long Beach, Los Angeles County has not prioritized the vaccination of teachers. Instead, the county is focused on getting older people vaccinated while vaccine supplies remain extremely limited.
Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Daily News The Patch
How the nation’s biggest city school districts are operating
The second half of the 2020-21 school year is poised to be as challenging as the first half for district leaders who must make high-stakes decisions about student and employee health and safety as the COVID-19 pandemic approaches the one-year mark. Education Week has created a tracker presenting the current operating status of some of America’s largest school districts. Collectively, these school systems serve about 8.2 million students, or roughly 15%of the U.S. public school enrollment. All are members of the Council of the Great City Schools, which is closely documenting how its districts are providing instruction.
----- SPORTS -----
CIF to allow high school athletes to participate in multiple sports
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced yesterday it is reinstating its waiver to allow high school athletes to compete simultaneously on club teams with all sports except football. The decision also clears the way for athletes to compete in multiple sports on school teams. The clarification was achieved when the CIF learned that the guidance from the health department was a recommendation and not a mandate to limit teams to the same cohorts or groupings. The CIF and a group of coaches continue to hold talks with the governor’s office on how to resume high school sports besides the ones permitted in counties classified in the state’s purple tier, based on community coronavirus transmission.
----- FINANCE -----
IRS allows teachers to write off teaching supplies
The IRS confirmed this week that teachers can include the purchase of teaching supplies, such as books and stationery, as well as pandemic-era essentials such as masks, face shields, hand sanitizer, and air purifiers, in the $250 deduction educators get every year for their out-of-pocket expenses. The IRS says people eligible for the deduction include K-12 teachers and anyone who is an “instructor, counselor, principal, or aide in a school for at least 900 hours during a school year.” Two teachers who are married and filing jointly can claim up to $500. School districts were projected to spend more than $25bn on personal protective equipment, according to Education Week, citing the School Superintendents Association. However, too many teachers still have to pay up, said the American Federation of Teachers. The union said the extra support is “welcome,” but added: “it is inexcusable that educators are being relied upon to purchase their own PPE to protect their kids and themselves in a pandemic…There is no other profession we know of where workers must subsidize what should be a cost borne by an employer as a necessity of the job, and the COVID crisis has laid bare this outrageous burden for all to see.”
----- LEGAL -----
San Francisco expands lawsuit against own school district
San Francisco’s city attorney has expanded a lawsuit against the school district, adding allegations that school officials violated the state Constitution and equal rights laws by not providing in-person instruction despite the ability to do so. City Attorney Dennis Herrera added the new counts to an existing lawsuit against San Francisco USD that has previously alleged school officials failed to create a specific plan for reopening as required by state law. Herrera also claims the district is discriminating against students from low-income families in violation of the state’s equal protection clause. If Herrera’s emergency order is accepted, the school board and district would be forced to act prior to the lawsuit’s conclusion. "All children in California have a right to attend a public school and to be treated equally, regardless of their wealth," Herrera said. " That is not happening in San Francisco right now, where SFUSD’s own data show the achievement gap is widening."
San Francisco Chronicle Fox News
----- WORKFORCE ----
Conejo Valley teacher union negotiates COVID stipends
Conejo Valley USD educators are to receive “hazard pay” in the form of stipends based on an agreement between the teachers union and school district. An educator teaching a hybrid class, which entails regularly working on campus, will get a $275 stipend per month with the understanding that they will undergo COVID-19 testing every 30 days or as directed by the district. An educator teaching a remote learning class will get a $250 stipend per month. It is estimated the stipends will cost the district $1.4m.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Weekly testing could halve in-school COVID cases
Weekly testing of students and teachers with Abbott's BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests cuts in-school COVID-19 infections by up to 50%, according to a study commissioned by The Rockefeller Foundation. The organization piloted weekly antigen testing at K-12 schools in six U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C., finding that it had the biggest impact when used to test both teachers and students at least every week in high schools. A 50% reduction in in-school transmission suggests asymptomatic testing of students and teachers may have value even if it misses some cases. Financing was identified as a potential problem, however. Abbott sells BinaxNOW kits for $5 but one site estimated the cost of administering the test was $80. The additional $75 covers labor, testing supplies, personal protective equipment, and biohazardous waste removal. "Many school districts were not prepared for these costs and have not implemented clear guidelines for procuring the necessary supplies," the authors of the study wrote.
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Oasis Charter School in Salinas denied renewal
In a 3-2 vote, Salinas City Elementary School District trustees have denied a renewal petition from the Oasis Charter School. District officials say Oasis failed to meet or make sufficient progress toward meeting standards that benefit the students of the school. Additionally, several teachers at Oasis are without a clear teaching credential, according to SCESD officials. The district is also concerned with Oasis’ academic performance overall, an improvement over time, the academic performance of English language students, and academic performance of Latino students. Oasis contends that the charter school is rated in the "middle track" for renewal by the California Department of Education. The rating is based on Oasis’s School Dashboard results over the past two years. Oasis serves 250 students, 150 families and employs 13 teachers and 19 faculty staff members. Students and staff risk being displaced with the denied renewal.
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
Survey spotlights fall in digital learning confidence among teachers
Recently released data from GBH Education and PBS Learning Media, based on surveys conducted in June and March 2020 among 1,914 K-12 teachers, reveals 13% of educators had never used digital media services in their classrooms until after schools transitioned to remote learning. It also found respondents lost confidence in their ability to use digital learning tools after distance learning started. Before school closures, 77% of teachers reported being "very" or "extremely confident" when using digital learning tools, but that number had dropped to 66% by late June. Researchers attributed the drop in teacher confidence to the fact many teachers may have been comfortable using digital technology to supplement lessons but found it more challenging when they were forced by COVID-19-related closures to use it for their entire curriculum.
Districts found to be lagging on cybersecurity training for teachers
Keeping virtual classrooms secure has become a major priority for school district IT departments over the past year. However, 44% of K-12 and college educators say they haven’t received basic cybersecurity training, and another 8% were unsure if they had been trained at all, according to an October 2020 survey by Morning Consult on behalf of IBM. Additionally, 54% of K-12 educators are using their own personal computing devices for remote learning, which typically lack the same level of cybersecurity protections as school-issued computers. Public institutions that have a strong motivation to protect their data are always at a higher risk, and the pandemic has increased that risk because far more school activity is occurring using digital tools, according to Richard DeMillo, interim chair of the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “It’s not that the threats are changing, it’s that the risks are growing,” he said. “You should assume the more you’re doing online, the more the risks have gone up, the more serious the consequences would be if there were a serious breach.”
----- SOCIAL & COMMUNITY -----
How districts can safely operate COVID-19 vaccine sites
As pressure builds to reopen schools safely for students and staff, a growing number of districts are no longer content to wait on the sidelines for vaccines. Education Week looks at how the Anchorage school district has set up a large-scale community vaccination program that’s responsible for a significant share of all the doses administered in Alaska. To bring its 42,000 students and 8,000 staff members back to buildings safely, the district knew that pitching in on community vaccinations was key, even though nearly all its own staff members are not yet eligible. District leaders made sketches and flow charts to configure the space for the clinic. They applied to the state to become an approved vaccine provider, with 15 to 20 of their 108 registered nurses running the stations each day, 20 staff members from other departments helping move clients through the lines into the vaccination stations, and then into the observation areas where nurses would monitor them for allergic reactions. Michael Magee, the president of the superintendents’ group Chiefs for Change, said that even though there are many things to think through, from liability to seamless coordination with a state’s vaccine data tracking system, he believes most districts can stand up their own vaccination programs, and have much to gain, and to contribute to their communities, by doing so.
----- OTHER -----
NTA Life Insurance - An ABCFT Sponsor
About three years ago ABCFT started a working relationship with National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company. Throughout our partnership, NTA has been supportive of ABCFT activities by sponsorship and prizes for our various events. This organization specializes in providing insurance for educators across the nation. We have been provided both data and member testimonials about how pleased they have been with the NTA products and the opportunity to look at alternatives to the district insurance choice.
To All Members of the ABC Federation of Teachers,
National Teacher Associates (NTA) is committed to our efforts to helping educators through tough times. It’s what we do. After all…in our eyes, you are the heart and soul of our communities.
Protecting you and your families has been our goal for over 45 years. Despite the current global pandemic, we are not about to slow down now. We know that many of you have had our programs for years and sometimes forget the intricacies of how they work. NTA wants to help facilitate any possible claims for now and in the future. Fortunately, all claims and reviews can be done by phone and on-line. I personally want to offer my services to guide you in the right direction with your NTA benefits.
We also apologize for not being able to finish the open enrollment for those of you who wanted to get our protection. We are still able to help by extending our enrollment window for the near future. Again, this can be done over the phone, email, or on-line.
Please contact Leann Blaisdell at any time either by phone or email.
562-822-5004
