1-Oct-Nov 2020 BACK TO SCHOOL pp 1-11 Advisor

REOPENING

4 CEA ADVISOR OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020

CEA WORKS FOR SAFETY, TEACHERS’ RIGHTS IN SCHOOL REOPENING

Mixed Models Deliver Mixed Results

Less than threeweeks into school reopening, at least 68 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in schools throughout Connecticut, with hundreds more individuals quarantined and some schools having to shut their doors within days of reopening. Those numbers are only expected to rise. As schools have resumed classes throughout the state—some delaying the reopening of buildings, others testing out hybrid, cohorted, or in- person models with the challenges of synchronous and asynchronous learning—flexibility, vigilance, and a demand for every necessary protection have been key. “No matter which approach a school takes,” says CEA President Jeff Leake, “close monitoring of the school community’s health and safety is crucial to success. We have pushed—and continue to push—for adequate PPE, adherence to CDC recommendations and protocol on disinfectant use, social distancing, and more, and the opportunities for teachers and students to work remotely when that is the safest option for them.” Governor Ned Lamont recently announced that Connecticut expects to receive about one million new rapid COVID-19 tests from the federal outsource some of their instruction and grading to a virtual education platform but dialed back on those plans when they heard teachers’ concerns. East Lyme Teachers’ Association President Scott Mahon explains, “It is vitally important for our district to support its own teachers who are at high risk of serious illness from coronavirus because of underlying medical conditions, who reside with high-risk people, or who have childcare issues caused by the hybrid model being widely adopted. We advocated for allowing these educators to teach remotely to students at home, or in a classroom with a proctor.” The state, he said, has made money available to help districts pay for this model. “It does not make sense to hire a virtual outside contractor to take on virtual teaching of our students when we have loyal veteran teachers of our own who could perform the exact same role,” Mahon says. “We should be supporting our existing teachers before turning to an outside contractor. The State Board of Education approved Emergency Educator Certification Endorsements that allow existing teachers to teach outside their certification during the 2020-2021 school year, which makes utilizing our existing teachers much easier, whether in a direct or supporting instructional role. While we understand that districts presently face certain challenges, the ELTA does not support the contracting out of the work of our teachers, who have strong connections with the students and families of the East Lyme community, to a company that exists

government, starting in early October, so that students and teachers who have symptoms or may have come in contact with the virus can be tested; this could reduce the need to quarantine or close schools. CEA UniServ Reps and local association leaders throughout the state have worked all summer and into the fall on MOUs to ensure that school environments and learning models prioritize safety and equity. They have put off school reopening when conditions were unsafe, demanded additional PPE when supplies fell short, and set aside commercial virtual learning products in favor of real-time remote instruction from qualified teachers. In districts such as Marlborough, where teachers have a strong voice on their school reopening committee, the return to school has been safer and smoother than it might otherwise be, with bus monitors to ensure proper distancing and mask- wearing; replacing student tables with desks taken out of storage as well as purchasing new standing desks; smaller class sizes that allow six feet between desks in most rooms; and efforts to eliminate as many touchpoints as possible by installing touch-free faucets, paper towel dispensers, and water connections. We do not believe that that is in the best interests of the students, the district, or the teachers.” In addition, the virtual platform that East Lyme was prepared to use—Edgenuity—has been widely • Standardization of test questions that makes it easy for students to cheat • Parent complaints that the platform is frustrating for children, difficult to load, and hard to understand, with low- quality microphones set at low volumes and teaching videos that have not been updated since 2013 • A scoring algorithm that looks for certain keywords in students’ answers, making it possible for students to receive no credit for a correct answer or full credit for an incorrect answer that simply includes the right keywords CEA UniServ Rep Mike Casey got involved in the ELTA’s case. Thanks to an online petition that circulated in the East Lyme community and overwhelming pressure from teachers and parents, the town put its virtual learning platform plans on the back burner. “Over the summer, a group of us engaged in negotiations with the superintendent, board of education attorney, and several administrators,” Casey says. “We strenuously pitched our proposal that teachers seeking accommodations be permitted to teach remotely from home to students in a physical classroom at the East Lyme schools or remotely at their homes. Thanks to a strong criticized for a variety of shortcomings, including on a virtual format and uses instructors who have no such

dispensers.

got us five TV news crews, two newspaper reporters, and a radio interview, which really improved our negotiations. The board of education needed us to settle a memorandum of understanding, because we had so much media attention and public support as a result. Andrews and CEA Organizer-Trainer Joe Zawawi did an unbelievable job, so if your district needs help, I’d recommend reaching out to them.” “CEA’s Communications Department has helped amplify teachers’ voices by securing television and newspaper interviews for local presidents throughout the state, providing guidance on press releases, and assisting with other messaging,” says Andrews, adding, “We will continue to work with our local leaders and their members to make sure our teachers are heard loud and clear.” “Our teachers have worked—and continue to work—long hours as they rise to the challenge of teaching in a time of pandemic,” says Leake. “We are advocating for every right and resource they need to do their jobs effectively.” For more on your rights in a COVID environment, watch a members-only video presented by CEA’s legal team. (See story, page 9.)

Marlborough Education Association Co-President Amy Farrior says the steps her district has taken so far have helped put many teachers at ease. A survey of MEA members this summer found that teachers felt either comfortable or somewhat comfortable about the return to in-person learning. “Giving teachers a voice in how schools reopen is so important,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. “They understand what’s realistic, safe, and equitable.” CEA, communities amplify teachers’ voices While challenges remain throughout the state, teachers’ collective voices in board of education meetings, on reopening task forces, and in media coverage have made a difference. East Haven Education Association President Michael Archambault says his local association filed an unfair labor practice when the board of education refused to negotiate. “We had more than 160 teachers show up and protest before the first day of school because the board of education wouldn’t accommodate high-risk teachers,” he recalls. “CEA was a huge help. Their director of communications, Nancy Andrews,

East Lyme, East Haven Unions Persuade Boards of Education: Virtual Learning Product No Substitute for Teachers Some districts planned to

East Haven Education Association President and technology teacher Michael Archambault is interviewed by NBC Connecticut’s Matt Austin.

union and administrators willing to listen, this was a big win for us.” CEA UniServ Rep Gloria Dimon achieved similar success in East Haven, where the union organized teachers and parents in reviewing Edgenuity online and convincing the board of education to implement it only as a supplemental tool, not a

substitute for East Haven teachers. “We were able to create a better environment for both our members and their students, and we now have a detailed memorandum of agreement that spells out various other protections for our dedicated teachers,” Dimon says.

Hamden, Wilton Put the Brakes On Hearing teachers’ concerns, the Wilton Board of Education voted to postpone the start of in-person learning, citing the need for more time to prepare. Instead of returning to the classroom on the originally scheduled first day, Wilton students were initially taught remotely on a half-day schedule, with teachers using the extra time to train on various distance-learning technologies. The delay also came as a result of five coronavirus cases being discovered in Wilton over a six-day period and the fact that several orders for personal protective equipment were held up. Hamden similarly pushed back its school start date after two high school teachers tested positive for COVID-19 and concerns arose over both safety issues and the shortage of educators.