April-2020-Advisor_2

INFORMING

4 CEA ADVISOR APRIL 2020

CONNECTICUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CORONAVIRUS

Nearly every day brings new developments regarding public education in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. To provide timely answers to all your questions and concerns, CEA has developed a Coronavirus Resource Center at cea.org/2020-coronavirus . For the latest news stories and information, subscribe to BlogCEA.org . CEA also welcomes members’ comments and questions. If you have advice or best practices to share, have concerns related to the pandemic, or are interested in how your colleagues around the state are operating during the coronavirus pandemic, email info@cea.org .

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWNOW

How can students who usually receive free or reduced-price lunch get their meals during school closures? Check the website of your school district or available for students to pick up at school to take home at specified times, and a few districts also have specific dropoff locations for meals. municipality. Many districts are making breakfast and lunch

currently serving under any of the aforementioned permits/ authorizations will be able to seek renewal at the time of expiration in accordance with existing policy and procedures. Educators may continue to renew Professional Educator Certificates online or by mail at no cost to the applicant, in accordance with existing policy and procedures. Additionally, 5-Year Coaching Permit holders are reminded it is their professional responsibility to maintain current first aid and CPR certifications. Over the coming weeks, the Bureau of Educator Standards and Certification will automatically update expiration dates within the Connecticut Educator Certification System and will print and mail new certificates to educators impacted by the change. As a beginning teacher, must I still complete the TEAM requirements? While TEAM has an additional year built into the program for those who may be unable to meet their expected completion deadline, the State Department of Education has made additional accommodations in light of current circumstances. Deadlines for all teachers currently participating in TEAM are as follows: • 9/1/2020 deadlines will be extended to 2/15/2021 • 2/15/2021 deadlines will be extended to 9/1/2021 These changes should allow teachers the time they need to complete all of their requirements. While schools are closed, teachers and mentors may continue to work together virtually. Beginning teachers may need the emotional support of their mentors as they navigate the new

How long will Connecticut schools be closed?

Governor Lamont has closed Connecticut schools through April 20 and said they are likely to remain closed until the fall. Will we have to make up days? Are we in school until June 30? Governor Lamont issued an executive order waiving the 180-day requirement for school districts, meaning that the last day of the school year may be what each district had previously planned prior to closing due to coronavirus, unless the district chooses to add days to make up for lost instructional days. What about teacher evaluations? On March 25, Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona waived all components of the Educator Evaluation and Support Plan for the remainder of the 2019- 2020 school year. The commissioner encouraged educators to continue professional learning and career development opportunities to the greatest extent possible. What should I do if my certification is about to expire? The Bureau of Educator Standards and Certification has extended the expiration date of all Initial and Provisional Certificates (including Interim) and 5-Year Coaching Permits with expiration dates between 3/15/20 and 12/31/20 for one year from the date of original expiration. This extension does not apply to permits and/or authorizations such as 90-Day Certificates, Long Term Substitute Authorizations, Durational Shortage Area Permits, Charter School Educator Permits, and Emergency Coaching Permits, nor does it apply to Resident Educator Certificates. Educators

Anyone in the household who is age 18 or under can receive the meals. Usually only one child per household must be present for the family to receive meals.  Can administrators require teachers to go to school buildings and attend group meetings during this crisis? Teachers are considered “essential” workers per Governor Lamont’s executive order and thus are not covered by the order to stay home. However, educators do still need to follow social distancing protocols. Education Commissioner Cardona has stated, “While total school closures have not happened, we are also encouraging work from home as much as possible and little to no person-to-person contact in our schools.” If your administrator asks you to go to school for group meetings, or if you feel uncomfortable going into school for any reason, please contact your local president and UniServ Rep. Are schools required to offer distance learning? Prior to the governor waiving the 180-day requirement, many schools, expecting to be out for only two weeks, sent students home with only supplemental activities. Since the waiver is now in effect, and the closures are extending for at least several weeks, the State Department of Education has asked districts to shift to thinking about distance learning. Districts retain the authority to devise plans that best meet the needs of their students, and the State Department of Education and NEA are offering resources to support remote learning. Follow the lead of your district (which should first be in touch with your local union to reach agreement on expectations) as to what kinds of activities they expect you to plan and how they expect you

Farmington English teacher Lauren Gallucci, ready for her district’s school spirit PJ day, says that “dress for success” has a new meaning these days.

to be in contact with students and parents. If any conversations with families take place over the phone, use *67 first to block your phone number. Many companies are giving away free teaching resources online. Am I allowed to use them? If the resource is something you can legally download and use (such as a worksheet) and you are following your district’s remote learning procedures, you are probably okay, but any websites that require students to log in, have accounts, or otherwise do things online need to be approved by your district (as always). PA 16-189 (the student data privacy law) is still in effect. If you use your own resources or sites that aren’t approved, you may be liable if something goes wrong. Stick with district-approved resources, and if you find something new, share it with your administrator, and you may be able to get it approved. The Connecticut Education Network is the state’s office for education technology. Their website includes a portal for educators, which provides a list of technology tools that meet the state’s data privacy requirements. Are parents permitted to observe their children in the classroom? The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) does not specifically prohibit a parent or professional working with the parent from observing the parent’s child in the classroom. Further, FERPA does not protect the confidentiality of information in general; rather, the

challenges of planning and delivering distance learning. While teachers may continue to work on their modules where it makes sense, with the extended deadlines, it is not required that modules be completed during this time.

Kayleigh Matos, a student at Wheeler Elementary in Plainville, has wise words to share with her school community.