CEA-Advisor_April-2023-issue_web

DISCUSSING

APRIL 2023 CEA ADVISOR 7

CANDID CONVERSATIONS WITH DCF Commissioner answers teachers’ questions about reporting, investigations, what’s working, what’s new

Four years ago, recently appointed Department of Children and Families Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes asked CEA members, “What keeps you up at night?” Teachers detailed their frustration with mountains of paperwork and hours-long hold times on DCF’s Careline. They shared their fears about ordinary teacher-student interactions being misidentified as inappropriate, and unsubstantiated DCF cases held up by career-ending procedural delays. Thanks to outreach by CEA’s legal department, October 2019 marked the first time a DCF commissioner and her leadership team sat down with Connecticut teachers and solicited their input into the DCF process. Dorantes promised it would not be the last. On March 22, 2023—now four years into her job and having weathered a pandemic— Dorantes again joined CEA local and state leaders for a conversation about what’s working when it comes to the teacher-DCF relationship and what still needs to be improved. “We’ve seen an evolution over the last few years,” CEA President Kate Dias said. “We’re

than needed. These districts wait for the formality of a written statement from DCF despite verbal assurances that an investigation isn’t going to be substantiated. CEA’s legal experts plan to partner with DCF to expedite teachers’ return to the classroom and lessen the impact of investigations on educators and their students. Online portal for reporting non-emergency issues DCF had been piloting an online portal for non-emergent reporting when Dorantes talked with educators in 2019, and Careline Operations Director Lisa Daymonde noted that “educators were making some pretty smart decisions about what was immediate and what was something that could be made through the portal.” DCF found that very few reports made online should have actually resulted in a call. “In fact,” said Daymonde, “we learned so much from the pilot with educators, we expanded the portal to all mandatory reporters effective June 6, 2022.” The portal has dramatically reduced call wait time, once a major complaint of educators. Updates to the portal A recent update to DCF’s portal allows educators to start an online report, save it, and come back within 12 hours to finish it, providing time to gather supporting information without losing the information already entered. The portal also allows educators to print the report for their records before it’s submitted as well as upload and attach attendance records and other documents. DCF has added a pop-up feature with helpful tips. Preventative support for families Sometimes educators call DCF because they know a family is in need and don’t know how else to get them help. DCF Bureau Chief of External Affairs Ken Mysogland said that connectingtocarect.org allows educators to find a list of behavioral health supports available in the town where the family lives. By the beginning of next school year, he added, they hope to have in place a care management entity (CME) that will allow educators to call and refer a family in need of support. The CME will connect families with appropriate services. By making it easier for families to get services, Mysogland said, DCF hopes that there will be fewer incidents of abuse and neglect. Documenting DCF’s busiest times Just as the teaching profession is facing a shortage, so is DCF. When it comes to the Careline, October and March are the busiest months, Tuesday is the peak day, and the top time is 2 p.m. Knowing this, Dorantes said, can help teachers anticipate when hold times might be longer. “You have the strongest advocates for you at CEA,” Dorantes told educators. “Even though you’re seeing me in front of you for the first time since 2019, you should know that my office and CEA have had regular conversations throughout the years.” 12 Dos and Don’ts for Teachers Facing Allegations or Complaints of Any Kind 1. DO NOT talk to anyone until you have talked to your CEA UniServ Rep. (The same is true if you are called in to answer questions about a colleague’s behavior.) 2. DO NOT discuss the allegations with a DCF investigator before consulting with CEA Member Legal Services. 3. DO NOT make spontaneous responses to charges brought against you. In crisis, it can be difficult to think clearly. 4. DO NOT appear at an accusatory hearing unless you are accompanied by an Association representative. 5. DO NOT attempt to defend yourself alone. 6. DO NOT accept an “opportunity to resign.” 7. DO NOT submit a written statement to your administrator. 8. DO NOT refuse to carry out an administrator’s orders, even though doing so would violate your contract. Your UniServ Rep will advise you concerning exceptions to this rule. 9. DO NOT do your own investigation (for example, do not contact witnesses), as that may be deemed coercive or disruptive to the DCF investigation. 10. DO NOT prepare a defense (such as reaching out to colleagues or lining up character witnesses). Let CEA Member Legal Services represent you and coordinate the appropriate response to the allegations. 11. DO immediately write down everything that has happened—a narrative including time, date, location, names of involved persons, witnesses, and actual words spoken. Do not submit this written report to anyone until your UniServ Rep has reviewed it. 12. DO keep copies of all correspondence related to the situation.

Holding up a CEA Advisor in which she was first featured, in 2019, DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes reflects on earlier conversations with CEA—what she learned, what’s changed—and outlines the work that lies ahead.

in an interesting space where we’re redefining how we engage and how we get kids the support and services they need. There are still failure-to-report concerns, there is still a weaponizing of DCF against teachers, but we are working together to find common ground.” Can we talk? Local union leaders submitted topics in advance of the forum, held at the Sheraton in Rocky Hill, and took the opportunity to ask candid questions of DCF staff about these and other sensitive issues affecting their colleagues and students: • False claims • Removing unsubstantiated reports from files • Overreporting • Online vs. Careline • DCF questions regarding whether teachers investigated incidents before reporting Questions about DCF? Ask your local union president to schedule a Teachers and the Law workshop, presented free in your district by CEA Member Legal Services experts. Packed with

important information about your legal rights and responsibilities, this CEA members-only information session includes case studies and opportunities for questions and answers.

• Medical and educational neglect • Truancy/chronic absenteeism • Investigation timeframes • Student mental health • Relationships with parents after DCF filing • How schools and teachers can better support families and students involved with DCF • Resources for common issues facing families

Progress report In addition to addressing these issues, Dorantes, joined by a panel of DCF staff, discussed changes made as a result of earlier dialogues with CEA. “We made certain promises,” she said. “Today we have an opportunity to talk about which of those things we’ve been able to make come to fruition.” Relationship building In 2019, one of Dorantes’ goals was to rebuild what had become a tense relationship between DCF and educators. Not only have DCF leaders been in frequent contact with CEA leaders and staff since then, but Dorantes said relationships have improved at the local level as well. Some DCF employees are assigned as liaisons to larger schools and can provide support when questions come up. She urged union leaders to get to know their local DCF representatives so that it’s easy to reach out when questions or concerns arise. Dedicated DCF team for schools Before Dorantes’ tenure as DCF commissioner, there was little consistency across the state in how complaints filed against school employees were investigated. Dorantes and her staff instituted an Educational Investigation Unit, which now has a dedicated team of 12 responsible for investigations involving school employees, bus drivers, daycare employees, and camp staff. Faster return to teaching Being the subject of a DCF investigation is a wrenching experience for an educator, and it’s made worse when that teacher is removed from the classroom for longer than necessary. Thanks to the investigation team now dedicated to schools, teachers are often back in school sooner than they were several years ago, although DCF leaders acknowledged that some districts keep teachers out of the classroom longer

One of the many benefits of union membership is that CEA members may receive free legal representation in various employment-related disputes and complaints, including DCF investigations.