DAILY UPDATE #114 -- 9/01/2020
 

  • AASD OFFICE CLOSURE. 
    AASD will be sending out a Daily Update, Monday-Friday, throughout the return to instruction/school reopening period.  The Weekly Update will continue as usual on Thursdays with the typical news and information for AASD members.  The AASD Office continues to remain closed.  AASD staff are working remotely and can be reached via the contact information at the end of this Update.

    AASD has created a Google Form for AASD Members to report issues, questions or concerns regarding work-related issues, COVID-19, return to instruction and school reopening.  AASD will provide answers to issues, questions or concerns submitted as answers become available.  You may also share your gratitude for another AASD member, district personnel, etc., via the same link.

    The link to share issues/questions/concerns/gratitude is:
    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVSsqBQSHboCdgqbnpaucUY--DHKjosG8MAmRuCxawzB4blg/viewform?usp=sf_link
     
    Please do not share this link outside of AASD membership (classified and certificated management/supervisors).  The link will be active until this crisis is over. 
     
    NOTE:  All previous AASD Daily Updates and Weekly Updates are located on the AASD Website www.aasdcs.org if you need to refer back to them for information.

     
  • COMING SOON…..A DEDICATED DISTRICT HOTLINE FOR ALL AASD MEMBERS – PRINCIPALS, VICE PRINCIPALS, CENTRAL OFFICE CERTIFICATED, CLASSIFIED MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS TO CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE REGARDING HEALTH AND SAFETY MATTERS
     
    In the Return to Instruction MOU, AASD negotiated the following language:
     
    The District will establish a “hotline” available to AASD unit members and other management who are charged with enforcing the health and safety policies and procedures where they can call or e-mail and get immediate assistance when conflicts arise, clarification is needed, or decisions must be made regarding health and safety matters.  This hotline will be available on all District workdays, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be staffed with a person in authority who has the capability to make decisions or who has direct access to those who can make decisions.  In the rare event that a message must be left, all calls will be returned promptly, within the same day.

    The hotline will be up and running on Tuesday, September 7.  More information will be forthcoming by the end of this week.  This hotline is for ALL AASD represented members, both classified and certificated.
     
  • Q and A (Tuesday, September 1, 2020)
    Q:  We continue to get conflicting, incorrect, or changing information from the high school office. Last week we received the attendance procedure, which we then shared with our teachers and office staff. Two days later, we were given an updated attendance/grading procedure with different information. This has happened many times over the last several weeks. It is embarrassing to have to resend information. It is obvious that those creating these procedures have little to no site experience. Otherwise, they would know how confusing and frustrating it is for site staff to deal with constant changes and misinformation.
    A:  (Answer provided by AASD)  Thank you for sharing this concern.  It has been shared with executive leadership at the district.
     
    Q:  I am a secondary vice principal who was put in charge of parent/guardian communication. After working endlessly on updating the school old website, the platform was changed without any real explanation. When the new platform went live, all the previous information was lost. The worst part was the chaos for our families, who depend on our websites for timely information, which ended up costing more work for the sites. My goal was to simplify the start of the school year, not to make it more confusing to our families. It was not even possible to google the school name - you had to have the exact web address to find it. Our Spanish-speaking families were especially confused. Then I had to recreate all the information on the new platform, while dealing with formatting issues. Now parents continue to email me because nothing is familiar and they are having a difficult time navigating the new websites (district and site). I simply cannot understand why this change had to occur at the worst possible time of year. This change during this time of year is an unacceptable leadership decision.
    A: (Answer provided by AASD)  Thank you for sharing this concern.  It has been shared with executive leadership at the district.
     
    Q:  Communication of Critical Information for Classified Supervisors - I am a Classified Supervisor that supports more than 100 student support providers. I do not have access to Principal updates. Thank you AASD for providing clear updates in your daily and weekly updates. Without AASD, I would not know about the most recent press release. I understand that communication issues have previously been reported. Is there anything that can be done to receive more critical communications from the District?
    A:  (Answer provided by AASD)  Thank you for sharing this concern.  You are correct that AASD has advocated all along for classified managers and supervisors to received this type of critical information.  In some departments, that has happened.  In others, it has not.  AASD has once again forwarded this concern to executive leadership at the district.
     
    Q:  What is the protocol if teachers are absent and visiting teachers having access to their Zoom, Canvas or Google Classroom? Teachers can not give subs their username or password. Will they be automatically added into each system?
    A:  (Answer provided by AASD)  AASD has asked the district to provide an answer to this question.
     
     
  • DISTRICT COMMUNICATION

    The following communication was sent to Principals on September 1:
     
  • WELLNESS RESOURCES
    • Cultivating the Wellness of our School Communities is at the core of our work. As we begin a new school year, we would like to share the following resources: VEBA Calendar and  LiveWell@Home. 
    • We hope these resources can provide you with valuable links that could be shared with families, students, and staff. For more information on our District Wellness efforts, please contact Kate McDevitt at kmcdevitt@sandi.net. 
       
  • FOOD SERVICES UPDATE
    • The USDA recently made a decision allowing our district to continue providing free meals for all students. 
    • Please inform your school families that they may drive-thru or walk-up to any of the 82 meal pick-up locations throughout the district to receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch for their children. Meals are available Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.  
    • Currently, there is no cost or school validation needed.  We will continue to update families as we find out how long this waiver remains in place. 
    • Students do not need to be present to pick up meals; however, a photo of the child will need to be shown by their parent or guardian. 
    • Families can visit www.sandiegounified.org and click on ‘Meal Pick-Up Locations’ to find their nearest school meal pick-up location.
       
  • THE DISTANCE LEARNING PLAYBOOK
    • Based on a number of requests from the Principal Institute, we are purchasing the electronic version of The Distance Learning Playbook by Fisher, Frey, and Hattie for SDEA unit members.
    • Here is a link to the promotional video to share with your staff if they are interested in this resource.
    • If you have already purchased the book for your staff, using site funds, we will reimburse you based on the district’s purchase price of the ebook.
      • Please provide the amount, purchase order number or upload your PCard receipt on this form. 
      • You will receive an email notification when your site has been reimbursed.
    • Please have your teachers complete this form with their district email by this Friday, September 4th by noon to receive access to the ebook.
       
  • ONLINE ATTENDANCE & ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES FOR CLERICAL STAFF
  • FACTS FOR PARENTS 
    • Some Facts for Parents booklets have been delivered to school sites.  As with all other paperwork this year, such as enrollment forms, we are encouraging everyone to use the online version. 
    • We have provided schools with 20 percent of your usual number of booklets. These should only be provided to families who do not have technology access.
    • Please encourage families to review the documents online and sign the form.  Families can sign and scan a copy (preferred method), mail it in or drop it off to the school for clerks to review and update in PowerSchool. 
    • Principals have discretion on how to maintain the records as electronic files or printed out and filed. 
    • Here is the link to the online version of  Facts for Parents and Universal Form.
       
  • EDUCATOR UPDATES
  • “QUESTIONS FROM THE FIELD” UPDATE
    • If you have questions on the reopening of schools, please submit them HERE.  
    • Here is the link to the responses to the questions previously submitted. 
       
  • ELEMENTARY UPDATES
  • TK/4 Enrollment Guidelines - UPDATE
    • As part of the enrollment requirements for the 4-year-old students (within TK/4 classrooms), the state requires a request form be submitted to the director for any drop or transfer for an early learning student. This is inclusive of both general education and special education students. 
    • Although school sites have the capability to enroll students, dropping or transferring from school to school is not permitted without documented authorization.
    • This information and form have been shared with your ESA and enrollment clerks. 
    • Thank you for supporting this part of compliance within the process.
       
  • PTA Requests for Kindergarten Parent Emails
    • Elementary Principals please support your PTA members who request kindergarten parent email addresses in an effort to encourage involvement opportunities. 
    • The following document verifies the release of Kindergarten parent emails to the site PTA as reference in the SDUSD Facts for Parents. 
      • SDUSD Facts for Parents - Please see Section F Release of Student and Parent/Guardian Information (p 12).
         
  • Sharing a Little Early Learning Joy! 
    • This video provides a lovely testimonial of the work one of our Early Learning Teams has been able to do over the summer. It celebrates the combined capacity of two educators working together in support of our earliest learners: COLLABORATIVE TEACHING TESTIMONIALS

       
  • OTHER NEWS
    SDUSD Begins a New School Year Online (SD Union Tribune, August 31)
    https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2020-08-31/san-diego-unified-begins-a-new-school-year-online
     
    SDUSD Students Start New Year Facing Both Academic And Social Challenges (KPBS, August 31)
    https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/aug/31/san-diego-unified-students-challenges/
     
    SDUSD student and teacher describe what first day of school was like online (CBS8 San Diego, August 31)
    https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/education/san-diego-unified-student-and-teacher-describe-what-first-day-of-school-was-like-online/509-b18efb77-c566-4bf5-af88-3c42bce08221
     
    SDUSD celebrates change in USDA school lunch policy (SDNews.com, August 31)
    http://sdnews.com/view/full_story/27771649/article-San-Diego-Unified-celebrates-change-in-USDA-school-lunch-policy
     
    For Kids Who Are Medically Fragile, Return To School May Be A Long Way Off (Disability Scoop, September 1)
    https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2020/09/01/for-kids-medically-fragile-return-school-long-way-off/28896/
     
  • SPECIAL GRATITUDE
    If an AASD member has a department or individual that deserves special recognition during this time of crisis, please use the link above for reporting issues/questions/concerns/gratitude to show your gratitude for the department or individual.  AASD will publish that special thanks in our next Daily Update.
     
  • DISTRICT WEBSITE
    For your convenience, the District has created a list of Frequently Asked Questions.  To access that list, click the link https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/staff-info
     
  • AASD CONTACT INFORMATION DURING THE DISTRICT CLOSURE
    Executive Director, Donis Coronel -- donis@aasdcs.org   619-813-8792
    Office Manager, Linda Crout-Hamel --     linda@aasdcs.org   619-861-2701
    Office Clerk, Jim Costello --     jim@aasdcs.org 
     
    Please keep informed via the District’s website www.sandi.net, Daily Updates from AASD and via the AASD Website www.aasdcs.org.
     

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