|
DAILY UPDATE #78 -- 7/10/2020
- AASD OFFICE CLOSURE
AASD will be sending out a Daily Update, Monday-Friday, throughout the school closure period. The Weekly Update will continue as usual on Thursdays with the typical news and information for AASD members. The AASD Office will remain closed during the period of time the schools/district are closed. AASD staff will be working remotely and can be reached at 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 virus and school reopening. Any issues, questions or concerns submitted via the Google form will be shared daily with the District. AASD will then share the answers to issues, questions or concerns submitted as those answers are received from the district. 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. PLEASE CHECK THE DISTRICT’S WEBSITE TO ENSURE YOUR ISSUE/QUESTION/ CONCERN HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED THERE.
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.
- IMPORTANT BARGAINING UPDATE
The AASD and District bargaining teams resumed bargaining today over the Impacts and Effect of Reopening Schools, which is now being called “Return to Instruction.” Today, the District provided AASD with counterproposals. The AASD team reviewed the counterproposals and then reengaged in conversation with the District team regarding any clarification needed.
One of the highlights of the District counterproposal was the new language regarding any AASD member who earns vacation leave and is at the 328-hour cap – the District has proposed that any AASD represented unit member in this situation may have the cap waived and continue to accrue vacation leave with having a plan in place to use any vacation over the cap by August 2023. Therefore, no AASD represented member will be forced into using vacation over the cap this summer. This is exactly what AASD has been asking the District for over the school closure period.
The parties intend to continue discussions on Monday. AASD will provide an update at that time. We are very hopeful for a Tentative Agreement.
Certificated Counterproposal Classified Counterproposal
- Q and A (Friday, July 10, 2020) (Questions were submitted by AASD members; the answers are from the District. AASD publishes the answers as they are received from the District.)
Q -- While I appreciate the link to the communication that went out this week in the Principal's Update (the joint statement from SDUSD and SDEA), it did not specify who it would be shared with; only that it would "be shared centrally by our Communications department.” Did this go out to just administrators? All Staff? Families? When sharing communication that will be going out, it is helpful for administrators to know who it's going out to and when.
A – (Answer provided by AASD) Your feedback was shared with District leadership asking, for future, that more clarity is given as to who will receive certain communications. In this case, AASD is aware that the communication went to all district employees. AASD is not aware if it went to families.
Q – I have a huge concern about returning to work with COVID spiking! Can we just distance learn through December?
A – (Answer provided by AASD) The recent district communication creates a panel that will make decisions about schools physically reopening from a science and research based standpoint. More information will be forthcoming.
Q -- I have gone daily to the SDEA website to get communication about what is going on in the current negotiations. I also rely on my teachers who share the SDEA emails with me. Why isn't the district, for whom we are stewards, doing more to communicate with us as the leaders of the district? Additionally, my teachers, who are still working, can not understand why the superintendent doesn't do more to communicate with them, or us for that matter.
A – (Answer provided by AASD) Your concerns about communication have been shared with the District. Typically, during any bargaining, the district does not share information; however, the bargaining unit typically does. In regard to the comment about the lack of communication from the Superintendent, AASD has been previously told that Ms. Marten is focusing her time on nationwide and state efforts to obtain the appropriate funding to reopen schools, hosting scheduled Facebook Live sessions that any employee or community member may attend, and is the voice of the district to many media outlets as well as countless other tasks.
Q -- Given the state of the budget even before COVID, given that the 2014 proposal to end year-round calendar and then the subsequent 'foreseeable future' cancellation of the phased buy-out, leaving 25 schools in year-round for what seemed like perpetuity, can I ask what monies were suddenly discovered to buy us out during COVID?
A -- (Answer provided by AASD) Thank you for your input. The district has not shared with AASD where the monies came from. What they did share is that moving into online learning, blended learning, reopening of brick and mortar schools, it was in the district’s best interest overall to have students on a common calendar.
Q -- What is the plan for the devices we let families check out if we return to school in August? I am concerned about the daily shoving of devices/cords, etc. in backpacks and then repeated potential mishandling of the backpack. 1 to 1 sites I believe have devices that are protected by some sort of Otter box case, but these devices are not protected.
A – (Answer provided by AASD) Thank you for sharing this concern. AASD is sharing your comment with the district leadership.
Q – From a Classified Supervisor. We were informed by upper management at PPO that Supervisors are required to take the temperature of all their employees daily starting 7-9-20. This will require supervisors be exposed to employees at around 3' from the employee's forehead 40 to 50 times daily. This is inside the 6' social distancing guidelines and is based on the thermometer provided. PPE will be provided - gloves and facial coverings - that are known to not be 100% effective. If a supervisor is testing an employee and then the employee tests positive at some point, question # 6 on the provided form says "have you come into close contact (within 6 feet) with someone who has a laboratory confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis in the past 14 days?" The supervisor would be required to answer yes as soon as they find out that the employee was positive. Based on this, the supervisor is now required to self-quarantine for 14 days. By then the Supervisor may have already put others in jeopardy, mainly their own family. Will Supervisors be required to use our own time if we are off work? How will we not expose our family? Do I rent a hotel room? Will the district cover the cost? One solution would be to provide better thermometers or heat testing guns that will reach greater than 6 feet. This is an inexpensive solution. This is also done with no training provided. Does this fall under a supervisors job description? It seems more suited to the nursing job description? Is there the possibility of hazard pay or changing of job descriptions?
A – (Answer provided by AASD) Thank you for sharing these very important concerns. After receiving your comment and also e-mails from other supervisors at PPO, AASD Executive Director Donis Coronel contacted the PPO Director, John Hensley, for a conversation and clarification of the new process. Mr. Hensley is following the overall procedure provided to PPO by the District’s physician, Dr. Howard Taras, and the District’s nursing lead, Ms. Susan Barndollar. Mr. Hensley also shared that PPO has suggestions to limit any exposure, such as the supervisor standing behind plexiglass to take temperatures. Other temperature-taking devices that do not require a supervisor to be within the six feet social distancing are being investigated as a possible solution. In all conversations with Mr. Hensley, it was clear to AASD that employee safety is at the forefront. Next steps: AASD is currently in bargaining with the district and some of the above will possibly be addressed there. AASD is also suggesting that supervisors at PPO (who we believe are one of the first departments to implement temperature-taking) request a clarification and concern-sharing meeting with Mr. Hensley to work through the concerns. Also, AASD Executive Director, Donis Coronel, is available to intervene and be part of the process. Please reach out to Donis directly via cell phone or email for assistance. This is all uncharted territory and we need to resolve concerns quickly as they arise.
Q -- If AASD is successful with the vacation overage getting bargained in, will that apply to all members? If not, why? We are all in this together to get the schools fully operational by start of school.
Q -- Custodial Operations wants BSS III, POS’ and all custodial staff with over 328 hours of vacation to take it before July 6th. How does that work when they do not want any vacation taken after July 6th!!!???
A – (Answer provided by AASD) Over the past month or more, AASD has engaged in repeated conversations with District leadership regarding members who are at the 328-hour vacation cap to no avail. Today, at bargaining (see couonterproposals above), the District has proposed waiving the cap for all AASD-represented members (classified and certificated). This is what AASD has been asking for! This proposal (in entirety) has not yet been signed off. Stay tuned for more information.
Q -- Other districts did not only poll parents about reopening, they polled employees as well. Being someone who is high risk for COVID, I am very concerned about reopening. However, no employees were asked for their preferences or concerns. When will SDUSD poll it's employees?
Q -- Employees reporting ADA/health issues regarding return to school and reopening. At least one teacher has stated desire to submit information from doctor that teacher is not able to return to site while virus still of concern. Do we just refer them to HR? Anyone specific?
A – (Answer provided by AASD) The district is in the process of sending a survey to all employees. AASD was told it will go out this week and is due back by July 17. In the survey, there is a statement that all questions and documentation are to be submitted to Human Resources and that individual site managers should not attempt to answer questions. There will be a process managed by Human Resources similar to the current ADA process, but expedited.
- 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.
The following was sent to AASD from a Classified Supervisor at PPO -- “I would like to acknowledge Donis Coronel, Linda Crout-Hamel and Jim Costello in the AASD office for keeping AASD membership current during the unprecedented COVID-19 epidemic. 77 (and counting) editions of Daily Updates keeping AASD membership informed and educated. I wonder if other SDUSD unions have such a resource? Managing and responding to questions, pressing the district for answers and information, seeking membership’s input, and being direct and honest even when it may not be popular with membership – that’s what they do for US. I and other members appreciate the hard work and dedication required to produce a reliable, consistent format offering membership a venue to share thoughts and concerns, as well as a place to vent frustrations and angst when needed. Thank You Donis, Linda and Jim for the blood, sweat and tears working on our behalf. Keep fighting the good fight. Be well, be safe!”
- OTHER NEWS
United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) recommends keeping LAUSD school campuses closed; refocus on robust distance learning practices for Fall
https://www.utla.net/news/utla-recommends-keeping-school-campuses-closed
CTA states schools should not open until safety is assured (Ed Source, July 9)
https://edsource.org/2020/schools-should-not-open-until-safety-is-assured-california-teachers-association-tells-state/635625
California school superintendents navigate safety concerns, conflicting guidance as they plan to reopen schools (Ed Source, July 10)
https://edsource.org/2020/california-school-superintendents-navigate-safety-concerns-conflicting-guidance-as-they-plan-to-reopen-schools/635555
- 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.
Contacts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
