Teachers Association of Long Beach

Update: July 31 – Bargaining Survey Results & More

QUICK HITS –  There are NO agreements with Executive Staff on any aspect of returning to work on August 31st. There is NO agreement that ALL teachers should return to their empty classrooms to teach online learning. There are NO agreements to Executive Staff’s proposals for online learning. Put simply, THERE ARE NO AGREEMENTS! The survey will be enough to digest for tonight. On Sunday, a tidy organizing plan will be sent out. Stay strong TALB members. We’ve got a month to figure this out!

Results – Bargaining Survey – July 27, 2020

Start: 2020-07-27 17:00:00 America/Los_Angeles
End: 2020-07-31 16:30:00 America/Los_Angeles
Turnout: 2535 (73.9%) of 3430 electors voted in this ballot.

Child Development Centers Teachers (CDC) 31 (1.2%)
Head Start Teachers 102 (4.0%)
ETK – 12th Grade Teachers, Librarians, Nurses, & Speech Pathologists 2402 (94.8%)

1) How comfortable are you returning to your school site to teach “online learning” given the current status of the pandemic?
Very comfortable 221 (8.7%)
Comfortable 291 (11.5%)
Somewhat comfortable 733 (29.0%)
Not comfortable at all 1286 (50.8%)

VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535  Abstain 4 (0.2%)

2) How confident are you that the surfaces and touch points at your school site will be cleaned and sanitized thoroughly throughout the day?
Very confident 129 (5.1%)
Confident 289 (11.4%)
Somewhat confident 658 (26.0%)
Not confident at all 1456 (57.5%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535  Abstain 3 (0.1%)

3) How confident are you that the bathrooms will be cleaned and sanitized thoroughly throughout the workday?
Very confident 94 (3.7%)
Confident 216 (8.5%)
Somewhat confident 566 (22.4%)
Not confident at all 1655 (65.4%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535  Abstain 4 (0.2%)

4) Social unrest is a continued concern in our communities. How comfortable are you with returning to work?
Very comfortable 302 (11.9%)
Comfortable 456 (18.0%)
Somewhat comfortable 864 (34.2%)
Not comfortable at all 906 (35.8%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535  Abstain 7 (0.3%)

5) Are you concerned with parents and/or students who may show up unannounced at your school site?
Not concerned at all 458 (18.1%)
Somewhat concerned 594 (23.5%)
Concerned 553 (21.8%)
Very Concerned 927 (36.6%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535   Abstain 3 (0.1%)

6) Are you concerned with security and safety at your school site?
Not concerned at all 652 (25.8%)
Somewhat concerned 719 (28.4%)
Concerned 530 (20.9%)
Very Concerned 631 (24.9%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535   Abstain 3 (0.1%)

7) Do you have a medical condition which your primary physician feels you are required to “shelter in place”?
Yes 471 (18.7%)
No 2042 (81.3%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535  Abstain 22 (0.9%)

8) Do you believe you will need to request an accommodation for a medical restriction in order to teach from home?
Yes 462 (18.5%)
No 2039 (81.5%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535  Abstain 34 (1.3%)

9) Do you live with someone who may be at high risk for COVID-19?
Yes 1223 (48.4%)
No 1304 (51.6%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535 Abstain 8 (0.3%)

10) How confident are you that public health department mandates for safety and sanitation will be followed at your worksite?
Very confident 153 (6.0%)
Confident 340 (13.4%)
Somewhat confident 984 (38.9%)
Not confident at all 1055 (41.7%)
VOTER SUMMARY:Total 2535  Abstain 3 (0.1%)

11) How confident are you that your site principal/manager will rigorously enforce public health department mandates for safety and sanitation?
Very confident 264 (10.5%)
Confident 549 (21.7%)
Somewhat confident 980 (38.8%)
Not confident at all 732 (29.0%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535   Abstain 10 (0.4%)

12) If your colleagues reported a possible COVID-19 infection or COVID-19 exposure to your site principal/manager, how confident are you that your site principal/manager would report that information to their direct supervisors?
Very confident 670 (26.5%)
Confident 749 (29.7%)
Somewhat confident 705 (27.9%)
Not confident at all 400 (15.8%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535  Abstain 11 (0.4%)

13) Does your classroom have a window that will open to circulate fresh air?
Yes 1651 (65.4%)
No 872 (34.6%)
VOTER SUMMARY: Total 2535 Abstain 12 (0.5%)

14) Do you have childcare needs?
Yes 942 (37.4%)
No 1576 (62.6%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535  Abstain 17 (0.7%)

15) Does your child(ren) have medical concerns which would place them at high risk for COVID-19?
Yes 419 (17.7%)
No 1943 (82.3%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535   Abstain 173 (6.8%)

16) The District has proposed they can provide childcare without any specifics surrounding costs or logistics. Are you interested in childcare provided by the District?
Yes 225 (9.4%)
No 2162 (90.6%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535   Abstain 148 (5.8%)

17) Are you interested in taking leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act?
Yes 431 (17.8%)
No 1988 (82.2%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535   Abstain 116 (4.6%)

18) Before March 13th, 2020. How reliable was your internet connectivity at your worksite?
Very Reliable 294 (11.6%)
Reliable 938 (37.1%)
Somewhat reliable 1084 (42.8%)
Not reliable at all 214 (8.5%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535   Abstain 5 (0.2%)

19) From March 13th, 2020 until the end of the school year on June 12th, 2020. How reliable was your home’s internet connectivity?
Very Reliable 1121 (44.3%)
Reliable 930 (36.8%)
Somewhat reliable 410 (16.2%)
Not reliable at all 68 (2.7%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535  Abstain 6 (0.2%)

20) “Live Streaming” requires a much more robust internet connection. How confident are you in your site’s internet connection being able to handle all teachers simultaneously?
Very confident 100 (4.0%)
Confident 328 (13.0%)
Somewhat confident 904 (35.8%)
Not confident at all 1195 (47.3%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535   Abstain 8 (0.3%)

21) How old is your District computer?
1-2 years old 344 (13.8%)
3-4 years old 695 (27.8%)
5-6 years old 841 (33.7%)
7+ years 617 (24.7%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535  Abstain 38 (1.5%)

22) What type of District issued computer did you use for online learning?
Chromebook 404 (16.0%)
Desktop 201 (7.9%)
Laptop 368 (14.6%)
I used my own personal equipment 1556 (61.5%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535   Abstain 6 (0.2%)

⤷ If you used your personal computer for online learning. How old is it?
1-2 years old 679 (32.9%)
3-4 years old 606 (29.4%)
5-6 years old 412 (20.0%)
7+ 365 (17.7%)
Total 2535    Abstain 473 (18.7%)

23) Does your District issued work computer have a functional camera to “live stream”?
Yes 1369 (56.1%)
No 1070 (43.9%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535  Abstain 96 (3.8%)

26) Where would you prefer to teach “redirected learning” for 2020-21?
Home 1015 (40.2%)
School 152 (6.0%)
Both 1360 (53.8%)
VOTER SUMMARY:  Total 2535  Abstain 8 (0.3%)

Update: Friday, July 24 – WOW! It has been a week!

On Monday, July 20th there was a Board of Education workshop and a regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting. These meetings are broadcast live on LBUSD’s YouTube page.

First, in the morning there was a board workshop. Every year there is some form of a board workshop. What folks were curious about this year of course, was the “opening of schools”.

Since the Board building (1515 Hughes Way) is no longer accessible to the public, the only way for the public to remain informed is to watch it live via the internet. Needless to say, it is important that the platform is operating effectively so viewers can see and hear what is happening. From a technical standpoint the broadcast was, shall we say, less than stellar? Technical difficulties are to be expected even in this gilded age of technology, but we couldn’t help but wonder, if we provided nearly 30 minutes of synchronous instruction in the classroom without adequate sound, how would that go over with our managers or parents?

Executive Staff provided an update on schools. Models of what school could or would look like were presented. The TALB Bargaining Team had seen most of the data presented during a negotiations session on Tuesday, July 14. However, there is NO LABOR AGREEMENT with TALB and the District regarding the reopening of schools.

A budget update was also presented by the Business office. In short, it is a good thing we have a reserve because we’ll be dipping into it as the State defers payments to school districts. It’s kind of like being promised you are going to be paid, but only half now and in a few weeks or months, you’ll get the other half. The truth of the matter is the budget is still in flux. Receipts from the July 15 tax deadline are still being counted. The State will most likely have to adjust the budget in August and some legislators are warning the budget may need to be looked at again in October. Again, it is good that we have a savings, but you can’t pay your mortgage out of your savings for too long.

At 5:00 the regularly scheduled board of education meeting started with eerily similar technical difficulties experienced just hours before. We had hoped that during the interim from the board workshop to the board of education meeting those bugs would have been sorted out.

Item #18 on the Board of Education agenda – “Testimony from Members of the Black Community”

We don’t know the whole scoop, but either the Board President, Dr. Felton Williams or Executive Staff reached out to black community members to speak at the Board of Education meeting. If you didn’t know the speakers were black, it would be a problem as there was no synchronous feed. You couldn’t see who was speaking. Then the sound came in and out. Long Beach councilmember Al Austin could be heard on about every other sentence. LBCC Trustee Uduak-Joe Ntuk had a little better of a connection. Many of us couldn’t help but think about the tragic irony. The social unrest we have been seething with is largely based on the inability for the black community to be seen or heard. Nobody believes the technical breaks were purposeful, but the District needs to accept the criticism and do something about it. The largest employer in the city of Long Beach must be able to hear the voices of the community, particularly their elected representatives. When the District is demanding more live “synchronous” instruction from their teachers, is it too much to ask for live “synchronous” Board of Education meetings?

Next up, the coup d’état!

Every year in the summer there is what is called a Board of Education reorganization. A real fancy way of saying we are going to elect the next Board of Education president. More of a formality. Yet, this year kiddos we got to see some good old fashioned tomfoolery. You see, the normal succession is the current Vice-President becomes the President. We can’t remember the last time there was any drama surrounding a “Board Reorg”. But lo and behold Dr. Juan Benitez was in line to become the next Board of Education president. This is where it would have been really important to have a ROBUST live “synchronous” feed. Where we could see the Board Members’ faces. That way, when Board Member Kerr nominated Dr. Juan Benitez to become the next Board of Education President, we could have all seen the shock on her face when she couldn’t get a second from Dr. Felton Williams, Jon Meyer or Diana Craighead. In last week’s UPDATE we had mentioned something like this might happen. Remember you heard it here first. WE TOLD YOU SO! SHENANIGANS!

The good news is the Latinx community is not having any of it and wrote a scathing letter to the Board of Education. The Press-telegram and the Long Beach Post picked up the story. Will it amount to anything? Will the community organize?

Meanwhile…

In the streets and communities surrounding the Board of Education building the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is exploding. California is now the state that holds the dubious distinction of having the most infections in the entire country. Hospitalizations and deaths are spiking in Los Angeles County. For a brief moment our federal, state and local municipalities were all in agreement. This is going to get worse before it gets better. There will be more disease and deaths.

The very next morning, Tuesday, July 21 at 9:00 the TALB bargaining team met with the District’s Executive Staff. That is when the District’s Executive Staff made the proposal that ALL teachers report to their sites and teach. The idea of thousands of teachers reporting to their schools and teaching from their classroom had never been a proposal in the previous negotiation sessions.

*There was no specific proposal for librarians, nurses, and speech pathologists but perhaps they are being lumped in with “teachers”.

During the previous day’s Board of Education meeting, there was NOTHING about the reopening of schools requiring ALL teachers to teach from their classrooms.

Is the Board of Education looped in on anything? Are they just a symbol?

To the average community member, one might think, “Why not, that makes sense”. The classroom probably has a better internet connection, better camera, more resources, etc. to provide a more robust online instructional experience.

The classroom teacher would be laughing hysterically at that misconception.

Every member of the bargaining team could recount numerous times the District’s internet connection or equipment would not work. These criticisms fell upon deaf ears. Executive Staff are ADAMANT that the school sites will provide a far more reliable internet connection.

Yet, just the day before, the District’s internet connection could not effectively broadcast a live feed of a Board of Education meeting discussing the reopening of schools.

What about SAFETY you say?
Exactly.

Where is the safety? While it is conceivable that some of our smaller schools could open with minimum risk, there will still be a risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

Usually teachers know who has been in their home. At school, there is no way of knowing who has been in their classroom. Maybe the principal, custodial staff, maintenance, techs, etc. Who is shedding virus and is asymptomatic?

We do concede there are teachers who may like the option of teaching from their classrooms if they could be assured of the ROBUST internet and hardware. AND THEY FELT THE FACILITY WAS SAFER. You cannot be in Los Angeles County right now and be SAFE from the coronavirus. This virus is spreading like a wildfire.

Over the weekend the bargaining team will be working on a survey. In the past six weeks since school has been out, the bargaining team was reluctant to put out a survey without a clear view of where the District was headed with the reopening of schools.

We hope to have the survey ready and deployed by Monday evening, July 27th

The bargaining team did not agree with Executive Staff, but advised them to reconsider their proposal.

When asked if the Board of Education knew of Executive Staff’s proposal? Crickets.

The TALB Bargaining team left on Tuesday afternoon with an ache in their hearts. They advised the District that if they wanted ALL teachers to return to their worksites to teach from school, that was their water to carry.

Let us be clear.

There is NO agreement between TALB and the District on the reopening of schools.

Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Tiffany Brown

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, David Zaid

Employee Relations and Ethics Director, Steve Rockenbach

All three have agreed to come to our next Representative Council meeting on Tuesday, July 28^th at 4:00 p.m. If you are not a Rep. you can watch the meeting live on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TALBteachers/

Our next negotiations date is scheduled for Thursday, July 30^th @ 1:00 p.m.

The bargaining survey will be deployed no later than Monday evening and remain open until July 31^st @ 4:30 p.m.

Salute our CDC – Head Start teachers!

The LBUSD Child Development Centers (CDC) and Head Start programs opened last week. Many of the city’s early education providers are open: YMCA, youth science camps, athletic camps, etc. We know this is an extremely stressful restart with safety protocols being implemented and of course the anxiety and fear of potential exposure to the corona virus

FAQ’s
Now that LBUSD has announced “redirected learning” for ETK-12 until October 5th, does that mean CDC – Head Start will transition to “redirected learning”? 

The Los Angeles County Health Department and Long Beach’s Health Department are the parties recommending ETK-12 school districts go to “redirected learning”. This was also before Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcements made today. If the Long Beach Health Department feels that Head Start and Child Development Centers are not operating safely, these two units may be shut down as well.

TALB has been in regular contact with our members and District representatives regarding the safety of operating these two units. If there are concerns over safety, protocols not being followed, any misunderstanding of protective measures, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSOCIATION AND THE DISTRICT IMMEDIATELY. The Association and the District want this vital community resource to work, but not simultaneously jeopardize employees’ health.

Stay vigilant and keep us posted. TALB 562-426-6433 | LBUSD 562-997-8220

Will the Governor’s announcements today require CDC and Head Start to close? We will analyze Governor Gavin Newsom’s state directives, announced at noon today, and see if they comport with how Child Development Centers and Head Start facilities are operating. 

Will CDC & Head Start stay open for the entire year?  If the pandemic becomes worse, Los Angeles County and or the State of California could issue another “stay at home order”. “If”, or perhaps, “when” that happens, Child Development Centers and Head Start would transition to redirected learning.

Update: Friday, July 17

Salute our CDC – Head Start Teachers!

The LBUSD Child Development Centers (CDC) and Head Start programs opened this week. Many of the city’s early education providers are open: YMCA, youth science camps, athletic camps, etc. We know this is an extremely stressful restart with safety protocols being implemented and of course the anxiety and fear of potential exposure to the corona virus

FAQ’s
Now that LBUSD has announced “redirected learning” for ETK-12 until October 5th, does that mean CDC – Head Start will transition to “redirected learning”? 

The Los Angeles County Health Department and Long Beach’s Health Department are the parties recommending ETK-12 school districts go to “redirected learning”. This was also before Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcements made today. If the Long Beach Health Department feels that Head Start and Child Development Centers are not operating safely, these two units may be shut down as well.

TALB has been in regular contact with our members and District representatives regarding the safety of operating these two units. If there are concerns over safety, protocols not being followed, any misunderstanding of protective measures, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSOCIATION AND THE DISTRICT IMMEDIATELY. The Association and the District want this vital community resource to work, but not simultaneously jeopardize employees’ health.

Stay vigilant and keep us posted. TALB 562-426-6433 | LBUSD 562-997-8220

Will the Governor’s announcements today require CDC and Head Start to close?

We will analyze Governor Gavin Newsom’s state directives, announced at noon today, and see if they comport with how Child Development Centers and Head Start facilities are operating. 

Will CDC & Head Start stay open for the entire year? 

If the pandemic becomes worse, Los Angeles County and or the State of California could issue another “stay at home order”. “If”, or perhaps, “when” that happens, Child Development Centers and Head Start would transition to redirected learning.

Friday July 17, 2020
Governor Gavin Newsom Lays Out Pandemic Plan for Learning and Safe Schools

Plan centers on rigorous instruction for students even when schools are physically closed
Decisions to open in-person will be determined by local data that the public can track on a daily basis
Schools open for in-person instruction will implement precautions, including a requirement that students in 3rd grade and above wear masks

 Newsom: “In California, health data will determine when a school can be physically open – and when it must close – but learning should never stop”

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his plan for learning and safe schools ahead of the 2020–2021 school year, as the California Department of Public Health issued a framework for when and how schools should reopen for in-person instruction.

 “Learning is non-negotiable,” said Governor Newsom. “The virus will be with us for a year or more, and school districts must provide meaningful instruction in the midst of this pandemic. In California, health data will determine when a school can be physically open – and when it must close – but learning should never stop. Students, staff, and parents all prefer in-classroom instruction, but only if it can be done safely.”

 The Governor’s plan centers on five key areas:

 1) Safe in-person school based on local health data.  The California Department of Public Health today issued updated schools guidance that includes using existing epidemiological metrics to determine if school districts can start in-person instruction. CDPH currently uses six indicators to track the level of COVID-19 infection in each California county as well as the preparedness of the county health care system – data that includes the number of new infections per 100,000 residents, the test positivity rate, and the change in hospitalization rate, among others. Any county that does not meet the state’s benchmarks is put on the County Monitoring List. 

Schools located in counties that are on the Monitoring List must not physically open for in-person instruction until their county has come off the Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days. Schools in counties that have not been on the Monitoring List for the prior 14 days may begin in-person instruction, following public health guidelines. School community members – including parents, teachers, staff and students – can track daily data on whether and why their county is on the Monitoring List at https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap-counties/#track-data.

There is a single exception. Local health officers may grant a waiver to allow elementary schools to reopen in-person instruction if the waiver is requested by the district superintendent, in consultation with labor, parents and community-based organizations. When considering a waiver request, the local health officer must consider local data and consult with the California Department of Public Health.

The Department also issued updated guidance for when schools must physically close and revert to distance learning because of COVID-19 infections. Following a confirmed case of a student who was at school during his or her infectious period, other exposed students and staff should be quarantined for 14 days. The school should revert to distance learning when multiple cohorts have cases or 5 percent of students and staff test positive within a 14-day period. The district should revert to distance learning when 25 percent or more of its schools have been physically closed due to COVID-19 within 14 days. Closure decisions should be made in consultation with local health officers. After 14 days, school districts may return to in-person instruction with the approval of the local public health officer.

 2) Strong mask requirements for anyone in the school. In the updated guidance, all staff and students in 3rd grade and above will be required to wear a mask or face covering. Students in 2nd grade and below are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering. Students should be provided a face covering if they do not have one. The state has delivered over 18 million face coverings to schools to support them to reopen and ensure all students can participate in learning.

3) Physical distancing requirements & other adaptations. In the updated guidance, CDPH requires that all adults stay 6 feet from one another and 6 feet away from children, while students should maintain 6 feet of distance from one another as practicable. Anyone entering the school must do a health screen, and any student or staff exhibiting a fever or other symptoms will be immediately sent home. The guidance also provides that if anyone in a student or staff member’s household is sick, they too should stay home.

4) Regular testing and dedicated contact tracing for outbreaks at schools. The public health guidance recommends staff in every California school be tested for COVID-19 periodically based on local disease trends and as testing capacity allows. The Governor also announced today that the state will provide resources and technical assistance for COVID-19 investigations in school settings.

5) Rigorous distance learning. Over the course of the pandemic, most schools will likely face physical closure at some point due to COVID-19. The Legislature and Governor Newsom enacted a budget that provided $5.3 billion in additional funding to support learning, and set requirements to ensure schools provide rigorous and grade-appropriate instruction. Under newly enacted state law, school districts are required to provide:

·         Devices and connectivity so that every child can participate in distance learning.
·         Daily live interaction for every child with teachers and other students.
·         Class assignments that are challenging and equivalent to in-person instruction.
·         Targeted supports and interventions for English learners and special education students.

 The full guidance from the California Department of Public Health can be found here: https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-schools.pdf

NEWS RELEASE:  July 17, 2020 

California Teachers Association                  
Gov. Newsom Joins Educators in Prioritizing Safe Reopening of California Schools in New Guidance

Clarity welcomed ahead of school year start; Distance learning for 33 counties on ‘watch list;’ Masks for grades 3-12, adults

SACRAMENTO – CTA President E. Toby Boyd released the following statement regarding Gov. Gavin Newsom’s newly-released guidelines to reopening schools amidst COVID-19 widespread surge:

“Today’s updated guidance from Governor Newsom through the California Department of Public Health is a good step in providing some clarity and uniformity across the state. We cannot reopen schools unless it is safe!

“The new guidance provides clarity that distance learning should be the immediate course of action in any county that is on the state watch list and allows other districts to make those decisions in accordance with local health department officials. We also appreciate the specific guidance on requiring masks for students in grades three through 12, testing of school staff, and pushing districts to create Injury and Illness Prevention Programs that are transparent to parents and the community. We do, however, have concerns and will seek further clarity on the standards for closing a school (multiple cases, multiple cohorts vs. the five percent threshold) upon an outbreak and will be reviewing the rest of the guidance thoroughly.

“There’s no one more eager to get back to school with their students than teachers. We miss and want to be with our students but are ready to engage with school districts to implement a robust distance learning program that is inclusive of all and equitable in resources and technology. 

“Safe school reopening, quality distance learning and equity for our communities requires funding. Many local districts don’t have the necessary resources or capacity to maintain even the most basic prevention measures of six feet physical distancing and limiting contacts, much less the other important preventative actions such as personal protective equipment (PPE), or adequate ventilation and cleaning supplies. In addition, studies show that 30 percent of K-12 students still do not have access to the internet or computers.

“That’s why we’re calling on lawmakers to return to the Capitol and adopt additional revenues, including additional suspension of corporate tax credits and exemptions, capturing unrealized capital gains or imposing a tax on the wealthiest billionaires and millionaires to help our students, families and communities survive through this crisis. CTA asks Governor Newsom to join us in supporting Proposition 15 to ensure large corporations pay their fair share of taxes to restore $12 billion to our schools and communities. And, we stand with the three million educators throughout the nation in calling on the federal government to pass the HEROES Act to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic.”

LBUSD – Redirected Learning – Online Learning

The Bargaining Team has been working hard since we got out, June 12th. Yesterday and today, bargaining team members tested out two online instruction platforms: Schoology & Canvas. The Bargaining Team preferred Canvas. This process is similar to a textbook adoption. For negotiation purposes we can give input, we don’t get to vote on which one we use. Once a program is chosen, dates for training will be rolled out. Stay tuned. The Bargaining team will meet on Tuesday, July 21st to continue working on Memorandums of Understanding = labor agreements.

LBUSD – October 5th return to classroom? 

Governor Newsom has now outlined requirements for schools to reopen either physically or virtually. IF the pandemic is tapped down in the next 8 weeks, MAYBE we could return to brick and mortar schools. There in lies the challenge, will we as a country flatten the curve? Will cold & flu season ramp up and amplify the impacts on our health care system? Too soon to tell, but we wouldn’t place any bets on schools being reopened by 10/5/2020. 

Survey

The TALB Bargaining Team is working on a survey for “redirected learning” a.k.a “Virtual” or “Online” learning. The BOE workshop and meeting on Monday will help guide the survey’s development. We know there are only 44 days before school starts for the 2020-21 school year. Fortunately, many surrounding school districts will have already opened, giving us time to assess the ever changing public health crisis, the CA budget crisis and the expectations for “redirect learning” .

LBUSD Workshop – Monday, July 20th @ 9:15 a.m.
Please tune in to the Board of Education’s workshop. The agenda is HERE: 

LBUSD BOE Meeting, Monday, July 20th @ 5:00 p.m.
Please tune in to the Board of Education’s meeting. The agenda is HERE:

Will there be any LBUSD Board of Education shenanigans? 

Typically in the summer there is what is referred to as a “Board Reorganization”. Simply put, the Board of Education changes up leadership. A current board member will nominate a new President. Historically speaking there is usually a succession from Vice-President to President. Of course, that would mean that Dr. Juan Benitez would be the next President of the Board of Education. Will the Board of Education break with tradition, past practice? And what would be their motivation for doing so? Since Dr. Felton Williams and Jon Meyer will be leaving office in December, it wouldn’t make sense for either of those board members to be President. Both Megan Kerr and Diana Craighead have already been president. What will happen? Please tune in to find out. 

We continue to encourage our members, community members, parents and students to contact the Board of Education. They need to hear from you:

Dr. Felton Williams 
Board of Education President – email – fwilliams@lbschools.net
Dr. Juan Benitez
Board of Education Vice President – email – JBenitez1@lbschools.net
Megan Kerr 
Board of Education Member – email – mmkerr@lbschools.net
Diana Craighead 
Board of Education Member – email – dcraighead@lbschools.net
Jon Meyer 
Board of Education Member – email – CJMeyer@lbschools.net

To send a comment in to be read by the Board of Education secretary, Leticia Rodriguez, at the next school board meeting. Type up a quick comment. Read it aloud and time yourself. Your comments must be under 3 minutes (and maybe under two minutes if they cut public comment time) – that’s all the time you’ll get – once the timer goes off, Leticia will stop reading it. 

Typically there are two opportunities to address the Board of Education.

1) You can make public comment on items listed on the agenda = reopening of schools, online instruction, ect.
2) You can make public comment on items that are not listed on the agenda = Budget priorities, Framework for Reconciliation in Long Beach Unified, Reopening of schools, Superintendent pay raise, promotions, etc.

If you want your comments to be read aloud during the public session of the Board of Education meeting, send an email to  open.session.agenda.comment@lbschools.net

If you want your comments to be read aloud during the closed session of the Board of Education meeting, send an email to closed.session.public.comment@lbschools.net

LBUSD TB Testing

Part of our responsibilities as teachers is to be tested regularly for Tuberculosis. In the past the district has sent nurses out to sites to test everyone who is due. Because of school closures that is not possible. As an alternative, school district nurses are making screening calls to employees who are due for TB tests. They will ask some questions to determine if you are at risk. If you are not, that requirement will be waived. If there is some risk you will be referred to your doctor for the actual test.

IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE DISTRICT HAS YOUR CORRECT CONTACT INFORMATION.
The calls will take place between June 22, 2020 and July 17, 2020. Be sure to answer calls from nursing services. 

U.S. Public Education in Crisis 

1.      State-by-State Data on Budget Shortfalls & HEROES Act Funding
States all across the country are facing devastating budget cuts because of the pandemic and the resulting recession. NEA has just released comprehensive, state-by-state data showing the projected state budget shortfalls, the potential loss of education jobs, and the education relief funding approved by the US House of Representatives in the HEROES Act. Click here – https://neahq-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/tisrael_nea_org/ERy_1DN1yXVGsseJ_u9ZZBsB3abch1xdjxzFARY9aJumtA?e=SZwKfI – to see specifically what passage of the HEROES Act would mean for your state (also attached). These numbers can help you in engaging local leaders, members and field staff in mobilizing to demand action by the US Senate to avoid massive job losses in your schools.

2.      New “Click-to-Call” Link for Members to Demand Action from their US Senators
As the campaign to demand federal relief funding for our schools shifts to the US Senate, NEA has brought up a new link (www.nea.org/covidcall)where any member can simply input their contact info, get briefed on talking points and then be connected to their US Senators office to share their stories on what will happen if the Senate does not provide $175 billion in funding to avoid massive budget cuts to our schools. Please push this link out to your local leaders, members and staff and urge them to call their Senators!

3.      Latest State-by-State Report on Emails Sent to Members of Congress Demanding Action
For the latest state-by-state tallies on the number of letters members have sent to Congress demanding COVID19 emergency relief funding, click here: https://neahq-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/tisrael_nea_org/ET_zW-HT4g1KlHGEbPqfCEAB-2NavHFsiueKLCysYBu7Sw?e=EswIi5 .

Members can still sent emails to Congress by going to www.nea.org/covidaction.

4.     Health & Safety Guidance on Re-Opening Schools
All Hands on Deck: Initial Guidance Regarding Reopening Public Schools can be found at https://educatingthroughcrisis.org/meeting-students-and-families-needs/guidance-for-reopening-schools-covid/. This is a public resource and can be shared with parent groups, allies and district administrators.

Update: Friday, July 10 – It has been a week!

On July 9th our State affiliate CTA (California Teachers Association) made the following press release: 

Educators eager to be with their students, but reality of science, facts and safety cannot be ignored

BURLINGAME — California educators urge state lawmakers to heed repeated cautionary calls: ‘California cannot reopen unless it is safe.’ With deep concerns about the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases and the imminent start to the 2020-21 schoolyear, CTA’s Executive Officers reiterated the concerns of the 310,000 members, students and their parents to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond in a letter Wednesday.

From the moment we pivoted to digital learning last Spring, the health and safety of our students has been our top priority and continues to be. We cannot reopen schools until it is safe. With the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections, we must take the most preventative action in the face of uncertainty to protect students, educators, and our communities,” said CTA President E. Toby Boyd. “We are eager to be back with our students, but the reality of science, facts and safety cannot be ignored.”

Educators’ commitment to their students has been on full display this summer. Throughout the state, they’ve been feeding students, checking in with families, fighting for health and safety standards that will protect students and families, advocating at all levels of government for equitable funding, resources and access to distance learning and investment in educational technology.

CTA acknowledges and appreciates the efforts to protect public education in the state budget, while recognizing that the budget relies on $13 billion in deferrals and additional federal funding. It is why, looking forward, we believe the state must have additional revenues to reopen schools safely and to close the state’s structural deficit. 

“Many local districts and communities don’t have the necessary resources or capacity to maintain even the most basic prevention measures,” said Boyd. “We’re talking about not having the room to provide for physical distancing by six feet, limiting contact and the other important preventative actions such as personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and tracing, or adequate ventilation and cleaning supplies. All of these measures will take additional resources.”

CTA urges the state to coordinate consistent public health department operations that offer a uniform symptoms checklist and safety protocols; data transparency and accessibility; increased testing dedicated to schools for students and staff; rapid case notification and contact tracing; isolation support and medical care for our most vulnerable students and families; and health monitoring of students to serve as early understandings of transmissions in schools and warnings of any school-based outbreaks.

Additionally, the state should direct the California Department of Public Health to coordinate with CalOSHA to develop and implement training for all school districts on safety protocols and to direct that Illness and Injury Prevention plans be updated and adopted prior to the first day of in-person instruction.

“This is not a wish list. These are necessary steps based on science, facts and safety that will help mitigate the spread of the virus in our schools. Unfortunately, we have a president who chooses to ignore his own experts and the critical COVID-19 surges happening right now, but we won’t be bullied into risking the safety of our students and each other by rushing back to unsafe, unhealthy conditions. Threatening to withhold much-needed funding will further prolong our safe return,” said Boyd.

California is a state of great innovation and wealth with the fifth largest economy in the world. To address the structural deficit, CTA, along with labor partners like the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and other community groups, are calling on lawmakers to return to Sacramento following the Summer recess to adopt additional revenues, such as suspending corporate tax credits and exemptions or imposing a tax on the wealthiest billionaires to help our communities survive. CTA and SEIU launched these digital ads this week.

“We should not compromise on funding or school safety in the home of the greatest number of billionaires in the country. We need safe, equitable, and well-funded public schools and colleges – this is what California’s students deserve,” said Boyd.

More information and COVID-19 resources for educators and parents are available at cta.org/COVID-19.

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.

LOS ANGELES — Amid COVID-19 infections and deaths surging to record highs, Trump’s threats to open schools prematurely, and a groundbreaking research paper that outlines necessary conditions for safely reopening schools,  the UTLA Board of Directors and Bargaining Team are calling on LAUSD to keep school campuses closed when the semester begins on Aug. 18.

“It is time to take a stand against Trump’s dangerous, anti-science agenda that puts the lives of our members, our students, and our families at risk,” said UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz. “We all want to physically open schools and be back with our students, but lives hang in the balance. Safety has to be the priority. We need to get this right for our communities.”

UTLA is also engaging all members in a poll on Friday, July 10, to find out where they stand on re-opening campuses. UTLA will notify members and the media the results of the poll Friday night.

The research paper, Same Storm but Different Boats: The Safe and Equitable Conditions for Starting LAUSD in 2020-21, looks at the science behind the specific conditions that must be met in the second-largest school district in the nation before staff and students can safely return.

Even before the spike in infections and Trump’s reckless talk, there were serious issues with starting the year on school campuses. The state and federal governments have not provided the additional resources or funds needed for increased health and safety measures and there is not enough time for the district to put together the detailed, rigorous plans for a safe return to campus. 

According to UTLA’s research paper, there is a jarringly disparate rate of COVID-19 infection, severe illness, and death among Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) working communities, where structural racism and economic inequality mean people live with economic and social factors that increase risk of illness and death. In these communities, people are more likely to have “essential” jobs, insufficient health care, higher levels of pre-existing health conditions, and live in crowded housing. Because of the forces of structural racism, Blacks, Latinx, and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County are dying of COVID-19 at twice the rate of white residents.

Here locally in LBUSD…Who is in charge?
On Wednesday the acting superintendent released a message to the LBUSD community. 

In a “normal” school District, the Board of Education, a.k.a “the Governing Board” would be informed and asked by executive staff to approve plans or programming changes. Given the global pandemic and soaring COVID-19 infections, now more than ever an engaged Board of Education is paramount. However, the acting superintendent apparently felt it was necessary to make commitments to the community with neither the approval of the board of education, nor having labor agreements. Why the Board of Education tolerates an acting superintendent making decisions and commitments to the community without getting approval from them is mind boggling. The assumption that labor groups will just simply agree to any proposal made by the acting superintendent and executive staff is disrespectful and demonstrates a complete disregard for the safety of rank and file employees of LBUSD. Staff will be on the front-line on campuses and in classrooms while the superintendent and executive staff will face far less risks and exposure in the “Ivory Tower” known as central office. 

Perhaps the acting superintendent felt it was necessary to get ahead of a forum, just hours before its start, comprised of students, staff, parents, community members and elected local and state officials. Why would the acting superintendent and executive staff feel threatened by a community forum discussing institutional racism, inequity and schools reopening? Could it be the District’s culture is not very keen on allowing public discourse? We can only speculate. If you would like to see what District officials were allegedly fearful of, please go to the following link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=277090386846436

TALB & the District’s negotiating teams will meet on Tuesday, July 14th to discuss plans / models for the reopening of schools in a “brick & mortal” & “redirected learning” – A.K.A. online learning environment. 

The health and safety of our community members, students and staff are a top priority. The pandemic is worsening as infection rates skyrocket, hospitals and ICU beds reach capacity, and the mounting death toll from COVID-19.

On July 14, TALB’s Executive Board will meet to discuss CTA’s positions and those of our brothers and sisters in varying districts throughout the State. During the week of July 20th, TALB will conduct a member survey regarding the reopening of physical schools in light of the recent escalation in the spread of COVID-19. If you do not have a registered personal email address to take the survey, please contact Blanca Paredes – bparedes@talb.org. The plan is to release this data prior to our next Representative Council meeting on July 28th, 2020.

LBUSD TB Testing

Part of our responsibilities as teachers is to be tested regularly for Tuberculosis. In the past the district has sent nurses out to sites to test everyone who is due. Because of school closures that is not possible. As an alternative, school district nurses are making screening calls to employees who are due for TB tests. They will ask some questions to determine if you are at risk. If you are not, that requirement will be waived. If there is some risk you will be referred to your doctor for the actual test.

IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE DISTRICT HAS YOUR CORRECT CONTACT INFORMATION.
The calls will take place between June 22, 2020 and July 17, 2020. Be sure to answer calls from nursing services. 

U.S. Public Education in Crisis 

1.      State-by-State Data on Budget Shortfalls & HEROES Act Funding
States all across the country are facing devastating budget cuts because of the pandemic and the resulting recession. NEA has just released comprehensive, state-by-state data showing the projected state budget shortfalls, the potential loss of education jobs, and the education relief funding approved by the US House of Representatives in the HEROES Act. Click here – https://neahq-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/tisrael_nea_org/ERy_1DN1yXVGsseJ_u9ZZBsB3abch1xdjxzFARY9aJumtA?e=SZwKfI – to see specifically what passage of the HEROES Act would mean for your state (also attached). These numbers can help you in engaging local leaders, members and field staff in mobilizing to demand action by the US Senate to avoid massive job losses in your schools.

2.      New “Click-to-Call” Link for Members to Demand Action from their US Senators
As the campaign to demand federal relief funding for our schools shifts to the US Senate, NEA has brought up a new link (www.nea.org/covidcall)where any member can simply input their contact info, get briefed on talking points and then be connected to their US Senators office to share their stories on what will happen if the Senate does not provide $175 billion in funding to avoid massive budget cuts to our schools. Please push this link out to your local leaders, members and staff and urge them to call their Senators!

3.      Latest State-by-State Report on Emails Sent to Members of Congress Demanding Action
For the latest state-by-state tallies on the number of letters members have sent to Congress demanding COVID19 emergency relief funding, click here: https://neahq-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/tisrael_nea_org/ET_zW-HT4g1KlHGEbPqfCEAB-2NavHFsiueKLCysYBu7Sw?e=EswIi5 .

Members can still sent emails to Congress by going to www.nea.org/covidaction.

4.     Health & Safety Guidance on Re-Opening Schools
All Hands on Deck: Initial Guidance Regarding Reopening Public Schools can be found at https://educatingthroughcrisis.org/meeting-students-and-families-needs/guidance-for-reopening-schools-covid/. This is a public resource and can be shared with parent groups, allies and district administrators.