Update: Friday, July 23, 2021
Friday, July 23, 2021
READING THE TEA LEAVES
The pandemic is not over. Commentators and politicos are now calling our current state of affairs, a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”. It is hard to argue with the data, which suggests 97% of those who end up hospitalized or deceased from COVID-19 were unvaccinated. An incredible statistic. Overall, the vaccines are protecting 97% of vaccinated people from serious illness, hospitalization and death. However, there have been reports that the Centers for Disease Control is only tracking “vaccinated – break through infections” for those who end up hospitalized or deceased. Anecdotally, we’ve received reports of vaccinated people being infected who have demonstrated no symptoms, to symptoms requiring bedrest. Even if you are vaccinated, if infected, you may have serious symptoms, but most will be able to recover without a trip to the hospital.
With the governor facing a recall election on September 14 , (This recall election will cost the State $276,000,000.00.) it is unlikely any pandemic restrictions will be forthcoming at the State level. The California Department of Public Health has punted the issue of restrictions (mask wearing, etc.) to county and local health departments. We are currently monitoring the situation closely. The LBUSD TK-12 currently plans on opening fully for the fall semester starting Monday, August 30 for staff and Tuesday, August 31 for students. The District is currently working on providing “Distance Learning” via “Independent Study”. The recent State budget had some “trailer bills” which allows school districts to provide “Distance Learning” albeit with a series of hoops to jump through. Determining how many students and staff required to spin up this program has yet to be determined.
Next Friday, July 30 we’ll update you with any “known, knowns”, but right now things are very fluid.
The TALB office is open during the summer. We have CDC and Head Start preschool teachers that work year-round and we have many summer enrichment programs happening this year. We hope you find time to rejuvenate and reenergize. We are still in a pandemic, but things are looking better. Our next newsletter will come out on July 9. If there is breaking news we will email and use our social media. Take care or yourself and each other! THANK YOU!
Public Schools Long Beach Students Deserve
With Long Beach Unified School District set to receive over $460,000,000.00 in State & Federal aid, it is high time we look at the services we provide to our students.
Class Sizes/Ratios
Counselors
Librarians
Nurses
Psychologists
Speech Pathologists
Please start the conversations now, we will need to organize before Executive Staff make all the decisions and allocate all the resources.
Pay attention!
The Board of Education is the ultimate arbiter on LBUSD policy.
Next Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, July 19 @ 5:00 p.m.
We encourage all of our members and community members we serve to LIFT UP YOUR VOICES. Contact our Board of Education Members and Executive Staff to let them know what you are thinking.
Long Beach Unified School District’s YouTube ChannelWatch Live on Monday, July 19 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel
Update: Friday, July 9, 2021
Friday, July 9, 2021
It has been a busy summer so far. There are more teachers working this summer in multiple “unfinished learning” opportunities for students than we’ve had in over a decade. Our 12 month Child Development Centers and Head Start programs started the new school year, 2021-22, on July 1st.
The pandemic is still with us. The Long Beach Health department, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Health department and the California Department of Public Health are working on evolving recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control regarding schools. Today the CDC updated its recommendations. Locally, we will have to wait to see how or if the Long Beach Health department will update the expectations for schools to operate safely.
The LBUSD TK-12 currently plans on opening fully for the fall semester starting Monday, August 30 for staff and Tuesday, August 31 for students. What form of online learning will be available to students and parents is not entirely clear.
The TALB office is open during the summer. We have CDC and Head Start preschool teachers that work year-round and we have many summer enrichment programs happening this year. We hope you find time to rejuvenate and reenergize. We are still in a pandemic, but things are looking better. Our next newsletter will come out on July 9. If there is breaking news we will email and use our social media. Take care or yourself and each other! THANK YOU!
LA Times Story
Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need masks, CDC says
By MIKE STOBBE AND COLLIN BINKLEY
Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside school buildings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines.
The changes come amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, as well as a general decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
“We’re at a new point in the pandemic that we’re all really excited about,” so it’s time to update the guidance, said Erin Sauber-Schatz, who leads the CDC task force that prepares recommendations designed to keep Americans safe from COVID-19.
The nation’s top public health agency is not advising schools to require shots for teachers and vaccine-eligible kids. And it’s not offering guidance on how teachers can know which students are vaccinated or how parents will know which teachers are immunized.
That’s probably going to make for some challenging school environments, said Elizabeth Stuart, a John Hopkins University public health professor who has children in elementary and middle schools.
“It would be a very weird dynamic, socially, to have some kids wearing masks and some not. And tracking that? Teachers shouldn’t need to be keeping track of which kids should have masks on,” she said.
Another potential headache: Schools should continue to space kids — and their desks — 3 feet apart in classrooms, the CDC says. But the agency emphasized that spacing should not be an obstacle to getting kids back in schools. And it said distancing is not required among fully vaccinated students or staff.
All of this may prove hard to implement, and that’s why CDC is advising schools to make decisions that make the most sense, Sauber-Schatz said. (more on the story)
LA Times Story
California parents want to keep online learning as a fall option, poll finds
By MELISSA GOMEZSTAFF WRITER
JULY 8, 2021 5 AM PT
Although California parents strongly favor full campus reopenings in the fall, they want school districts to offer online learning options, according to a statewide survey that indicates uncertainties ahead for in-person attendance.
More than two-thirds of parents agree that eligible California students should be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine once it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, with exceptions for medical reasons, according to the survey released Thursday by USC and the Policy Analysis for California Education.
“We’re in a moment of time of uncertainty,” said Julie Marsh, coauthor of the study and a USC professor of education policy. A coronavirus variant and unvaccinated children are contributing factors to an ever-changing set of circumstances, and people want to keep their options open, she added.
The survey found that more than 80% of Californian parents and voters support an in-person return five days a week for K-12 students for the 2021-22 school year. And 71% of parents agreed that online learning should remain an option.
In late May, USC and PACE researchers surveyed 2,000 registered California voters, including an oversample of 500 parents with children under the age of 18 at home. The survey covered a range of issues and gauged voter worries about the pandemic’s toll on the state’s 6 million students, opinions on teaching about racism and how to best support students who have fallen behind academically.
Those surveyed expressed worry over the pandemic’s impact on learning for K-12 students.
Voter said they are most concerned about K-12 students who have fallen behind academically. Respondents also expressed concern for students with special needs, those who are English learners and those in need of emotional and mental health support. Nearly 90% said they favor extra help for students through summer school, intensive tutoring and after-school activities.
Whether all students return to school campuses in large numbers in the fall remains to be seen. Some California parents reported that their children’s education improved with online learning, and some students thrived. California legislators are moving forward with a bill that will require school districts to offer online independent study for students whose health may be put at risk by in-person instruction. It was previously offered by districts on a voluntary basis before the pandemic, but legislators are aiming to make it a requirement for the next school year. (more of the story)
Public Schools Long Beach Students Deserve
With Long Beach Unified School District set to receive over $460,000,000.00 in State & Federal aid, it is high time we look at the services we provide to our students.
Class Sizes/Ratios
Counselors
Librarians
Nurses
Psychologists
Speech Pathologists
Please start the conversations now, we will need to organize before Executive Staff make all the decisions and allocate all the resources.
Pay attention!
The Board of Education is the ultimate arbiter on LBUSD policy.
Next Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, July 19 @ 5:00 p.m.
We encourage all of our members and community members we serve to LIFT UP YOUR VOICES. Contact our Board of Education Members and Executive Staff to let them know what you are thinking.
Long Beach Unified School District’s YouTube ChannelWatch Live on Monday, July 19 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel
The last Round-Up of the Year, June 25, 2021
Friday, June 25, 2021
Equity Training
If you attended the training this week, you should expect your compensation on July 30, 2021. In terms of the training itself, TALB had no involvement with the development of the curriculum or training. The compensation package that was voted on last April included the training. An MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is an agreement for a short period of time. In this case there was an MOU that included equity training for the summer of 2021, it is not in the contract as we did not agree, nor would we, to have mandated training every summer.
The TALB office is open during the summer. We have CDC and Head Start preschool teachers that work year-round and we have many summer enrichment programs happening this year. We hope you find time to rejuvenate and reenergize. We are still in a pandemic, but things are looking better. Our next newsletter will come out on July 9. If there is breaking news we will email and use our social media. Take care or yourself and each other! THANK YOU!
Bargaining Survey Results 2021-22
Results from the Bargaining Survey are in!
Find out how your fellow members feel about important issues.
Read all the details here
Public Schools Long Beach Students Deserve
With Long Beach Unified School District set to receive over $460,000,000.00 in State & Federal aid, it is high time we look at the services we provide to our students.
Class Sizes/Ratios
Counselors
Librarians
Nurses
Psychologists
Speech Pathologists
Please start the conversations now, we will need to organize before Executive Staff make all the decisions and allocate all the resources.
A Rash of Failing Grades Could Have Long-Term Consequences for Students
By Kate Taylor and Amelia Nierenberg, The New York Times
Students across the country failed courses at alarming rates during the coronavirus pandemic. In Houston, about half of high school students got at least one F in the fall 2020 semester, compared with 35 percent the year before. In Dallas, five high schools had more than a quarter of students failing two or more courses this spring, up from just one school two years ago. And in Chicago, a recent story by WBEZ described teachers at high-poverty high schools agonizing about whether to fail students.
The increase in failing grades is one of the clearest signs of how the pandemic has affected students’ education. Experts are particularly concerned about the impact on high school students, who don’t have much time left in their academic careers to make up for learning losses.
“One year of bad grades can change the life trajectory of a high school student,” said Robin Lake, the director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a research and advocacy group at the University of Washington Bothell.
“Just as important,” she added, “a failing grade means the student did not master the course content and will likely struggle for coming years without a lot of extra support.”
How to deal with failing grades during the pandemic has been a matter of debate. Boston Public Schools stopped tying marks to attendance, and some schools stopped giving F’s, issuing “incompletes” instead and offering students the opportunity to make up work.
Even so, the failure rate in core courses among Boston middle- and high school students ticked up.
Experts worry that if schools don’t take major steps to re-engage struggling students, helping them make up credits and restoring their confidence, the surge this year in failing grades could lead many to drop out of school, or dim their chances of getting into a selective college.
Research has shown that getting one or two F’s in ninth grade significantly decreases a student’s chance of graduating.
Lake said it was critical that districts give students the opportunity to retake classes or improve their grades this summer or next year.
Many people have blamed failure rates on the challenges of remote learning, but students most likely struggled during the pandemic for many reasons, among them financial stress and physical and mental health issues.
In Houston, for example, where schools reopened on Oct. 19 but 60 percent of students stayed remote, the high school students who remained online did somewhat better overall than the students who returned in person, according to district data (although that was not the case for students in grades 3-8).
President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package included $129 billion for K-12 education, aimed at getting students back to school and making up the losses of the past year and a half. Districts now have to figure out how to use that aid to help high school students get back on track, and convince those whose confidence has faltered that they can succeed in school.
Pay attention!
The Board of Education is the ultimate arbiter on LBUSD policy.
Next Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, July 19 @ 5:00 p.m.
We encourage all of our members and community members we serve to LIFT UP YOUR VOICES. Contact our Board of Education Members and Executive Staff to let them know what you are thinking.
Long Beach Unified School District’s YouTube ChannelWatch Live on Monday, July 19 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel
The last Round-Up of the Year, June 11, 2021
Friday, June 11, 2021
Good Afternoon,
The final days of the 2021-22 school year are upon us. It has been a year of trials and tribulations. Congratulations to all our Teachers, Librarians, Nurses & Speech Pathologists who worked their tails off during this pandemic. Hold your heads high, you’ve gone above and beyond!
The TALB office will be open during the summer. However, we will revert back to a bi-monthly electronic newsletter. We are currently in the process of redesigning the newsletter and website. If there is breaking news we will email and use our social media. The TALB staff thanks you for your membership and your patience! We’ve never had to field so many emails and phone calls during this crisis. THANK YOU!
Did you take the bargaining survey? Right now we only have about 35% responding to this very important survey.
The survey will close on Monday, June 14 @ 4:30 p.m. In addition to seeking input for negotiations, there are questions regarding school culture and climate.
This a members only survey. If you are a member and did not get a survey, please call the office and ask for Ingrid Perez or email her at ingrid@talb.org
TALB’s Bargaining Team
Corrin Hickey, Bargaining Chair, Lakewood High School
Gerry Morrison, McBride High School
John Kane, Jordan High School
Mark Ennen, Newcomb K-8
Kevin Quinn, Los Cerritos Elementary School
Maritza Summers, Mann Elementary School
John Solomon, MacArthur Elementary School
Maria Garcia, Head Start
Sybil Baldwin, Child Development Center
On going equity, diversity and inclusion debates…
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging resolution sparks controversy among parents
by Brittney Buti
Palm Beach County School Board votes to remove ‘white advantage’ line in Equity Statement
By: Matt Papaycik
Will New Efforts Finally Bring Equity to Communities Long Impacted by Water, Transportation and Other Infrastructure?
By: Pam Radtke Russell, Debra K. Rubin, Corinne Grinapol, Aileen Cho, and Nadine M. Post
Debate continues: expanding K-5 curriculum to include more teaching of equity, diversity
By: Associated Press
Critical race theory debate heats up in Nevada schools
By: Sam Metz
Elmbrook School Board Votes To Exclude Proposed Equity Principles
By: Ethan Duran
Public Schools Long Beach Students Deserve
With Long Beach Unified School District set to receive over $460,000,000.00 in State & Federal aid, it is high time we look at the services we provide to our students.
Class Sizes/Ratios
Counselors
Librarians
Nurses
Psychologists
Speech Pathologists
Please start the conversations now, we will need to organize before Executive Staff make all the decisions and allocate all the resources.
We encourage all of our members and community members we serve to LIFT UP YOUR VOICES. Contact our Board of Education Members and Executive Staff to let them know what you are thinking.
Long Beach Unified School District’s YouTube ChannelWatch Live on Wednesday, June 23 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel
Update, Friday, April 23, 2021
Friday, April 23, 2021
Good Afternoon,
This past week, ALL levels of LBUSD (PRE-K through 12) have been in operation for “in-person” instruction. It has been over a year since the 4th largest school district in the state of California has been fully operational for “in-person” instruction. We know there have been challenges. Safety continues to be a concern, whether it be accurate screenings to appropriate student/teacher ratios. Lift up your voices with your colleagues, grade/departmental leaders and school administration. What worked? What didn’t work? And how can we leverage all of our resources to make the next 37 days of instruction a success? We can find creative solutions without being dismissive and respecting everyone’s feelings. We’ve been through a once in “one-hundred” year pandemic (hopefully). Nerves are raw. We are a resourceful lot, let us all pull together to make the final stretch.
There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing
The neglected middle child of mental health can dull your motivation and focus — and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021.
Excellent article from The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html
Specialized Transfer Openings
The District has posted dozens of positions which are open through an “interview” process. In some cases, a pony might have already been picked for the race and the flying of the position may be perfunctory, but it doesn’t hurt to throw your hat in the ring. CLICK HERE
Sick Leave Donation Program
By now, every school employee should have had an opportunity to be vaccinated. We know the decision to get vaccinated is a personal choice. Some of our members will get sick with COVID-19 and some of our members are COVID-19 “long haulers” close to running out of sick leave. Please consider donating to your colleagues. For details on how to donate or be a recipient of the program, please click on this link.
APPENDIX F Sick Leave Donation Program
The District and the Teachers Association of Long Beach agree to the implementation of the following Sick Leave Donation Program. This program shall be available to all members of the bargaining unit. The District and the Association further agree to review and evaluate the effectiveness of this plan after a full year has elapsed following the ratification of this contract by both the Association and the Board of Education. The purpose of the Sick Leave Donation Program is to provide assistance to bargaining unit members suffering from a catastrophic physical illness or injury. The Sick Leave Donation Program provides employees with an opportunity to be restored to health so they can return to work.
ASSOCIATION SITE REPRESENTATIVE ELECTIONS
It has been a challenging year and we expect 2021-22 to have many mountains to climb. United and actively engaged we can create opportunities for our students and our profession. Please consider running to be a TALB Site Representative for the 2021-22 school year.
It is now time for school sites to elect their TALB Association Representative for the next school year. The “Site Rep” is the most important position in TALB. These incredible volunteers make TALB work. They attend monthly TALB Representative Council meetings to represent the interests of TALB members at their school site. They vote to make policy and chart the direction for TALB. They are the direct conduit for important information and updates. They hold regular “Ten Minute Meetings”at school sites to get input and mobilize volunteers for important organizing efforts and campaigns.
Get involved, make a difference, serve your colleagues…run to be a TALB Site Association Representative.
Safety counts. Some might not be feeling that way right now. If safety protocols are not being met they need to be reported to the COVID-19 Hotline and keep TALB in the loop.
Stay Safe / Reporting Saves Lives & Keeps Schools open for “in-person” Instruction
If the temperature machine is not working, speak up.
COVID-19 Hotline – (562) 204-6075
If students and staff are not following protocols, speak up.
COVID-19 Hotline – (562) 204-6075
If administrators/principals are not enforcing protocols, speak up.
COVID-19 Hotline – (562) 204-6075
We encourage all of our members and community members we serve to LIFT UP YOUR VOICES. Contact our Board of Education Members and Executive Staff to let them know what you are thinking.
Long Beach Unified School District’s YouTube ChannelWatch Live on Wednesday, May 5 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel
