TALB Update: Friday October 1, 2021

Friday, October 1, 2021

Booster Shots. Memorial Care.
There has been a lot of news surrounding third doses of the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 recently and it can be a bit confusing. 

On August 14, the CDC made a recommendation that people who have a moderately to severely compromised immune system (generally this is people that are getting chemotherapy for cancer, have had an organ transplant or are on strong medications that suppress the immune system) should get a third dose of the same Moderna or Pfizer vaccine they had received to make sure that their immune response is closer to where it should be if they weren’t immunosuppressed.

We are happy to continue helping immunocompromised patients schedule a third dose with us. You can schedule the vaccine at a MemorialCare Medical Group clinic (see below for locations) via MyChart or on the California MyTurn site in many locations across Southern California.

More recently, on September 24, the FDA, CDC and state of California approved a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for all people aged 65 years and older and for people between 18 and 64 who have a condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or those that have an increased exposure risk due to their job (healthcare worker, teachers, etc.). This booster dose was only approved for people who were previously vaccinated with the two-dose Pfizer series at least 6 months earlier.

MemorialCare is supporting this effort by offering the Pfizer boosters noted above and will be making clinic spots available on a first-come, first-serve basis. We are happy to help prior Pfizer recipients get scheduled with us. Slots are available at the below MemorialCare Medical Group Clinics via MyChart or on the State’s MyTurn site in many locations across Southern California.

Clinic Locations:
Anaheim – 100 S. Anaheim Blvd, Suite 101, Anaheim, CA 92805
Costa Mesa – 722 Baker Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Santa Ana – 1212 W. 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706
HB Beach – 17762 Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
FV Brookhurst – 18035 Brookhurst Street, Suite 2100, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Irvine Barranca – 4050 Barranca Parkway, Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92604
Los Altos – 2110 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90815
Douglas Park – 3828 Schaufele Avenue, Suite 200, Long Beach, CA 90808
LB MFM-residency program – 450 East Spring Street, Suite 1, Long Beach, CA 90806
Torrance – 22719 Hawthorne Boulevard, Torrance, CA 90505
San Juan Capistrano – 31001 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 200, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Rancho Mission Viejo – 30492 Gateway Place, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694

Please note that, if your first two doses of vaccine were Moderna, the only approved reason for a third dose is if you are immunocompromised (see first paragraph above).

If you received the J&J vaccine, additional doses have not been recommended or approved, either for a second dose of J&J or for a “booster” dose of either Moderna or Pfizer. MemorialCare commits to keeping you informed should things change and is proud to be a trusted resource for information on COVID-19 and any other healthcare issues.

COVID Infections trending down…
The number of infections trending down overall is good news. Granted, this newsletter hasn’t always been a beacon of light and hope. That being said, we’ve preferred to error on being brutally honest. Just twelve months ago, a similar trend could be seen right before the “winter surge”. With a vaccine widely available, last fall/winter doesn’t have to play out the same way again, but if we are still dealing with millions of people unvaccinated as we head into October, it is hard to see how we avoid another wave. Hyper vigilance has left many exhausted, both mentally and physically. This pandemic has laid bare a striking need for student and staff mental health. This isn’t a call for you to redouble your efforts, this is a reminder that YOU can only do so much. The district needs to make an investment in mental health activities/services on campuses.

COVID Leave Expires
On September 30, 2021 the 80 hours of COVID leave expired. If you become ill with COVID like symptoms or are required to quarantine, the leave will be deducted from your accrued sick leave. After all of your sick leave is exhausted you are entitled to 100 working days of “statutory pay” = 50% of your salary. If you haven’t already made the investment, you may want to consider signing up for the Standard’s Disability Insurance.

Bargaining 2021-22
Today, the TALB Bargaining team met. The day was spent reviewing member survey data, the Child Development Center | Head Start and TK-12 collective bargaining agreements, a.k.a. “contracts”. This year will be filled with challenges at the bargaining table. We’ll be calling on rank and file members to participate in organizing activities. The team is comprised of volunteers who’ll need your help.

Corrin Hickey – Bargaining Chair, Lakewood HS
Gerry Morrison – McBride HS
John Kane – Jordan HS
Julie McCall – Nelson MS
John Solomon – MacArthur ES
Kevin Quinn – Los Cerritos ES
Maritza Summers – Mann ES
Sybil Baldwin – CDC
Maria Garcia – HS

This week’s ask…
The Board of Education will meet on October 6 @ 5:00 p.m. There will be many voices from the community speaking at this BOE meeting. Do these voices speak for you? WATCH LIVE – BOE – Meeting 10/6/2021 @ 5:00 p.m. 

LBUSD Board & Exec Staff Contact Info

Long Beach Unified School District’s YouTube ChannelWatch Live on Wednesday, October 6 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel

If protocols are not being followed, please call the District’s COVID hotline at 562-204-6075 and or call the TALB office at 562-426-6433. The California Department of Public Health issued a requirement to School Leaders for universal masking for indoors, K-12 on August 23, 3021. It is a lengthy read, but non-compliance may have ramifications beyond the local employer – excerpt below:
Third, certificated individuals—including school administrators—may be subject to referral to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for disciplinary action for violating a mandatory legal duty to implement the masking requirement and knowingly exposing students to preventable harm. (See Educ. Code § 44421 [authorizing discipline for “refusal to obey . . . laws regulating the duties of persons serving in the public school system”].)

Update your Beneficiaries

The cycle of life. Every year we have a few members pass. Your TALB/CTA/NEA membership provides a survivor’s benefit up to $6,000.00. Sadly, every now and again, we have a member pass who did not update their beneficiaries. We can only issue the benefit to the individual(s) listed on your survivor’s benefit form. Life comes at you fast. Relationships change. If you have any questions about your survivor’s benefit please call the office at 562-426-6433.

Site Representative Training – Virtual Academy – Zoom
10/20/2021 4:00-5:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

Know Your Contract – Virtual Academy – Zoom
10/21/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

New Member Orientation
New to the District? – TALB Mixer – Zoom
10/27/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

Evaluation Forum
12/2/2021 4:00-5:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

CTA Conferences & Grants

LGBTQ+ Issues Conference – October 29-31, 2021, Palm Springs
Application Cut-off extended to: September 12, 2021 at Midnight

Issues Conference – January 21-23, 2022, Las Vegas
Application Cut-0ff: November 8, 2021 at Midnight

Equity & Human Rights Conference – March 4-6, 2022, Location TBD
Application Cut-off: January 3, 2022, at Midnight

Good Teaching Conference South – March 18-20, 2022, Garden Grove
Application Cut-off: January 3, 2022 at Midnight

For full details and to apply for a grant, go to www.CTA.org/grants.

California plans to add the Covid vaccine as a requirement to attend school as early as next fall.

Oct. 1, 2021Updated 2:07 p.m. ETBy Shawn Hubler

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced on Friday that the state plans to add the coronavirus vaccine to other vaccinations required to attend school, such as measles and mumps, starting as early as next fall.

The vaccine mandate, for public and private schools, will be phased-in by grade span — seventh through 12th grades, and then kindergarten through sixth — after the Food and Drug Administration grants full approval to the corresponding age group. Mr. Newsom said that he anticipates the requirement would apply to grades seven and up starting in July 2022.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently only fully approved for people 16 and older; the vaccine remains available for children ages 12 to 15 under emergency use authorization. Mr. Newsom said that more than 63 percent of Californians aged 12 to 17 have received at least one dose of vaccine.

Widespread inoculation will be critical to keeping classrooms open, he noted.

“We want to end this pandemic. We are all exhausted by it,” the governor, who has four small children, said.
Mr. Newsom’s announcement would make California the first state to mandate the Covid vaccine for in-person school attendance.

Independent study will be offered for unvaccinated students, he said, and rules for students with medical and other exemptions will be determined through a public rule-making process. California has nearly 7 million students in public and private schools.

Several of the state’s largest school districts have already voted to mandate vaccinations in some form for hundreds of thousands of students. Last month, the Los Angeles Unified School District — the second largest in the nation — became the first major school district in the country to announce a vaccine mandate for children 12 and older who attend school in person, which will be broadly effective by January.

School districts in Culver City and Piedmont have made similar announcements. The school board in Oakland voted last month to require students aged 12 or older to be vaccinated, though some details — including the timing — have yet to be ironed out. In San Diego, students over 16 must be vaccinated by late December to attend in-person classes, with mandates contingent on vaccine clearance in the works for younger age groups.

California requires that K-12 students, faculty and staff wear face masks at school. The state also announced vaccine rules for teachers and other school staff in August. Other states and districts across the country, including Washington State, New York City and Oregon, have done so, too. (Story Continued)

L.A. Unified enrollment drops by more than 27,000 students, steepest decline in years

BY HOWARD BLUMESTAFF WRITER
SEPT. 28, 2021 5 AM PT

Enrollment in the Los Angeles Unified School District has dropped by more than 27,000 students since last year, a decline of close to 6% — a much steeper slide than in any recent year.

The comparison is based on an annual count referred to as “norm day,” the fifth Friday of every new school year, Sept. 17 this year. Last year’s enrollment total for pre-school through 12th grade was 466,229. This year’s figure for that same date is 439,013, according to data provided by L.A. Unified that will be presented to the school board Tuesday.

Other data released by L.A. Unified indicates other potential concerns. The district estimates that between 70% and 80% of the school staff are on target to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the district’s deadline of Oct. 15, indicating that thousands of employees face termination, which would exacerbate another problem: more than 2,000 unfilled jobs. (Continued Story)

COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff

By JOCELYN GECKER Associated Press
September 22, 2021, 9:05 PM

Schools have welcomed students back to classrooms but face a new challenge: a shortage of teachers and staff the likes of which some districts say they have never seen.

SAN FRANCISCO — One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students’ lunchboxes, telling parents it’s “now hiring.” Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards, teachers are being offered signing bonuses and schools are moving back to online learning.

Now that schools have welcomed students back to classrooms, they face a new challenge: a shortage of teachers and staff the likes of which some districts say they have never seen.

Teacher shortages and difficulties filling openings have been reported in Tennessee, New Jersey and South Dakota, where one district started the school year with 120 teacher vacancies. Across Texas, the main districts in Houston, Waco and elsewhere reported hundreds of teaching vacancies at the start of the year.

Several schools nationwide have had to shut classrooms because of a lack of teachers. (Continued Story)

California enters a new phase of the pandemic

BY EMILY HOEVEN

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

Today marks a massive inflection point in California’s pandemic response.

The state is shifting from a phase of protection — marked by the implicit recognition that people had very little control over COVID-19 — to one of action, underscoring that vaccines are free, widely available to most of the population and key to bringing the pandemic to a close. Ending today: California’s statewide eviction moratorium, its ban on power shutoffs and its expanded paid sick leave program. (Its ban on water shutoffs, also originally set to end today, was recently extended through Dec. 31.) Starting today: California health care workers must be fully vaccinated or face consequences.

The expiration of three key pandemic safety net programs comes a few weeks after benefits were cut off to 2.2 million of the 3 million Californians receiving some form of unemployment insurance. And although protections remain — the state is rolling out $2 billion to help residents cover unpaid utility bills and $2.6 billion in rent relief — it may not be enough to keep people afloat. A recent National Equity Atlas analysis, for example, found that about 724,000 California households still owe $2.5 billion in rent.

Perhaps to lessen the sting of the eviction moratorium ending, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed into law a package of bills to connect homeless Californians with housing and behavioral health services. He also emphasized that some cities and counties are keeping local eviction bans in place and that tenants can still get help paying rent. To learn more, check out this comprehensive FAQ from CalMatters’ Manuela Tobias.

Meanwhile, fears of an employee exodus due to California’s vaccine mandate for health care workers appear to have been mostly unfounded. Major hospital systems — including Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, Stanford Health Care, UC Davis Medical Center and Keck Medicine — say they have vaccination rates of 90% or higher, CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang reports. But hospitals and health care facilities aren’t required to routinely report staff vaccination and exemption rates to the state or to the public — making it difficult to determine how many exemptions were granted and whether certain regions or sectors of workers are lagging behind.

Other mandates are facing more pushback. Los Angeles County employees are facing a Friday deadline to be fully vaccinated — which union representatives are calling “a scare tactic rather than a reasonable personnel policy.” They’re pushing for an extension — something the city of San Diego granted its workers this week, bumping the vaccination deadline from Nov. 2 to Dec. 1. The San Francisco Police Department is preparing to potentially lose hundreds of personnel ahead of an Oct. 13 vaccination deadline. And an Oct. 15 inoculation deadline is looming for employees of Los Angeles Unified School District — 20% of whom are currently unvaccinated.

COVID Safety Protocols Not Being Followed?
If protocols are not being followed, please call the District’s COVID hotline at 562-204-6075 and or call the TALB office at 562-426-6433. The California Department of Public Health issued a requirement to School Leaders for universal masking for indoors, K-12 on August 23, 3021. It is a lengthy read, but non-compliance may have ramifications beyond the local employer – excerpt below:
Third, certificated individuals—including school administrators—may be subject to referral to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for disciplinary action for violating a mandatory legal duty to implement the masking requirement and knowingly exposing students to preventable harm. (See Educ. Code § 44421 [authorizing discipline for “refusal to obey . . . laws regulating the duties of persons serving in the public school system”].)

Update your Beneficiaries
The cycle of life. Every year we have a few members pass. Your TALB/CTA/NEA membership provides a survivor’s benefit up to $6,000.00. Sadly, every now and again, we have a member pass who did not update their beneficiaries. We can only issue the benefit to the individual(s) listed on your survivor’s benefit form. Life comes at you fast. Relationships change. If you have any questions about your survivor’s benefit please call the office at 562-426-6433.

Federal Funding to Enhance Facilities

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.

TALB Update: Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021

Friday, September 24, 2021

Yesterday, the District announced a transition to a “modified quarantine”.

On September 22, 2021 the California Department of Public Health, issued an update to its guidance – COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2021-22 School Year
~ The foundational principle of this guidance is that all students must have access to safe and full in-person instruction and to as much instructional time as possible. In California, the surest path to safe and full in-person instruction at the outset of the school year, as well as minimizing missed school days on an ongoing basis, is a strong emphasis on the following: vaccination for all eligible individuals to get COVID-19 rates down throughout the community; universal masking in schools, which enables no minimum physical distancing, allowing all students access to full in-person learning, and more targeted quarantine practices, keeping students in school; and access to a robust COVID-19 testing program as an available additional safety layer. Recent evidence indicates that in-person instruction can occur safely without minimum physical distancing requirements when other mitigation strategies (e.g., masking) are fully implemented.  This is consistent with CDC K-12 School Guidance.

“Modified Quarantine”

~CDHP Guidance~
Quarantine recommendations for unvaccinated students for exposures when both parties were wearing a mask, as required in K-12 indoor settings. These are adapted from the CDC K-12 guidance and CDC definition of a close contact.
When both parties were wearing a mask in any school setting in which students are supervised by school staff (including indoor or outdoor school settings and school buses, including on buses operated by public and private school systems), unvaccinated students who are close contacts (more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period within 0-6 feet) may undergo a modified quarantine as follows. They may continue to attend school for in-person instruction if they:

• Are asymptomatic
• Continue to appropriately mask, as required
• Undergo at least twice weekly testing during quarantine
• Continue to quarantine for all extracurricular activities at school, including sports, and activities within the community setting. 

~ ORGANIZING ~ 
Getting through to the policy makers. This week’s ask from the Bargaining & Organizing teams. Please email all the members of the Board of Education with a quick assessment of your site’s first month back at school. These elected officials need to hear the unvarnished truth. There are stories of success and student engagement as well as the hiccups of starting up the 4th largest school district in the state of California. In the coming months, 3 of the Board of Education seats will be up for election.

COVID Leave ends September 30

The 80 hours (10 days) of COVID related leave expires on September 30. If you are sent home to quarantine or have COVID-19 symptoms accrued sick leave will be impacted. If you exhaust all of your accrued sick leave you are entitled to 100 working days of “statutory pay” at 50% of your salary. If you don’t have disability insurance (which will cover a portion of the lost 50% of your wages) there is an opportunity for the Standard starting soon.

If protocols are not being followed, please call the District’s COVID hotline at 562-204-6075 and or call the TALB office at 562-426-6433. The California Department of Public Health issued a requirement to School Leaders for universal masking for indoors, K-12 on August 23, 3021. It is a lengthy read, but non-compliance may have ramifications beyond the local employer – excerpt below:
Third, certificated individuals—including school administrators—may be subject to referral to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for disciplinary action for violating a mandatory legal duty to implement the masking requirement and knowingly exposing students to preventable harm. (See Educ. Code § 44421 [authorizing discipline for “refusal to obey . . . laws regulating the duties of persons serving in the public school system”].)

We know you are exhausted. We are exhausted. It feels like May and we aren’t even out of September yet. If you didn’t get a chance to reach out to the Board of Education last week we completely understand. Now however, with testing on a pause, it is more important than ever to communicate with the Board of Education. There will not be another Board of Education meeting again, until Wednesday, October 6. Plenty of time for you to inform them. Get out your penny pencil and share your experience. You matter. We all matter. Onward we go.

Next Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, October 6  @ 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 Wednesday, October 6 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel

If protocols are not being followed, please call the District’s COVID hotline at 562-204-6075 and or call the TALB office at 562-426-6433. The California Department of Public Health issued a requirement to School Leaders for universal masking for indoors, K-12 on August 23, 3021. It is a lengthy read, but non-compliance may have ramifications beyond the local employer – excerpt below:
Third, certificated individuals—including school administrators—may be subject to referral to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for disciplinary action for violating a mandatory legal duty to implement the masking requirement and knowingly exposing students to preventable harm. (See Educ. Code § 44421 [authorizing discipline for “refusal to obey . . . laws regulating the duties of persons serving in the public school system”].)

Update your Beneficiaries

The cycle of life. Every year we have a few members pass. Your TALB/CTA/NEA membership provides a survivor’s benefit up to $6,000.00. Sadly, every now and again, we have a member pass who did not update their beneficiaries. We can only issue the benefit to the individual(s) listed on your survivor’s benefit form. Life comes at you fast. Relationships change. If you have any questions about your survivor’s benefit please call the office at 562-426-6433.

~ Virtual Site Visits – week of 9/27 ~
| Monday  – Cubberley K-8 |
| Wednesday – LBSA/EPHS/Reid H.S. |
| Thursday – Renaissance H.S. |

TALB Representative Council
Tuesday, September 28th @ 4:15 p.m.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – In collaboration with the Women’s Shelter of Long Beach
10/1/2021 Vigil – Parking lot, TALB office. Details to come. 

Know Your Contract – Virtual Academy – Zoom
10/21/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

New Member Orientation
New to the District? – TALB Mixer – Zoom
10/27/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

CTA Conferences & Grants

LGBTQ+ Issues Conference – October 29-31, 2021, Palm Springs
Application Cut-off extended to: September 12, 2021 at Midnight

Issues Conference – January 21-23, 2022, Las Vegas
Application Cut-0ff: November 8, 2021 at Midnight

Equity & Human Rights Conference – March 4-6, 2022, Location TBD
Application Cut-off: January 3, 2022, at Midnight

Good Teaching Conference South – March 18-20, 2022, Garden Grove
Application Cut-off: January 3, 2022 at Midnight

For full details and to apply for a grant, go to www.CTA.org/grants.

Federal Funding to Enhance Facilities

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.

TALB Update: Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021

Sunday, September 19, 2021

We apologize for the delay. Typically the E-Update comes out on Fridays. The phones have been jumping off the hooks and our email inboxes are bursting at the seams. We’re exhausted and we can only imagine how rank and file are feeling after the first full week of school. It was a very busy week with quite a bit to unpack.

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

We were greeted with this encampment (right) when we came into the TALB office today to write the eupdate. Last Tuesday, California spent over $300,000,000.00 on a recall election. Regardless of political stripes, most of our members tend to be fiscally conservative. Maybe that 300 million dollars could have been better spent. Of course given the cost of housing in the greater Long Beach community, that would probably buy 300 homes.

At 5:00 the Board of Education meeting was held. The public comment given was unhinged at times. In honor of the Emmy awards tonight, the best way to describe the public comment last Tuesday would be to watch The Daily Show’s “Pandemmys”. Sadly, there was no staff report on COVID-19. No discussion on testing protocols, collected data or what the future of testing would look like.

Friday, September 17, 2021

COVID Testing of Students to Pause for Week 
On Friday, around 10:30 the District pushed out the message about a pause in testing. First, big shout out to all school administrators, counselors, nurses and psychologists who’ve all been conscripted to do COVID testing and tracing. The idea you could do your regular day job and test students AND do contact tracing is mind-boggling. We suppose in an ideal world testing and contact tracing would have been outsourced to the Health Department or a vendor. Second, the math is just, well, very confusing. Messaging surrounding schools being open for the 2021-22 school year was pretty clear “publicly”. All students and staff who were not vaccinated or could not be vaccinated were subject to weekly testing. The District states “approximately” 60,000 students have been tested. A rough estimate of student enrollment TK-5 (ineligible for vaccination) is about 27,000 students. If just this group was tested in the first 3 weeks, let us get out the calculator to confirm the calculation, yes, that would appear to require over 60,000 tests. Methodology along with effective messaging is important. (continued below in bargaining support) * Mitigating factor, there are a large number of unfilled vacancies for ALL positions within LBUSD. 

LBUSD Mandates COVID vaccines for Substitute Teachers

From: AESOPsub <AESOPsub@lbschools.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 2, 2021, 12:24 PM
Subject: Safety Measures for Schools and Offices
Dear LBUSD Substitutes, 

Thank you for those of you that have submitted the COVID-19 Vaccine or Screening Verification that was due August 30, 2021. If you have not submitted these documents, please Click here.  

The new state public health order requires all employees in TK-12 public and private schools to verify vaccination status or undergo weekly COVID-19 screening.

Effective September 7, 2021, all Certificated and Classified Substitutes entering sites will be required to show valid proof of full vaccination status or a negative COVID-19 test result obtained from a clinic, pharmacy, testing agency, or a health care provider within the past 7 days.

Effective October 15, 2021, all Certificated and Classified Substitutes entering sites will be required to show valid proof of full vaccination status. A negative COVID-19 test result will not be accepted in lieu of a valid vaccine record.

Certificated substitutes can contact Human Resource Services at aesopsub@lbschools.net should you have questions.

A call to ACTION! Organizing around safety and successor contracts

Public institutions are under attack. It seems EVERYTHING is being considered for privatization. It would be easy to be critical and tick off the contradictions and the not so subtle fawning to a loud and vocal minority. Substitute Teachers are an unrepresented class and have little if any employment rights. These people don’t get a choice. If we recall correctly, wasn’t there an equity training last summer?
If you are a parent in LBUSD and you use ParentVUE, you can see just how many vaccinations (some of them mandated/required to attend school) that you’ve already given to your child. Where do the rights of the individual end and the overall well being of the community begin? When did ALL of us decide the individual was more important? Where is the courage to do the right thing? Or is there a right thing in a social conscience, that for some, has reached psychosis.

Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are relatively new. We say relative because they were developed last year, but no vaccine has ever been through such an exhaustive safety and efficacy review, EVER. In addition, the laundry list of vaccines we currently give our children were once new too.

We know you are exhausted. We are exhausted. It feels like May and we aren’t even out of September yet. If you didn’t get a chance to reach out to the Board of Education last week we completely understand. Now however, with testing on a pause, it is more important than ever to communicate with the Board of Education. There will not be another Board of Education meeting again, until Wednesday, October 6. Plenty of time for you to inform them. Get out your penny pencil and share your experience. You matter. We all matter. Onward we go.

Next Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, October 6  @ 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 Wednesday, October 6 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel

If protocols are not being followed, please call the District’s COVID hotline at 562-204-6075 and or call the TALB office at 562-426-6433. The California Department of Public Health issued a requirement to School Leaders for universal masking for indoors, K-12 on August 23, 3021. It is a lengthy read, but non-compliance may have ramifications beyond the local employer – excerpt below:
Third, certificated individuals—including school administrators—may be subject to referral to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for disciplinary action for violating a mandatory legal duty to implement the masking requirement and knowingly exposing students to preventable harm. (See Educ. Code § 44421 [authorizing discipline for “refusal to obey . . . laws regulating the duties of persons serving in the public school system”].)

Update your Beneficiaries

The cycle of life. Every year we have a few members pass. Your TALB/CTA/NEA membership provides a survivor’s benefit up to $6,000.00. Sadly, every now and again, we have a member pass who did not update their beneficiaries. We can only issue the benefit to the individual(s) listed on your survivor’s benefit form. Life comes at you fast. Relationships change. If you have any questions about your survivor’s benefit please call the office at 562-426-6433.

Site Representative 101 – Virtual Academy – Zoom 
9/23/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – In collaboration with the Women’s Shelter of Long Beach
10/1/2021 Vigil – Parking lot, TALB office. Details to come. 

Know Your Contract – Virtual Academy – Zoom
10/21/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

New Member Orientation
New to the District? – TALB Mixer – Zoom
10/27/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

CTA Conferences & Grants

LGBTQ+ Issues Conference – October 29-31, 2021, Palm Springs
Application Cut-off extended to: September 12, 2021 at Midnight

Issues Conference – January 21-23, 2022, Las Vegas
Application Cut-0ff: November 8, 2021 at Midnight

Equity & Human Rights Conference – March 4-6, 2022, Location TBD
Application Cut-off: January 3, 2022, at Midnight

Good Teaching Conference South – March 18-20, 2022, Garden Grove
Application Cut-off: January 3, 2022 at Midnight

For full details and to apply for a grant, go to www.CTA.org/grants.

Federal Funding to Enhance Facilities

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.

TALB Update: Friday, Sept. 3, 2021

Congratulations TK-12, you made it through the first week of school! This year will present many challenges, so please enjoy the 3 day holiday weekend. WE ALL NEED A BREATHER. And you deserve it!

Quick Hits – 

CDC | Head Start – Site Representative Elections 
If you would like to be a “site rep” please reach out to Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org TALB will run the election electronically.

Being evaluated this year? Evaluation forum – Q &A – Zoom
9/16/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

CDC / Head Start Rep. Council – Zoom
9/16/2021 6:00-7:00 p.m. Are you an elected CDC/HS Rep? If not email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

Site Representative 101 – Virtual Academy – Zoom 
9/23/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – In collaboration with the Women’s Shelter of Long Beach
10/1/2021 Vigil – Parking lot, TALB office. Details to come. 

Know Your Contract – Virtual Academy – Zoom
10/21/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

New Member Orientation
New to the District? – TALB Mixer – Zoom
10/27/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

TALB is open. 
We continue to receive a high volume of emails and calls as the start of school approaches. We appreciate your patience. It’s another busy summer.

Federal Funding to Enhance Facilities

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 Tuesday, September 14  @ 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 Tuesday, September 14 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel

TALB Update: Friday, August 27, 2021

Good Evening,
Thank you for being patient. Today, the TALB & LBUSD negotiating teams met from 12:30-3:00 p.m. From 3:00-4:00 p.m. the TALB Executive Board met to discuss and voted to approve the MOU. * An MOU is an agreement that is temporary in nature, has an expiration date and does not become a part of the regular collective bargaining agreement (CBA) contract. The MOU has many of the same provisions from last year’s agreement. Any item not listed in this MOU, is covered by our current contract.

** Regular contract negotiations are expected to start in the fall. This will include contractual language and compensation.

Earlier this evening you should have received an invitation for a Q & A if you have further questions. These meetings will be held from 10:00-3:00 p.m., Saturday, August 28. If you are unable to attend the meetings scheduled for tomorrow and still have questions, please contact the office at 562-426-6433. We will also get this MOU up on our website as soon as possible.

ADDENDUM TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

BETWEEN LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (LBUSD) AND

TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF LONG BEACH (TALB)

School Opening Related to Coronavirus-19/COVID-19 (COVID-19) – Dated August 19, 2021
Long Beach Unified School District (“District”) and Teachers Association of Long Beach (“Association” or “TALB”) enter into this Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) regarding the negotiable impacts of In-Person Learning/Instruction (IPL) and Independent Study (AB130) for students in a continuing COVID-19 learning environment.

This MOU addresses the matter of in-person learning for students and staff for the District during the 2021-22 school year.

The District and Association acknowledge the current pandemic is an ever-changing situation and that any and all updates in guidance from local, state and federal authorities may require changes to district safety guidelines/procedure.

1. Safety Protocols for Resumption of In-Person Instruction for the 2021-2022 School Year
   1. For the 2021-2022 school year, the District agrees to follow all California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Cal-OSHA and Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDH) guidelines and safety protocols.
   2. The District will continue to implement and follow the LBUSD COVID-19 Safety Plan (CSP) and it will be updated to incorporate any changes made by State, County and the LBDH.
   3. Certificated/Permitted non-management staff are mandated to report any violations of safety protocols.
   4. Certificated/Permitted non-management staff will not be reassigned to other classes to substitute for other teachers on leave.
   5. Meetings:
      1. Back to School Night will remain virtual for the fall semester.
      2. Parents will be provided the option of attending parent conferences, IEPs, and other meetings virtually.
      3. Except in extenuating circumstances identified by the District, districtwide meetings including but not limited to Department Head Meetings, Professional Development Sessions etc., will be held virtually until November 1 of the 2021-2022 school-year.  Resumption of in-person districtwide meetings will be determined by the District in consultation with TALB.  In this regard, the District will meet with TALB to discuss the CDPH and LBDH guidelines and current rate of community spread.
      4. In-person meetings for both staff and parents may take place at sites and district departments following the guidance outlined below:

1. When bargaining unit members are on campus, the District shall ensure all ventilation systems are set to operate in the mode the District determines will deliver the maximum fresh air circulation to the extent operationally feasible.  Air filters will be changed and/or updated to MERV-13 in recommended intervals in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation for the best filtration.

2. Instructional spaces without HVAC or centralized ventilation systems, have been provided air filtration systems that meet the CDPH requirements on indoor ventilation to the extent feasibly possible.

The District will provide hand washing soap, and/or hand sanitizer that meets CDPH and LBDH guidelines, in all classrooms, workspaces and common spaces.  The District shall ensure that all hand washing/hand

1. The District will follow CDPH requirements related to frequently reminding individuals to wash their hands or use medically effective hand sanitizer.

2. The District will provide hand washing soap, and/or hand sanitizer that meets CDPH and LBDH guidelines, in all classrooms, workspaces and common spaces.  The District shall ensure that all hand washing/hand sanitizing supplies and hand washing stations shall be checked and restocked as needed and prior to the beginning of each day that staff are on campus.

CDC | Head Start – Site Representative Elections 
If you would like to be a “site rep” please reach out to Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org TALB will run the election electronically.

Being evaluated this year? Evaluation forum – Q &A – Zoom
9/16/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

CDC / Head Start Rep. Council – Zoom
9/16/2021 6:00-7:00 p.m. Are you an elected CDC/HS Rep? If not email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

Site Representative 101 – Virtual Academy – Zoom 
9/23/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

Know Your Contract – Virtual Academy – Zoom
10/21/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

New Member Orientation
New to the District? – TALB Mixer – Zoom
10/27/2021 5:00-6:00 p.m. To register, email Veronica Castillo at vcastillo@talb.org

TALB is open. 
We continue to receive a high volume of emails and calls as the start of school approaches. We appreciate your patience. It’s another busy summer.

Federal Funding to Enhance Facilities

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 Tuesday, September 14 @ 5:00 p.m. LBUSD YouTube Channel