Important Updates from March 4, 2021 LBoard Meeting - Vaccination, Dese Mandate, and More

March 4, 2021 LBOARD MEETING CVS - VACCINES Random Appointments Random Times Check constantly (in CT too!)

Norms: Mute yourself Put your Name and School in the chat for our attendance

Presidents Report: Celebration Time! OMG! Current plan for hybrid return HR response to remote request Agenda: Agenda: Minutes Minutes Treasurers Treasurers Report Report Announcements: March 15 Scholarship Deadline - spread the word Self-Nomination forms: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Eboard MTA Covid in School Forum 3/4 7PM, Facebooklive.com Red for ED Friday

OMG!!!!!

DESE MANDATE (Charlie needs a shining object to hide behind to distract from his loss on vaccinating teachers and his disastrous vaccine rollout .) Riley says all PreK-5 must return in person 5 days a week Parents will still have the option to keep child(ren) remote Using time on learning as the threat to make district s abide by his wishes Threat continues with we may have to teach over the summer if we don t meet the time demand Middle and High School return TBD

DESE BOARD VOTE Email members and ask them why our well thought out safe plan to return all students to schools has been overridden by the Commissioner? Why do the CDC guidelines and science no longer inform decisions? Why are local Health Department s being excluded from decision making? Why does the health and safety of our students not matter? Is this to administer a test? The plan conveniently aligns with the planned April 5th start of testing in grades 3-5.

Katherine Craven, Chair Babson College Chief Administrative Officer Brookline Katherine.Craven@mass.gov Michael Moriarty, Executive Director OneHolyoke Community Development Corporation Holyoke Michael.Moriarty@mass.gov James Peyser, Secretary of Education Milton eoe@massmail.state.ma.us James Morton, Vice Chair YMCA of Greater Boston Boston James.Morton@mass.gov Paymon Rouhanifard, Co-Founder and CEO Propel America Brookline Paymon.Rouhanifard@mass.gov Jasper S. Coughlin, Student Representative Amanda Fernandez, CEO and Co-Founder Latinos for Higher Education Belmont Amanda.Fernandez@mass.gov Mary Ann Stewart, Parent Representative Lexington MaryAnn.Stewart@mass.gov Martin West, Professor of Education Harvard Graduate School of Education Newton MartinMarty.West@mass.gov Matt Hills, Managing Director LLM Capital Partners Newton Matthew.Hills@mass.gov Jeffrey C. Riley, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education BoardofEducation@mass.gov BoardofEducation@mass.gov Darlene Lombos, Executive Secretary- Treasurer Greater Boston Labor Council (GBLC) Darlene.Lombos@mass.gov https://www.mass.gov/forms/email-the-governors- office

OMG!! DESE DISASTER Hybrid negotiations went off the rails because District is planning to go all in April 5 and is no longer interested in negotiating because they are going to hide behind DESE mandate. We are meeting again next Tuesday, but we may end up in mediation. They say they will follow their COVID-19 Staff Safety Training Protocols Handbook which has some mixed messages about mask wearing and social distancing spacing.

Covid Request to Remain Remote 1. High risk/underlying conditions: Personal - no response yet it seems 2. SPS seems to be denying all or most of these requests based on family member underlying condition or childcare. * a. FMLA and the basic sick leave language in the CBA will not cover pre-emptive absences. b. Close family member/household member: Again, FMLA and the basic sick leave language in the CBA will not cover pre-emptive absences. 3. Childcare: ** a. Here is where I believe the exigency language fits best. Basically: Fuck you; I can t leave my kid alone, at least not until he s potty trained. 3. Possible responses by members: 1. Fight it under the CBA 2. Quit 3. Apply for Personal Need Leave (unpaid) under Art. 13 of the CBA 4. Retire

Possible Solutions? * Possibly: Under Article 12.A.3 of the CBA, one could satisfy the language emergency sick leave may be interpreted to include such cases as home exigencies . My argument is that the exigency is the need to keep those at home safe/healthy by not going into work. I think that, when possible, an accompanying doctor's not stating something to the effect: the patient must be isolated from the outside world . Something along those lines may help. ** Numbers 1 & 2 above, if denied and argued under the CBA language, will more than likely entail a long resolution process, i.e. grievance and arbitration. Here is one e.g. I have a need to care for my child who has not returned to school and I have no daycare. I would call the subline and use home exigency as an excuse. I would continue to do so until asked for a note (only a doctor s note is requested in the CBA which would not apply here). My assumption is that HR would challenge the use of Article 12 and make some sort of threat or take possible action against me, such as abandonment of job or termination if I didn t return. This would become a legal battle that could take a long time to resolve and carry some high level of risk. Meeting tomorrow at 3:45 for anyone wanting more detail on this situation. Blast email will go out in the morning.

School Committee Speak Out Thursday, March 11, 6PM We need to demand that the school committee push back on DESE s underhanded attempt to take over control of our local elected school committee and work with us for a safe return to school.

Announcements: Announcements: Nancy DeProsse s sad news 35 Potwine Lane, Amherst 01002 March 15th Scholarship Deadline Melanie Kasparian, Joan Cormack and Peter Dupuis Self-Nomination forms for President, VP, Treasurer, Eboard are up on website under docs. Maureen is retiring. MTA Covid in School Forum tonight at 7PM Facebooklive.com RED FOR ED tomorrow and every Friday, build on our successes and get ready to fight to keep everyone safe!