SMMUSD Classified Staff Lobbying the Board for Hero
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Volume CIX • Issue VI Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Santa Monica High School SMMUSD elementary schools open for in-person learning; secondary schools not far behind. Samohi Schedules for DL Plus Weeks March Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday ble, distance learners will be assigned 23 DL+ 23 DL+ 24 DL+ 25 DL+ 26 DL+ a new teacher from their school, or a Period 1 9:00 – 10:00 Period A 7:50 – 8:50 Dept Meeting 8:00 – 9:30 Period 1 9:00 – 10:00 Period A 7:50 – 8:50 Period 3 10:10 – 11:10 Period 2 9:00 – 10:00 Check-in Per. 2 Period 3 10:10 – 11:10 Period 2 9:00 – 10:00 Period 5 11:20 – 12:20 Period 4 10:10 – 11:10 10:00 – 10:25 Period 5 11:20 – 12:20 Period 4 10:10 – 11:10 teacher from any school in the district Lunch 12:20 – 1:25 Period 6 11:20 – 12:20 Asynchronous work Lunch 12:20 – 1:25 Period 6 11:20 – 12:20 Plus/Flex-Time 1:30–3:00 Lunch 12:20 – 1:25 in all classes Plus/Flex-Time 1:30–3:00 Lunch 12:20 – 1:25 will be assigned to a group of students. Plus/Flex-Time 1:30–3:00 Lunch 12:20 – 1:25 Plus/Flex-Time 1:30–3:00 Plus/Flex-Time 1:30–3:00 The agreement was in the works 29 30 31 1 2 when the March 4 school board meet- ** SPRING BREAK ** SPRING BREAK ** SPRING BREAK ** ing focused primarily on reopening elementary schools and gave 60 par- ents each a two-minute forum to voice APRIL Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday their concerns or support for a hy- 5 6 7 8 9 brid model. Comments ranged from ** SPRING BREAK ** SPRING BREAK ** SPRING BREAK ** parents who are part of the Open Up Santa Monica-Malibu Schools Group, 12 DL+ 13 SAT Test 14 15 DL+ CAASPP 16 DL+ CAASPP Period 1 9:00 – 10:00 Period A 7:50 – 8:50 Period 1 9:00 – 10:20 Period A 7:50 – 8:50 urging for students to get back on Period 3 10:10 – 11:10 Period 2 9:00 – 10:00 Student Period 3 10:30 – 11:50 Period 2 9:00 – 10:20 Period 5 11:20 – 12:20 Period 4 10:10 – 11:10 Workday Period 5 12:00 – 1:20 Period 4 10:30 – 11:50 campus, to others commenting on Lunch 12:20 – 1:25 Period 6 11:20 – 12:20 Lunch 1:20 – 2:00 Period 6 12:00 – 1:20 Plus/Flex-Time 1:30–3:00 Lunch 12:20 – 12:50 Plus/Flex-Time 2:00–3:15 Lunch 1:20 – 2:00 support needed for distance-learners Teacher Prep 12:50–3:15 * CAASPP in Math Class * Plus/Flex-Time 2:00–3:15 * CAASPP in Math Class * once campuses open back up. Photo from smmusd.org Samo will also see the return to organize a more robust hybrid model. in-person learning March 22. In the Riya Khatod DL+ model, students will have the Copy Editor In-person attendance is not manda- tory. For those continuing in Distance opportunity to attend enrichment Learning (DL), there will be an effort opportunities such as clubs, learning to maintain the same teachers, how- extensions, test retakes, athletics and March 15 marked the first day of fitness, social and emotional learning, in-person learning at elementary ever there is no guarantee, and it will depend on the numbers of students etc. on campus. Principal Antonio campuses across the district due to a Shelton elaborated on the inner work- recent agreement between SMMUSD attending in-person learning versus continuing distance-learning. ings of DL+ at Samo. Peggy O’Meara / Contributor and the Santa Monica-Malibu Class- “We’re going to try to provide at least room Teachers Association (SMMC- According to the Memorandum of Grant Elementary Principal Christian Fuhrer welcomes 3rd Grader Ellowyn one opportunity for students to come Searles on her first day of in-person learning Monday, March 15. Elementary TA) regarding the implementation of Understanding between SMMUSD and SMMCTA, if more students re- during [the week of March 22]. We’ll schools reopened in a hybrid-format this week. Secondary schools will be pro- a hybrid model in elementary schools. have about 400 kids each day, all five viding Distance Learning Plus in-person activities the weeks before and after On Feb. 17, SMMUSD and SMMC- main in DL, they will be grouped to- Spring Break, March 29-Apr. 9. gether and remain with their current days, so we want students to sign up TA agreed to implement Distance at least once for an opportunity if they Learning Plus (DL+). However, as teacher, who will provide DL during will have the opportunity to attend riods two, four and six. Wednesday scheduled hybrid time. When a small feel comfortable. We’ll have about 25 school in two cohorts. Cohort A will will be completely virtual, allowing the COVID-19 cases have recently de- to 30 teachers available for those stu- clined at a rapid pace and school staff number of students remain in DL, the meet in-person Monday for periods school to prepare for the next group of teacher will most likely offer concur- dents to sign up,” Shelton said. one, three and five and Tuesday for students. If students choose to attend members have begun to receive their After spring break, Samo will im- doses of the vaccine, SMMUSD and rent instruction to both groups and periods two, four and six, while Co- in-person learning, they will have to additional instructional assistant time. plement a hybrid-learning model of hort B will meet Thursday for periods stay on campus for all three periods. SMMCTA agreed March 9 to acceler- in-person learning in which students ate the return to in-person school and If neither of these options are applica- one, three and five and Friday for pe- [email protected] SMMUSD classified staff lobbying the board for Hero Pay and maintenance workers came to pointing towards the Case Response this topic continually representing the passionately speak on behalf of Hero Guide that can be found on the SM- majority of general public comments. Pay during public comments, includ- MUSD website in their “Health Ser- Board members have yet to state ing Will Rogers custodian Anthony vices” section under the “Depart- their opinions on Hero Pay. Brianna Davis. ments” tab. This opposes Herrera’s Cornejo-Perez is Samo’s ASB Student “We have had a couple of claims that multiple of his co-workers Member of the Board, whose role is to [COVID-19] cases over at [Will Rog- have contracted COVID-19 yet re- attend all SMMUSD board meetings ers] and we as the custodians are the ceived no information from the dis- on behalf of the Samo student body. ones that [have] to go in and spray and trict on their condition. Cornejo-Perez recognizes that Hero sanitize the rooms for it to be safe all “If a confirmed case was present on Pay as a topic has been neglected from over again. I feel that we deserve Hero a SMMUSD site during the infectious discussion amongst board members. Pay because we are the first on the period, HR will notify employees and “We likely have not seen [Hero Pay] line,” Davis said contractors who were present at the brought to the forefront of our dis- According to Cesar Herrera, a de- site during the infectious period,” the cussions due to the attention to our cade-long maintenance worker for Case Response Guide said. school reopening plans and vaccine SMMUSD and one of the public In response to the passionate com- availability among staff. I believe that speakers at the Feb. 18 board meeting, menters at the Feb. 18 board meeting, [Hero Pay] is an essential recompense workers are supposed to receive noti- of which some came before the allot- that should be addressed along with fications when and where certain staff ted time for general public comments, any plans to return to campus. The members contract COVID-19, but Board President Jon Kean admitted ability to safely return is only possible none have been sent out. This leads that talk of Hero Pay has yet to come through the cleaning and sanitizing to maintenance staff having to discuss to the agenda of the board. efforts of our dedicated maintenance Art by Leslie Garcia the dangers of COVID-19, not due to “It was not on the agenda last meet- staff,” Cornejo-Perez said any notification from administration, ing… I’m involved in making the Though the SMMUSD board has Sam Kohn not been a listed item in board meet- but via word of mouth from other agendas and I certainly didn’t see it. yet to take action, essential workers Co-Editor-in-Chief ing agendas during the 2021 calendar co-workers. Like I said, it is an important subject like Herrera and Davis will continue year. “The teachers are taken care of. The and we’d like to hear from you, but it to argue for the implementation of SMMUSD’s classified staff have Due to activity on SMMUSD cam- office staff are taken care of. The board has to be during general public com- Hero Pay for the frontline work they been pushing for “Hero Pay” for puses from administration, in-school members are taken care of. What ment.