No on teachers going back 1 message Webs Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 7:00 PM To: [email protected] Superintendent Jara and Board Members, This meeting is not taking place in person therefore you recognize the risk to your own health. Sending teachers back December 1 is unconscionable. The pandemic is escalating once again. Sending anyone back at this time is, to put it politely, reckless. Board members, I encourage you to vote no on this plan. Continue distance learning and continue to allow teachers to telecommute. Thank you. Stephanie Weber Constituent District G November 12, 2020 Reference 2.01(B) Page 1 of 99 Concerns about hybrid model/recommendation to end telecommuting 1 message Krystle Gallegos [Booker ES] Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 7:03 PM To: "Linda Cavazos [School Trustee]" <[email protected]>, "Lola Ann Brooks [School Trustee]" <[email protected]>, "Irene Cepeda [School Trustee]" <[email protected]>, "Danielle Ford [School Trustee]" <[email protected]>, "Chris Garvey [School Trustee]" <[email protected]>, "Deanna Wright [School Trustee]" <[email protected]>, BoardMtgComments <[email protected]> Members of the Board, I am a 2nd grade teacher here in CCSD and I have a few concerns about the upcoming decision of the Hybrid Plan. I am also extremely concerned about the email I just received that says the district is recommending the end of telecommuting beginning December 1st! Positive cases of Covid-19 have increased tremendously in the last couple of weeks and are rising every day. We have already had a positive case in our building two weeks ago with less than 50% of staff in the building. I know of many other schools who have also had positive cases over the last few weeks. If positive cases are already a problem, when not all of the staff or any students are even in the building, it will be only a matter of time before there are multiple positive cases in school buildings. The off and on quarantining that will inevitably be happening, will cause more strain and stress on parents, students, and teachers. Many students are excelling at distance learning. Teachers are finally finding their rhythm and excelling with distance learning. I feel as if more thought and planning should be put into strengthening distance learning, especially for those students who are struggling, rather than rushing to make a decision on students returning to school buildings. It is inevitable that teachers, parents, and students will have to go back and forth between distance learning and face-to-face instruction depending on the number of positive cases that arise in the school building. So providing high quality distance education should be the focus right now. I am also extremely concerned about the recommendation that telecommuting end on December 1st, especially if students are not even in the building. If the unfortunate decision is made to transition to a hybrid model, it will take me just a few days to ready my classroom. I should not have to go into the building and put myself at risk when there are no students there as well. As I stated before, we have already had 1 confirmed positive case in our building with less than half the staff there. I am working far more and harder than I ever have in my teaching career, from home. I have school age children that I have to monitor, because they are not in a school building. I was very grateful that I was given the choice to work from home during distance learning. I have spent my own money to set up my home classroom to be the best distance education teacher I can be. In my home classroom I am providing more effective instruction than I ever could in the school building, because of the money I have invested in my technology at home. I do not have the technology ot setup at school that I have at home now. I am working many hours past my contract time to provide the best education I can to my students during this time. Being in the school building to conduct distance learning will be far less effective for me at this time. I am very upset at the thought that I would be forced to come back into the building without students when I can do my job far more effectively at home at this point in the year. There have now been many school districts that have opened in a hybrid model and are now transitioning back into distance learning because of the rise in positive Covid-19 cases. If we were to move into a hybrid plan at this time, when the rise of covid-19 is at its highest count, there is a high probability that we would have to move back to distance learning. The inconsistency and stress this would cause once again is extremely concerning. Please take our concerns into consideration when making decisions about teachers being told to come into the building when students are not even there, as well as the hybrid plan. This hybrid plan is going to cause more stress and work for teachers, parents, and students when there is so much worry and stress with Covid-19 positive cases on the rise. It does not make sense to try and put this plan into action at this time in the year. The increase in positive cases is the highest it has been and schools have not even opened yet. I know you have a huge decision to make and we truly appreciate you taking our concerns into consideration, as a teacher and as a parent. Thank you for your time, Krystle Gallegos 2nd Grade Teacher Kermit R. Booker Sr. Innovative E.S. November 12, 2020 Reference 2.01(B) Page 2 of 99 Do not reopen schools 1 message amanda aurand Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 7:14 PM To: [email protected] Good evening, My name is Amanda Aurand and I currently teach at Eldorado High School and serve as a Physical Education and Health Department Chair. I am emailing because I received a letter from the office of our Superintendent stating his hopes and dreams about returning to school soon. I would like to say that I'm am appalled that a letter like this would go out PRIOR to a board meeting where they are to "discuss and present" a hybrid plan in the very near future. This board has an obligation to their employees to ensure that we return safely and let's be VERY HONEST, CCSD even with their best efforts is not able to do this even remotely close. I would like to go back to school because teaching online is tough and it's been a transition to say the least but at least I know that it's safe, for myself and my students. You need to take a really hard look at this decision and realize how many people that you would be putting at risk, unintentionally of course, but at risk nonetheless. High school is a different battlefield and if 1 kid gets through a period without their symptoms getting noticed, they alone would come into contact with at least 60 kids. It doesn't matter what efforts go into stopping or mitigate it, kids find ways to get places even if we try to stop them. Believing that kids will wear face masks properly, wash their hands and/desks properly, and relying on parents to not send their child to school is NOT REAL. I would like to believe that my employer(s) cares more about my health and the longterm effects of what this could do to me and my loved ones more than appeasing the community and parents that are not in the situation. I hope that the letter sent out was an accident because I do not want to believe the propaganda that is coming from our leader/person in charge is sending DAYS BEFORE AN ACTUAL VOTE, that could cause my colleagues and myself to worry or figure out what steps we would need to take if this "hybrid plan" does happen. I would hope that you would not send teachers into a building with students while MANY STATES AND DISTRICTS are closing down again due to this second wave and the SNHD has said they do not recommend returning to school. I would like to note, I understand why parents want their children back into school but socialization is not what a school is for, the reason our numbers continue to rise is because of the lack of face masks and people gathering while throwing caution to the wind. School is for education and I can say with 100000% certainty that the students I teach are being educated and they are not lacking in that aspect. I also do not believe they are actually lacking socialization, they are ALWAYS on their phones chatting away (being next to each other but not socializing with the person next to them). You have a large decision on your hands and I hope that you consider the amount of danger you could be putting thousands of employees and more than 100,000 kids in (not to mention their families and the community at large). If you'd like to keep this city open, reopening school's will not help that with a 13% transmission rate, which is what Las Vegas is at currently. Do not be reckless with my life or the lives of my colleagues, Amanda Aurand November 12, 2020 Reference 2.01(B) Page 3 of 99 Hybrid Model 1 message Kelly Wentz [Chaparral HS] Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 7:16 PM To: [email protected] Hello, Thank you for taking the time to read this.