Napa Valley EA Exec Board/Council Meeting
June 1, 2020
Minutes


In attendance:  President - Gayle Young, Vice President - Mary Duenow, Secretary - Debbie Kmiec, Treasurer - Karen Fleming, Directors-at-Large: High School - Deb St. Clair, Elementary School - Kristin Pruitt, Chief Negotiator - Courtney Garcia, Communications - Mike Wilmarth, Political Action - Michael Alger, Council Members: Elaine Boloyan, COVID-19 Task Force Members: Stefanie LaMarca, Kimberly Murphy Crane, Kate Scudero
 
  • Introductions
  • Gayle shared purpose of COVID-19 Task Force and powerpoint presentation from the task force meeting on 6/10/20 and 6/12/20
  • Kimberly participated in group ½ on campus and ½ at home.  
    • We do have some kids who wont be coming back at all.  
    • Take away was that most parents want  kids back in school, but want to know what protocols were being put in place.  
    • So many things that need to be put in place #1 concern with all groups was what is the option for families where parents have to go back to work? 
    • Positives for hybrid - been doing distance learning for 3 months and parents know what to expect, great positive if we have to shut down during fires instead of shutting down we can shift to distance learning, can control cleaning schedule
    • more focused target instruction during distance learning focusing on the task at hand providing more support for your highest needs students, kids would have a choice of going back to campus or staying with distance learning.  
    • Rosanna was leader of this group 
    • Questions regarding streaming - just teachers the teaching part or the student part or all (privacy issues) Kimberly doesn’t feel that is a good plan, concern is that we might be following into a 1 size fits all, teachers being in classroom
  • Stephanie group D - All at once coming back (Dana Page, Facilitator)
    • Majority of parent data wanted kids back in school
    • Assumption mental health would be better overall
    • Budget concerns we have everything we need on campus and this is what we are set up for teaching, business as usual
    • Have normal first start of the school year
    • If there were costs upfront it would be beneficial to invest since it would benefit all in the long run
    • Could still have some distance learning in this model
    • Social interaction better for kids and staff
    • Families needing to get back to work and the economy, families could leave Napa due to employment (fall is one of our busiest seasons with employment)
    • Riskiest of all choices in regards to COVID-19 unless all families follow protocols
      • Challenges one size fits approach may not fit for all, power outages in fall doesn’t disrupt school as much if we are live vs. learning at home and your power is out, asked if other models out there to research, waivers?
      • There was some discussion around employee illnesses especially those who have kids in the district where multiple sites could be affect and what the protocol would be
      • Subgroups will probably address more specific concerns
      • May focus of group was to flush out possibilities that are out there didn’t get to nuts and bolts of any individual group
  • Kate Scudero - Group E phase in all in (Gayle & Janine Burt, Facilitators)
    • Take time off from beginning of calendar for training of all parties (wearing masks daily, checking in daily, etc.) what would  it look like for us to return to campus
    • Discussed ½ day vs. full day
    • What are we talking about and what does it mean and look like which was an issue for all groups with so many unknowns
    • Not only will there be students who don’t come back, but teachers as well and the possibility of those students being paired with those students due to health issues being the general fear.
  • Goal is to find a happy medium that meets the needs of at least 80% of our population, knowing that there will be another option for the 20% that don’t want to go back
  • Gayle spoke with Rob and nothing has come down from state in regards to budget
    • currently going with the 10% cut and basic aid district
    • looking at furlough days (must be negotiated), 
    • additional MOU for the 2 PD days (those being taken away)  and the other 2 days not being a possibility since we need the time to set up and take down classes
    • Not the same kind of funding St. Helena has, takes a number of years to become that kind of district
    • Different guidelines put in place for basic aid district vs. LCFF model, counting piece is different and formula would be affected
  • List of things as teachers, counselors, nurses need to be discussed as job rights for Council on 6/16/20
    • 20% that want to stay home numbers would be off attendance wise and how decisions are going to be made on who will be distance learning teacher if not enough volunteers (job placement)
    • Process for giving choice to families and employees (alternating groups of kids coming in)
    • Student numbers (state says 10-15 students per class, others have heard 16) contact numbers for social distancing (student contacts, class size traditional classroom vs. on-line classroom)
    • Outside of classroom expectations for teachers during milkbreak, lunch, passing periods, etc. what does it look like regarding supervision
    • Modifications to sick leave - mandated by federal government if one comes down with Covid must stay home for 14 days new teacher wouldn’t have enough sick leave 
    • Equity of teacher doing distance learning vs teacher doing distance learning, expectations around cleaning and how it will be handled logistics what is happening during the day and what is happening after the school day
    • We have people making decisions that don’t meet the needs of kids
    • Supervision guidelines who is sitting with kids in classroom during lunch, during indoor recess time, who is watching they aren’t sharing etc. to ensure 10 min duty free break and 30 min duty free lunch
    • Parents refusing to have students wear masks
    • Planning for a moving target what we know today may not be the same tomorrow, looking at balancing what makes sense financially, for kids, etc. When do we teach? Are we taking away a union job of someone else by cleaning desks between classes etc.
    • One subject teacher vs. multiple subject teacher equity and workload
    • Students who won't wear masks due to sensory issues etc.
    • Kate provided info regarding her 70pg document 
      • Masks if a public health order then kids will be required to wear mask and will need to part of a public relations or parent campaign, 
      • kids who can’t wear a mask and wont, then teacher will and possibly have a shield (who will provide those shields)
      • 6 foot rule cannot go into effect in a special ed class
      • Temperature taking would be passive not active which happens at home
    • length of workday and school calendar can we have a school year that has kids coming to school just 2 days a week?
    • We will have keys at least 1 week if not 2 weeks before to get classrooms set up
    • What we push off to parents there is an uneven delivery with very strong interest of parents sending kids to school so they can work
    • Distance learning interest if we can be on site or the right stuff needed to do distance learning (wifi, more than just a laptop, etc.) with teachers teaching in classrooms
    • Calendar year - how this might affect or change what is currently in place
    • Given start of year schedule to reach out families and create relationships so that parents know who we are when we are placing kids in distance learning groups
    • 18 min seems to be the optimal time for attention and focus listening to research on attention span etc.
    • Cap # of students in a classroom
    • Models that work for some may not work for others who are forced into that model need to be careful about taking models that are working and forcing them to work with our situation 
    • Grading threshold guiding decisions (current state guidelines in place expire June 30 and won't be extended)
 
Next Meeting:  Monday, June 22, 2020 at 2pm