Napa Valley EA Exec Board/Council Meeting
June 22, 2020
Minutes

In Attendance:  President - Gayle Young, Secretary - Debbie Kmiec, Treasurer - Karen Fleming, Directors-at-Large: High School - Deb St. Clair, Middle School - Sara Kvidahl-Schmitz, Elementary School - Kristin Pruitt, Chief Negotiator - Courtney Garcia, Communications - Mike Wilmarth, Political Action - Michael Alger, Council Members: Elaine Boloyan
 
Absent:  Vice President - Mary Duenow
 
  • Decisions made at Friday’s COVID-19 Task Force - refer to agenda it will have all days and what was discussed
    • This is only for 1 year will not agree to more than 1 year 
    • Recommends aiming to bring as many students back in the classroom as possible to ensure the health and safety of students and staff
    • Goal is to have as many kids back in school as possible, knowing that ⅓ of our kids will want to stay at home
    • If parents choose to have kids in seats at school that is what they will have to do for the whole school year.  If a parent wants them at home that is what they will be at home for the whole year.
    • This would require purchase of cameras at $800 each
    • Looking at different things at each grade level (will discuss at council on 6/23/20)
    • Playground equipment will no longer be able to be used leading to possible equity issues depending on the site you are at (ie; Snow - Title 1 vs. Vichy)
      • Reason for not using playground equipment is not being able to sanitize and social distance 
      • Public health are the ones saying no playground equipment
    • Possible workload issue
    • If someone gets sick or comes in sick, County Health will be reporting to us and we will be reporting to them.  
      • Person will be sent to get a test at $100 per test.  
      • 72 hour window to get results and do tracking of possible exposed people
      • once results are available they could shut down class, whole school, etc. 
      • if they don’t have it they still have to be out 72 hours.  
      • If they come in with symptoms and refuse to get test they are required to be out of school for 14 days 
      • health department is doing testing for free at the fairgrounds
    • There are attendance and grades this go round and will have problem with law if they don’t show up
    • Looking at a 4x4 model (not like ACMS has)
    • There will be lunch with pre-packaging and served in the classroom (we will still be provided our duty free 30 min lunch which will be worked out in subcommittees)
    • There will be recess, but no shared equipment (balls, jump ropes etc.)
    • PE will resume
    • Football conditioning only begins tomorrow 
    • The workgroups will be sorting out all the details
    • Teachers will be expected to teach in shields and masks (Scudero recommended teachers teach in both)
    • District was given list of teachers who took the time to fill out the form any thing that has to be negotiated will come back to council and to Exec Board
    • Focus group will meet again in 2 weeks
    • No public announcement until 7/14/20 knowing that we cannot go back to what we did from 3/16/20 to 6/4/20
  • Issues that could arise
    • Elementary prep for PE, music etc.
    • Any kind of duty that a teacher has to do 
    • Consider making sure teachers have equipment and what they need at home to do a full day schedule if they have to and if the teacher isn’t sick, the teacher should be able to be in the classroom no matter what.
    • In high school when is learning happening after making sure all ducks are in a row, doing so much logistics knowing that we are going to get sick
    • Exposure risk might not be equitable either
    • How are cohorts going to work at secondary level
    • Overall goal is how are we going to educate students
    • Is district providing masks to kids who don’t have them
    • What are expectations around students wearing mask
    • Science class materials are shared by students can we get boxes of gloves
    • Each of us should be on subcommittees as council members
    • Alternate paths to graduation means what
    • Who is responsible for the cleaning
    • As CTA need to be looking at indemnification
    • If i become ill how does that work for us as teachers (sick leave, workers comp, coverage for additional time for COVID related issues coming out of specialized fund not personal leave)
    • How is high-risk cases and mental well being of teachers being addressed
    • Student and teacher equity as well as workload
    • Calendar concerns
    • Anonymous reporting if school isn’t doing what we say we are going to do
  • Design options
    • #1 all in person w/ Alternative Option
      • Cameras in classrooms that are teacher controlled
      • If teaching a lesson you would be streaming a lesson and camera would be on and if there is independent work time the camera is off
 
Next meeting:  Monday, June 29, 2020 at 11:00am