Napa Valley EA Exec Board/Council Meeting
November 16, 2020 Minutes
​ 3:30 - 4:30 

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 - Kristin Pruitt, Communication - Mike Wilmarth,  Human Rights/Chief Negotiator - Courtney Garcia, Political Action - Michael Alger, Council Member:  Elaine Boloyan

Absent:  Directors-At-Large:  Middle - Sara Kvidahl-Schmitz, CTA Rep - Michelle Washington

• Welcome
  

• Norms
  

• Ideas around Phase 3
  
  • Let’s not do it - We just got pushed back to purple
    
  • We should be discouraging families to bring more kids into the mix
    
  • Wouldn't happen until after christmas break if changes could be made within schedules
    
  • Gayle asked Pat to bring data in regards to how many classes could be collapsed into 1 class, section, place etc.
    
  • Instructional practice 
    
  • Safety
    
  • Schedule
    
  • Prep Continuation and what can be done during that time (reteach, office time, etc.)
    
  • Putting extra work on teachers isn’t going to change the students behavior or engagement
    
  • We need to revisit “kids in person” only zooming or only in person - we have kids moving all over the place moving from in person to virtual daily due to “symptoms”
    
  • Why aren’t we considering going virtual the three weeks between thanksgiving christmas vacation and the two weeks after we return from winter vacation to address the possibility of families social gathering etc.
    
  • There has to be the flexibility for change
    
  • Zooming and Rooming isn’t working - we want to do what will have the best educational outcomes
    
  • If we move into Phase 3 mores students will be choosing to come back to in person
    
  • Moving to phase three should not mean adding more kids coming to campus, it should be that the kids currently engaging with “in person” learning come to classes 4 days a week.
    
  • Read Kim Whipple’s Letter to the Editor in today's Napa Register
    
  • When?
    
  • Worth looking at blowing up master schedules
    
  • If we self close then we go back to the beginning of the whole process
    
  • If we are forced close then the 14 day timeline goes into effect
    
  • Staff exposure  who gets told - no one gets told because it is a HIPPA violation.  County does the contract tracing.  Nurses do the fallout of the contract tracing
    
  • Are there any guidelines in place for teachers who choose to travel over the thanksgiving break
    

• Grading - Guidelines
  
  • How to set 50% Floor in Aeries 
    
  • Teachers are not mandated to give credit and have the right to give a grade of “F” if the student has earned it.
    
  • Grading policy was discussed during council on 11/3/20 with the understanding that a discussion would continue
    
  • Intervention needs to come from someone other than the classroom teacher
    
  • What is the difference between a “CR” and a “D”
    
  • Conversations and professional development has already been done in PLC’s, etc.
    
  • Teachers have answered the call to provide “robust” lessons and are at and beyond their limit.
    
  • We are dealing with the symptoms and not the illness
    
  • How far back do we go for late work knowing that teachers have to grade everything
    
  • Kids should not be getting credit for assignments they do not do
    
  • Let’s hurry up and get this done so the board can approve this
    
  • This is a change of practice after we have already started a grading period
    
  • When parents find out that there is a credit option and coming back saying their student should get a “CR” instead of a failing grade?
    
  • Who is making phone calls when a student isn’t engaged?
    
  • Teachers of seniors are getting pressured by counselors 
    
  • This is a break of our norms
    

• Medical Accommodation review
  
  • Currently happening with every employee who doesn’t have an exceedingly tight accommodation letter (ie; reduced exposure, etc.)
    
  • Accommodations were looked at thoroughly 
    
  • What kind of additional accommodations can be put in place to get these teachers back to school
    
  • Will some of these accommodations force teachers to either take leave, leave without pay, or forfeit their position with NVUSD if there isn’t a person available to hire to fill your position.
    
  • If an employee is in a hard to fill position if unable to be filled, then you must come back since accommodations have been made, thus a termination is warranted
    

• Board Trustee Coffee
  
  • Gayle meets with new board members in December
    
  • Recommended to invite board members one at a time so that board members know who the teachers are and teachers know who board members are.
    
  • New Board members:  Chu, Eve Reiser, Jason Dooley
    

• Survey
  
  • To ask about our full contract not just contract during pandemic mode
    
  • 11/30/20 we have our next site rep meeting
    
  • We need to look at our contract since it is up in June
    
  • We may extend our contract out a year
    
• Cleaning schedules and what expectations are around cleaning
  

Next meeting:  December 7, 2020 at 3:15pm ???