​September 28, 2020
3:30-5:00
Minutes
Executive Board Members Present:  President - Gayle Young, Vice President - Mary Duenow, Secretary - Debbie Kmiec, Treasurer - Karen Fleming, Directors-at-Large:  Deb St. Clair (High), Sara Kvidhal-Schmitz (Middle), Kristin Pruitt (Elementary), Human Rights/Chief Negotiator - Courtney Garcia, Communication - Mike Willmarth, Political Action:  Michael Alger, CTA Board of Directors Region 1 - Jerry Eaton
 
Site Reps Present:  Alta Heights:  Ashley Cox, American Canyon HS:  Elizabeth Hawkins, Fontaine Segerquist, Lilliana Zmed,  American Canyon MS:  Patrick Malaret, Bel Aire:  Susan Loomis, Browns Valley: Tracy Opp, Canyon Oaks:  Amy Bardwell, Donaldson Way: Jody Ortiz, Kayla St. Pierre, Harvest MS:  Manya Franco,  Frank Martinez, Independent Studies:  Erin Reilly, McPherson:  Kathleen Hefley, Napa HS:  Troy Gittings, Melinda Miller, Napa Junction:  Heather Marshall,  NVIS:  Erin Reilly, NVLA:  Marliese Esquivel, New Tech High:  Angelene Warnock, Northwood:  Karen McKeown, Phillips:  Ann Brown, Pueblo Vista 360:  Beatriz Olivar Lucas, Natalie Robles, Redwood MS:  Julie Blanton, Lorna Dekker, River:  Evan Vercellini, Shearer: Malinda Basore, Silverado MS: Genevieve DiGulio, Patty Wyman, Snow:  Mary Bennett, Valley Oak:  Ryan Strole, Vichy: Sara Johnson, Vintage HS: Michael Alger, Danielle Jospin, Kelli Watkins, West Park:  Laura Zinser, Willow:  Corey Morton, Itinerant Music:  Wendy Scott,  Itinerant PE:  Zack Cook, Guest - Kate Scudero
 
Executive Board Members Absent:  CTA Liaison:  Michelle Washington,  
Site Reps Absent:  American Canyon High School:  Devin Reza, American Canyon MS:  Ashley Greigg, Canyon Oaks:  Elizabeth Carey,  Napa HS:  Steve Hatton, Redwood MS:   Nancy Lussier, Snow:  Teri Isola, TOSA’s:  n/a, Valley Oak:  John Mautner
 
  • Hello all - please put your name and school name in the chat
 
  • Welcome
    • Checked in around members currently threatened by current fires that broke out over the weekend
   
  • CTA Article
    • Gayle received a call from a CTA reporter who is doing an article asking the state to make decisions and take leadership in everything that needs to happen and the reporter wanted to talk to different locals that were opening.  
    • CTA is doing the right thing with putting the responsibility on the state to make decisions.
 
  • State Update -Jerry Eaton , CTA Board of Directors
    • Jerry teaches for Vanden Unified, he shared a letter about the message CTA is sending out around safety, testing, PPE, etc.
    • There are teachers in school districts throughout the state that are not only teaching students in person, but virtually as well at the same time.
    • LA unified hasn’t opened yet and they have the testing support of medical universities in the area, however still cannot mandate testing for students
    • We know that distance learning isn’t ideal and our kids learn best when they are in front of us in person.
    • We all want to return and be able to gather together again, however there continues to be the “fear” that comes along with COVID.
    • Jerry also talked about striking, getting there, walking the lines, not getting paid, etc.  
    • When we go on strike it is an entire chapter and you need at least 70 to 80% of your entire membership 
    • There is a long process, can’t just say we are striking now, both sides have to reach an impasse, then fact finding with an independent neutral  arbitrator, all while negotiations continue to take place.
    • After fact finding arbitrator rules in favor of chapter, a vote of the membership is taken reminding members that they will go without pay, are out in front of the district office showing a presence, and mean business. 
    • Striking isn’t easy and doesn’t happen overnight.  It is the last solution when nothing else works.
    • NVEA/NVUSD are the leaders in Interest Based Problem Solving (IBPS) and we have a lot going for us.
    • Jerry is always available for questions and can be contacted by email and telephone.
 
  • Health Update - Kate Scudero
    • Useful Doc
    • One of 7 credentialed nurses, is a nurse practitioner, spent all summer going to webinars and presentations on COVID, 21 health services staff for 27 schools, and support nurses as well
    • Middle and High Schools have someone on site
    • How can classroom teachers be supported when kids walk into the classroom showing symptoms?
      • There is a document that has been put in place linked into agenda 
      • If you have a student showing symptoms: 
        • child will be escorted to the “care room” by district personnel
        • family will be contacted
        • Form filled out with date ,symptoms being shown, date student allowed back in class (10 consecutive calendar day isolation period, symptoms have to be improving, and 24 hour fever free)
          • Sibling in the same household has now been exposed and the student is now quarantined for 14 days which is longer than the isolation period.
          • Siblings will not have to stay home until test results come back positive and once positive results are confirmed entire family must stay home
        • A child goes to a physician who treats them for what was thought to be COVID but was actually Strep Throat, they must have a note from the physician stating diagnosis and date the student can return to class.
      • Very systematic process documenting who has what and when, etc.
      • Any time a student is tested and results are positive, NCPH is mandated to contact school, nothing comes from families, and students health information is protected, however you will get told that a student in your class tested positive.
      • 5% of people at your site, a cohort is shut down first before an entire site.
      • 100.4 is the temperature the district follows for actually having a fever.
 
  • Timeline for Reconfigurations - applies to elementary and secondary schools
    • September 23: Principals will receive student level learning option data
      • What students will be virtual and in person
    • September 24-October 1: Principals begin making necessary adjustments to class configurations using the established criteria with as little movement as possible
    • October 1: Elementary Principal Learning- A portion of the morning’s schedule will be dedicated to finalizing class configurations. Dana and Eilzabeth will join to provide additional guidance on teacher accommodations and assignments
    • October 9: Principals to communicate any placement changes to families, after teachers have been informed first 
 
  • Covid Czar - compliance officer interviews taking place this thursday
    • Making sure school sites are doing what they are supposed to do as well as contact tracing
 
  • Survey Results - We will share this at council. 
    • 311 members responded
    • 63% of members don’t know how to access PPE at their school site
    • 84.2% principals have not talked about safety procedures put in place at their site.  Principals have had this information since July and should have been making these plans.  Check in with whoever is on your safety team.  Very important to have in place before we open.
    • 76.4% will not have child care issues when we return.  If you have a school aged child in a cohort you can keep them in your classroom
    • 44.7% have not looked at NCOE’s safety guidelines (updated in next couple of days)
    • 73% do not indeed to worry about medical accommodation
    • 22% will have an interactive process conversation before 10/9/20
      • Regarding interactive process, HR told employees they didn’t have to reach out and what do you do if you are a spouse, primary caregiver that lives with you must have a letter from that person’s physician and an interactive process is done as well
 
  • FAQ’s and chat questions
    • FAQ’s came from chat and discussion from our meeting on 9/16/20 and what has been placed on Slack
    • Links are provided to what our district is using regarding COVID
 
  • Council Update
    • Transition prep time - working on negotiating collapsed days with cohorts in morning so we would have afternoons to get our classrooms ready for 10/26 opening
    • Work location flexibility - when we are virtual on Wednesdays working on teachers being able to teach from home
    • Testing - Dr. Mucetti is fighting to get testing more accommodating for teachers and it should be during our contract hours
    • Phase 2 discipline - we want a very clear guideline around discipline (what are steps etc. with a student who refuses to wear their mask etc.)
    • Sites with little information from principals - this will be discussed in the breakout rooms
    • PE negotiations - not on the forefront goal is to get schools opened, however numbers are constantly being discussed and will be addressed in the future.  Cohorts will not necessarily be bigger and will all depend on size of room etc. 
 
  • Prop 15 -Jerry Eaton , CTA Board of Directors
    • Jerry wants to do some visits to sites or groups of sites to talk about Prop 15 and get questions answered.
    • There are phone banking opportunities - calling members if they support Prop 15 (benefits schools and communities, 40% goes to schools and 60% goes to communities)
    • CTA has been searching for money from the state and federal government and funding that is desperately needed especially with what is happening now.
    • Positive proposition and benefits small businesses, private home owners, large corporations the opportunity to give back to the community and schools.
 
  • Arbitration fund - pays for legal dues only which is split with the district
    • A certain amount of CTA dues ($18.50monthly) provides us funds to lower the amount of money we would pay should the district go to arbitration.  Arbitration is expensive and when a district reaches impasse there is a cost that affects the chapter.
    • With the dues at their current level we are not able to access arbitration funds which is why we voted on a dues increase.
    • Strike is a last resort!
 
  • Elections - SimplyVoting (electronic voting platform)
    • State Council Election - need to have our entire membership vote, not just the site reps.  SimplyVoting runs the election using our home email addresses
      • Michael Alger only candidate
 
  • Breakout session
    • Share your site safety plan and how it is messaged
 
  • Middle School Safety Plans - teams aren’t equal (# of meetings sites have had so far, who is making sure plans are equal, and everything that should be in place is in place, etc, equal safety for all regardless of the site you are at)
    • HMS - no information shared, no teachers involved, teams should comprise teachers, school nurse, head custodians, IA’s etc.  Push administrators that the plans need to be shared. 
 
  • River - 1st walk today, pretty open process, a little late of a start, Evan feels communication will fall on him feeling confident
 
  • ACMS - task force met 5 times, all parties involved, process of still writing out procedures, places that are weak, things still need to be done, town hall Wednesday with staff, site rep always poking back at administrators and as long as it is in a respectful manner there shouldn’t be any issues.  There have been issues around pick up, drop off, restrooms, etc. and the answer has been we will have to troubleshoot that and need to work out the kinks.  Bring concerns to Gayle
     
  • NVIS - located in portable by the stadium, runs anywhere between 2 and 4 classes per hour, hard time getting in touch with site no admin, Drew Herron in charge.  Others know what is going on, but Erin does not.  Talk about NVIS moving to old River campus at HMS.  Could possibly have 40 people in double wide portable at once.



Next Scheduled Meeting: October 26, 2020